Your nursery glider is exposed to a lot of messes, from milk spit-up to diaper explosions, so you have to know how to clean the glider cushions. Any parent who uses a glider often can tell you that it receives a lot of wear and tear, spit-up, and more.
You don’t want to sit on all that nastiness, nor do you want that in your nursery. It can lead to germs and bacteria breeding on the fabric of your glider cushions. One of the reasons why these cushions stain so severely is that breastmilk and formula have higher amounts of protein enzymes. They stain more than regular milk.
Unfortunately,
Not all gliders can remove the cushion cover, making it easy to clean all the messes you might find. If you’re lucky enough to buy one that has a removable cover, then your job is a lot easier.
Let’s look at what you need to know to clean your cushions.
What Do You Need to Clean Glider Cushions
There are several methods for cleaning glider cushions, and they do require different supplies. Chances are you have most of what you need on hand.
The first thing that you need to do is vacuum the cushions. Most vacuums come with nozzles that you can use to vacuum the small areas of the cushions. Cushions tend to have crevices that hold crumbs and dirt easily.
Make sure that you get in there good! Use any attachment that you have to get as much of dirt off of the cushion. You also can use this to keep the area under the glider clean.
You might want to see if your vacuum comes with an upholstery tool. These tools are useful for getting rid of lint, pet hair, crumbs, dirt, and more. It’s used to work with materials, such as the covering of your gliders.
Try Baby Wipes
Once your cushions are clean, baby wipes should be your first action plan. Any parent can tell you that baby wipes are a real godsend; they can be used on many different things. I can tell you I’ve cleaned tons of objects with baby wipes – no shame here!
Try wiping down your nursery glider cushions with baby wipes. When you use baby wipes, it’s applying soap and water to the stain, and the moisture left behind will evaporate quickly. Use them to scrub stains and nasties off of the cushions.
Mix a Stain Removing Solution and Treat
If baby wipes don’t work, it’s time to move to the next step – stain removal. I prefer to use my own stain removal solution, one part dishwashing liquid, and two parts of hydrogen peroxide. Put the solution into a spray bottle, but don’t shake it too much. It will create large amounts of bubbles.
Use this solution to spray on the stains on your cushions. Make sure to saturate the stained areas on the glider thoroughly. Then, let it sit for 5-10 minutes allowing the stain dissolve.
After it sits for a while, use a clean cloth to scrub up the excess of the solution. Ensure the fabric is damp; it’ll help get the stain up if it’s not already dissolved.
Steam Clean
Last but not least, if your glider cushions still aren’t clean as you would hope, a steam cleaner can be used to clean the upholstery of the seat cushion. Steam cleaners help remove dirt and grime while also sanitizing the fabric. No bacteria or germs will be left over after being hit with the steam cleaner.
You can jump to this method first, but steam cleaning is more effective when you pre-clean the stained areas of your cushion. You don’t need to use the above stain-removing solution, but it’s best to use warm water to wipe down the area. Basically, you want to loosen the stain as much as you can.
Dry Clean As a Last Resort
The last option you have is to get your glider cushion dry cleaned-yes, that’s an option! Dry cleaning is when you take the cushions to get a professional cleaning process where different chemicals are used with water.
While it costs you money, your cushion will come home looking completely clean, free of dust, and brand new. This could be a great option between children or after your glider spent time in storage.
Start Applying Enzyme Cleaner on Stains
I highly recommend using an enzyme cleaner to apply on stains before they dry. When you treat stains before they set in, it makes it much easier to get clean.
Using an enzyme cleaner is a smart idea because, as mentioned before, formula and breastmilk have high levels of protein enzymes. So, using an enzyme cleaner works to break down the protein enzymes that stained your cushion.
It’s best to keep one on hand, so you can treat the stain immediately if a bottle spills. Here’s how to use the cleaner.
A Removable Cover
If your cushion has a removable cover, here is what you need to do.
Put water in a bowl or a sink. Make sure the water is room temperature, and soak the cover.
Add the enzyme cleaner to the water, and let the cover soak for several hours with the cleaner.
Wash the cushions like you usually would in the washing machine.
No Removable Cover
Sometimes, the cushion doesn’t have a removable cover, so you have to use the cleaner without taking it off. Here’s what to do.
Apply the enzyme cleaner directly to the stain.
Let it soak for several hours, periodically adding more to keep it damp.
Then, use soap and warm water and scrub the stain with a clean cloth as you usually would do so.
Get It Clean!
You must learn how to clean the cushions if you decide to get a glider for your baby’s nursery. You don’t need to clean it all the time, but knowing how to do so will come in handy several times. Get the supplies on hand before you end up with a mess.
Hey, this is Linda. My biggest accomplishment in life is being a mother of four children. Their current ages range from almost ten years old down to 20 months old.
I’m passionate about writing parenting articles because I understand so well all of the problems and trials you face as a parent. From breastfeeding woes to budgeting problems and behavior problems, along with everything in between, chances are I’ve faced it over the last ten years. Read more about Linda here.
