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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Cleaning Cabin Cushions

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JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/15/2012 : 15:21:30

OK, time for my daily "stupid" question. The cushions on our 1984 C25 still have the original tweed fabric, and they are in surprisingly good shape, except for the two bench seats on either side of the "table". Those are torn in a few small places, and my wife and I were discussing last night whether to recover all of the cabin cushions or not. We're inclined to say "not" at this point, in part because we have enough else to do. Instead, what we're planning to do is to put some coordinating fabric underneath the original fabric and over the foam, and repair the existing fabric where possible (the loose knit of the fabric actually makes this seem "do-able"). One nagging question, though, is how do we clean the original tweed fabric? Do we need to get it drycleaned, or can it be cleaned with a carpet cleaner/steamer? Any other suggestions are appreciated!

- Jim
Formerly of 1984 C25 named Dragon Wing

NOTE: In my case, PLEASE don't confuse stars/number of posts with actual knowledge. On any topic.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 15:37:00

When we bought our 1984 C25, I brought the cushions home and went over them with the "upholstery" tool on our Hoover carpet cleaner, and that worked fairly well. Why not take the coordinating fabric and make a slip cover for the cushions until you decide your course for permanent re-covering? I spent a fair amount of time looking at fabric options on the net and found a good bargain.

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 16:14:13

Rug Doctor has an upholstery attachment. If you go this route, be sure to use the anti-foam product.

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 19:25:24

David,
The slip cover is a good idea. I was just being lazy - a single sheet of fabric requires significantly less sewing.

Does anyone know whether the same fabric is still available? Mine is the brown with blue.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9076 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 19:40:56

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimGo
 Does anyone know whether the same fabric is still available? Mine is the brown with blue.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">You can get it down at Woolworth's.

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 19:46:54

Yeah, that's kind of what I thought, Dave.

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4018 Posts

Response Posted - 02/16/2012 : 06:50:07

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Does anyone know whether the same fabric is still available<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I hope not...I realize that recovering all of the cushions is a time consuming project but please let that fabric die. When I was looking for a C25, One of the main turnoffs was that stuff. If your just looking to buy a little more time and want to clean them I would probably remove them from the foam and spray them with a fabric cleaner or soak them in the tub with some Oxy-clean then hose them off. I wouldn't use a brush and try to keep any agitation to a minimum for fear of them falling apart then hang them up to dry. A good dry cleaning place probably would not give you any guarantee on the results.

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JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 02/16/2012 : 07:00:14

Scott,
I didn't realize you had such affection for the fabric! If/when we replace it, I'll be sure to send the old fabric up to NY for you.

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4018 Posts

Response Posted - 02/16/2012 : 07:06:29

Don't get me wrong, Its not like you or anyone else got to choose the fabric but I think that whoever down at Catalina that picked that stuff out should be gutted and fed to the fishes.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> I'll be sure to send the old fabric up to NY for you.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I think the post office would charge you extra for "Hazardous Material"

Edited by - islander on 02/16/2012 07:16:45

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 12:06:42

Well, I hit on a great scheme yesterday. Joann Fabrics was/is having a big sale, and I convinced my wife to come with me to the fabric store to pick out the stuff to go under the old fabric. While there, I mentioned to her that folks here and on SailNet had recommended using microsuede for the cushions, because it cleaned easily. Joann's sale was 50% off, plus an additional 10%, which brought the cost of the really nice stuff down to about $10/yard. Cutting a long story (or at least a long visit to the fabric store, especially for my kids) short, I convinced my wife to buy a 10-yard roll of it. So, looks like the main cabin will be getting completely new covers (we may re-use the vinyl from the bottoms) and I may even be able to re-do some of the V-berth and the aft cabin, too. Not sure that I have enough for ALL of that, but at least we got good material, and something Joann's regularly sells (rather than close-out material).

If this project goes well, I may try making cockpit cushions, too.

Edited by - JimGo on 02/20/2012 12:07:11

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 12:33:28

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimGo
 If this project goes well, I may try making cockpit cushions, too.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Cockpit cushions are nice, I have them, but something with backs to lean against are better. Remember, the comfort of your crew has a direct correlation to the amount of time they want to spend on the water.

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 12:39:18

Those are nice, Don!

I see you have the cut-outs on your coamings. My boat doesn't have those. Is that something you added, or is that standard?

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 12:46:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimGo
 I see you have the cut-outs on your coamings. My boat doesn't have those. Is that something you added, or is that standard?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Jim,

No, I didn't add the cockpit coaming compartments. They were probably an option the original owner ordered or the boat was just made that way. I must say they are quite convenient for stowing items within quick reach.

Edited by - dlucier on 02/20/2012 12:47:45

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 12:52:48

Yeah, I can see where they'd be very handy. I'm jealous!

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9076 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 13:02:24

If you're up for cutting out the holes, WM has a few variations--covered and not--like this:

None are framed with teak.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 02/20/2012 13:03:18

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 14:11:18

Thanks Dave! I was wondering how the "pocket" was/is formed. I guess the WM version solves that problem! I also like the fact that there are covers.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 15:10:46

Don't be jealous. It's handy but another place for leaks to form. Buy a few suction cup storage bags and place them where you want them.

Edited by - on

ckroll
1st Mate

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50 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2012 : 13:09:29

I may be late responding to this but when we bought our 80 C25 it also came with the original cushions and covers that were in "decent" shape but needed some cleaning for appearance and piece of mind. I simply removed all my covers and threw them in the washer. Side note though; for the larger ones I had to take them to a laundromat that had the high capacity washers. Also, I allowed them to drip dry rather than risk the dryer.

For cleaning the covers, this worked GREAT! I should also note that I sprayed the foam cushions with Tilex/bleach water in an effort to kill as much mold/mildew as I could before putting the covers back on. Granted I had to lay these out in the sun for a few days to dry thoroughly.

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JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2012 : 14:11:56

Thanks! I may give that a try. I was worried about how the vinyl would fare in the washer, and how the (now rather old) material would hold up.

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