A bean bag chair is a comfortable, cozy piece of casual furniture that encourages people to curl up and relax within their unstructured confines. Filled with anything from beans to PVC pellets, they typically come with removable covers, made from cotton, suede, vinyl, leather, and other natural or man-made materials.

Cleaning a Bean Bag Chair

The options are somewhat limited. Clean is a relative term—especially when cleaning an item like a bean bag chair. Owners—or the maid service they employ—are limited to cleaning the two outer layers of this piece of furniture. Depending upon what material comprises the cover and the outside of the actual bean bag, cleaning is performed in a few different ways.

Items Needed for Cleaning

The following items are useful when cleaning a bean bag chair. Of course you won’t need all of them, as some are dependent upon the material comprising the cover, as well as the way the bean bag is constructed.

• Trash bag
• Soft bristled cleaning brush
• Cleaning cloths or clean rags
• Liquid dish soap
• Basin or bucket
• Leather conditioner

Disassembling Your Bean Bag Chair

Some bean bag chairs are designed so owners or employees of a maid service can completely disassemble them for proper cleaning. This means removing the cover, then removing the filler from the inner lining.

Since a maid service usually works with two or more employees per residence, they have the benefit of that extra pair of hands. If you’re cleaning your own bean bag, you’ll need to get someone to help you with this next step, or you might wind up with a big mess.

Ask your helper to hold a trash bag wide open so you can unzip the lining of the bean bag chair and pour the filler into it. Not all bean bags are designed this way, however. Some feature linings that are sewn shut so the filling can’t be removed. If that’s the case, you have one less step to complete in this cleaning project.

Washing the Liner

The liner of your bean bag chair also requires cleaning. Whether it is emptied of its contents or simply awaiting the return of its cover, a good cleaning with a damp cloth soaked in the soap and water mixture will clean away germs and dust. Allow the liner to completely air dry before replacing the contents or the cover.

Washing the Cover

A suede cover requires you to lay it flat on a clean surface. Using your soft bristled cleaning brush, gently brush the entire cover. Turn it over and repeat the process on the other side.

Leather covers would need for you to wipe it down with a damp cleaning cloth. Allow the cover to dry completely, then apply leather conditioner with a second clean, dry cloth.

And with a vinyl cover, simply wipe it down with a damp cleaning cloth soaked in a mixture of dish soap in a basin or bucket of warm water. Rinse the cloth, then wipe the cover down again to remove any traces of soap.

If you’re lucky enough to have a cotton or other washable fabric cover on your bean bag chair, the next step is a no-brainer. Simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions (they should appear on a tag somewhere on the chair) and launder the bean bag cover. Many instructions will state air drying is best, so as to avoid any shrinkage.

Reassembling Your Bean Bag Chair

Regardless of which methods you or your maid service used when cleaning the bean bag chair cover and lining, the last step in this process involves reassembling your bean bag chair. You’ll need that helping hand yet again as you replace the filler—transferring it from the trash bag and back into the bean bag liner.

Once the cover is completely dried, replace it as well. You’ll likely need to poke and push on the filler a bit in order for your bean bag to reach your desired shape.

Cleaning your bean bag chair isn’t one of those chores that is required on a weekly or even on a monthly basis. A good cleaning once per year should ensure a germ-free, freshened piece of furniture you and your family can enjoy for many years to come.

Now move your bean bag chair to a quiet spot, curl up with a good book or magazine, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You just might doze off for a while after all that work!