Out of all the furniture that you have in your home, beanbags are the easiest to
clean, wash and maintain. If taken care of in the right way, bean bags can outlive
many other furniture pieces that you probably would have bought around the same
time.
Maintenance of different kinds of bean bags
Bean bag maintenance is an easy and hassle free process. Any kind of bean bag can
be made dust and germ free and sparkling clean with a vacuum cleaner. The fabric
of most bean bags is such that it does not hold on to dust for long. Sometimes even
vacuuming is not needed. You can just dust it well and your bean bag is clean again.
For beanbags that need to be cleaned a little more thoroughly than that, there are
several different maintenance and care methods used for different fabrics. Stronger
and sturdier fabrics last longer and require very little care. Delicate fabrics
need a higher level of maintenance. Darker colors show less dirt and stains than
lighter ones.
Vinyl
Vinyl is usually thick and strong and takes wear and tear very well especially at
the hands of children. Vinyl can easily be cleaned with a cleaning spray and tissue.
If there are any stubborn stains, use an aerosol stain remover.
Suede
Suede used for beanbags is thick and soft and stains on this can be easily cleaned
with a suede cleaner.
Cottons & Nylons
Both these fabrics go into the washing machines. The only challenge here is removing
and putting the beans back in. Ideally when using beanbags made of cotton or nylon,
use a liner inside which holds all the beans, so removal and refilling is much easier.
Corduroy
Corduroy can also be machine washed. The one problem with corduroy is that it tends
to rip at the seams .Good quality corduroy beanbags are lined with a fabric that
keeps the beanbag in shape and also prevents the cover from tearing at the seams.
Denim
Denim is also a washing machine friendly fabric. Denim used in the fabrication of
beanbags need to be necessarily prewashed and shrunk otherwise you could end up
with a bag half its original size and a few shades lighter than its original color
when it comes out of the washing machine.
Faux fur bean bags
Hand washing or dry cleaning is recommended for these as machine washing can give
them an unkempt look. These are delicate beanbags and not advisable if you have
kids or pets in your home.
How to wash your bean bags
Beanbags with covers are very easy to wash. Just remove the covers and depending
on what fabric the cover is made of, wash them or get them dry cleaned. Stains can
be removed simply by washing or using the appropriate stain removers. Since these
are cleaned thoroughly, beanbags with covers look spotless and new for a long time.
Bean bags without covers can be cleaned with the help of a piece of cloth and a
little soapy water. Most stains like that of tea, coffee etc can be removed with
the soapy water treatment. Bean bags usually have a non absorbing surface and this
doesn?t let stains stay on for long. More stubborn stains like that of grease, oil
and wax can be removed with varsol or gasoline. Apply this on the affected area,
leave for a whole and then wiped with a dry cloth or one dipped in soapy water.
How to fill or refill a bean bag
Bean bags are great, trendy and comfortable furniture. The only challenge that a
lot of people face is filling the beans for the first time or refilling a bag that
has flattened or has been washed. Beans which are very light, seem to have a mind
of their own and have this ability to go everywhere but where they are supposed
to and this can be very exasperating. There is however a systematic way of filling
a bean bag and this should work provided you follow the steps carefully:
Check your bean bag
Make sure there are no any holes or damage in the fabric. Sturdy material like leather
is unlikely to get damaged easily but some lighter materials can tear and this will
lead to leakage of the beans as soon as you start filling.
Choose the right spot
Make sure you do this exercise in a room with minimum breeze, otherwise the beans
will start flying around and you?ll have more beans outside than in the bag.
This is a job for two
Have someone help you fill your beanbag. Hold the bean bag open and have your helper
place the bag of filling into the opening. Open the filler bag carefully and slowly
add its contents to the bean bag chair.
Add as much as you want
Depending on whether you want a firm beanbag or soft one, fill the amount of filling.
Even it you like a firm beanbag, don?t put in too much filling; this will make the
beanbag solid and uncomfortable.
Zip it up
Most beanbags come with zippers so close the zip as soon as the filling is securely
inside. Some zippers even have locks so that no one accidently opens the zipper
and spills the beans. Some bags have zippers and Velcro for extra protection.
Try it out
As you sit, the filling with settle in as the trapped air is pushed out of the chair.
If you feel the need for a stiffer chair, add more beans.
