The proper way to clean a futon

September 14, 2010 3:33 PM

Moving and I need to clean my futon VERY WELL! It's been sitting in the garage for 4 months now. The outside looks clean but I don't know about any inside pests. It has a soft removable cover on it. How can I make sure there aren't any creepy crawlies when I move? Any chemicals? Sprays that will get the job done?
posted by InterestedInKnowing to home & garden (5 answers total)

Generally you don't have to worry about pests (mites, ants, flesh-eating worms etc) as much as you do mold. The best possible thing you can do is leave you futon outside all day on a sunny day, and bring it inside well before dusk and the dew sets in.

Make sure both sides are exposed to sunlight, and that should at least air the futon out.

However, if the futon is indeed actually moldy, you need to throw it out.
posted by KokuRyu at 4:28 PM on September 14, 2010

I meant to say that there shouldn't be any creepy crawlies on it because things like ticks and fleas prefer a food source.
posted by KokuRyu at 4:29 PM on September 14, 2010

Ok, how about bed bugs? IF it has it. I don't know.
posted by InterestedInKnowing at 4:45 PM on September 14, 2010

If you're concerned, you can take it to be professionally cleaned.

You may also want to take this opportunity to replace the inner mattress (everything the cover zips open). Which is often about the same cost as having the whole thing cleaned, the last time I priced it out.
posted by ErikaB at 6:17 PM on September 14, 2010

The futon most likely won't have bed bugs, because they prefer to be close to food, which does not exist in your garage. For example, a common strategy to mitigate the effects of a bed bug infestation is for one person to sleep in the infested room and act as a lure or "sacrifice". Other members of the household will move out of the room, and bed bugs will stay in one location in the dwelling. Besides, where would the bed bugs in your garage come from in the first place? Most bed bug infestations are picked up in clothing, usually when traveling.

Anyway, any furniture that has been exposed to bed bugs needs to be thrown out, not cleaned.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:54 AM on September 15, 2010