How to Clean Mildew Off of Outdoor Cushions

Outdoor seat cushions are particularly susceptible to mold and mildew because they often end up left out in the rain. When they get damp, they are a perfect breeding ground for mildew. If your seat cushions are small enough, you may be able to simply throw them in the washing machine with some bleach to get rid of the mildew. However, larger seat cushions will have to be cleaned by hand outdoors.

Things You'll Need

• Sponge
• Lemon juice
• Laundry detergent
• Water
• Bucket

Instructions

1. Mix a gallon of water and 1/4-cup of soap in the bucket. You can stir the mix around with your hand and the sponge. The mixture should be slightly sudsy.

2. Scrub the cushions with the sponge. You can scrub as hard as you like until you get the mold and mildew stains off. The detergent should kill the mold and mildew while it is breaking down the stains.

3. Dowse any remaining stains with lemon juice. You may still have some pale stains remaining on the cushions once you have finished cleaning them. These should be saturated with lemon juice.

4. Let the cushions dry in the sun. The lemon juice will lift the remainder of the stain out of the cushion using the sunlight as a catalyst.

Tips & Warnings

• Color-safe bleach fabric detergent can also be used to fight mildew on outdoor cushions.

References

• How to clean mold and mildew