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The Cutting Table · compared on the table

How do I wash a tufted cushion if the cover doesn't come off?

Also asked as:is it possible to remove the cover and wash itis the cover washable

The buttons are the charm and the catch, my friends. A tufted cushion is one sewn piece, so it is cleaned as one piece. Here it is, set beside its zippered cousin.

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The Colorist of New Orleans ·

Denim blue faceted bay window seat cushion on a white paneled base with linen and check pillows and a brass lampSave
A denim blue cushion shaped to a three-sided bay, with pillows and a brass lamp gathered at the reading end.

The quick answer

Wash a tufted cushion by spot-cleaning it gently by hand with a cloth, or put the whole cushion in the washing machine if it fits. The cover can't come off: the tufting is sewn through the filling, so fabric and fill are one piece with no zipper. For a removable cover, choose a non-tufted foam cushion.

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Tufted or zippered: how each one gets clean

Tufted cushionNon-tufted foam cushion
Cover comes offNo Tufting is sewn through the fillingYes With a zipper
Everyday cleaningGently by hand with a clothUnzip the cover to wash it
Machine washThe whole cushion, if it fits your machineThe cover on its own
ZipperNoneOn the edge you choose
Empty cover to fill yourselfNo Sold filled onlyYes As a plain zippered cover

Key facts

  • Tufted cushions are 100% handmade, with the tufting sewn through the filling.
  • Fabric and filling form one piece, so there is no zipper and the cover can't be removed.
  • Clean a tufted cushion gently by hand with a cloth.
  • If the whole cushion fits in your washing machine, it can be washed entire.
  • Non-tufted, foam-filled cushions can have removable zippered covers.
  • Tufted cushions are sold filled only; empty covers come as plain, non-tufted zippered covers.
  • Tufted floor cushions are normally 4-5 in (10-12 cm) thick and packed with siliconized polyester fiber, not foam.
  • Zippered covers on non-tufted cushions machine wash at 86°F (30°C) or below, inside out, on a gentle cycle.
  • Tufted cushions can't be made as thin as 1 in (2.5 cm).

Have it made

Have Élodie’s workshop cut this for you

Describe the room at four in the afternoon: the floor, the wall, the one color you love. That is where a good fabric choice begins. — Élodie

Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
Foam
Non-tufted, foam-filled cushions can have removable zippered covers.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Why the cover stays on

Needle tufting draws thread through the fabric and the filling together, 100% by hand, and the buttons hold the join. Fabric and fill become one piece, with no zipper to open.

That is also where the beauty lives: each dimple holds a small pool of shadow, and the fabric catches the light on every rise. The eye sits down first. If you would rather wash covers often, read tufted or plain cushions before you choose. Which matters more in your room, the shadows or the washing machine?

Cleaning a tufted cushion, gently

  1. Work by hand

    Clean the cushion gently by hand with a cloth, working around the buttons. The tufted cushion care pattern has more.

  2. Check your machine

    If the whole cushion fits inside your washing machine, it can be washed entire.

  3. Plan the next one

    For covers that come off, order a non-tufted, foam-filled cushion with a zippered cover.

Buttons on a tufted cushion are sewn through the filling, so fabric and fill are one piece. For washable covers, choose a zippered, non-tufted cushion.

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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Can I take the cover off my tufted cushion to wash it?

    The workshop's answer

    No. Tufted cushions are 100% handmade and sewn closed with no zipper, so the cover can't be removed. If the whole cushion fits in your machine, you can wash it entirely.

  2. A common question

    Are the covers on your tufted floor cushions removable?

    The workshop's answer

    No. They're hand-sewn with needle tufting through the filling, so fabric and fill form one piece. Clean them gently by hand with a cloth; for removable covers, choose foam-filled cushions with zippers instead.

  3. A common question

    Can I buy an empty cover for a tufted cushion and fill it myself?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, as a plain, non-tufted zippered cover in your sizes. Tufted cushions are sold filled only, because the tufting goes through the filling; for a tufted look you'd add the buttons yourself.

Questions buyers ask next

Why doesn't a tufted cushion have a zipper?

Because the tufting stitches pass through the cover and the filling together, joining them into one piece. A zipper would open a cover that can't be separated from its filling anyway.

Which is easier to keep clean, tufted or zippered?

For frequent washing, zippered. A non-tufted cushion's cover comes off for the machine, while a tufted cushion is cleaned by hand with a cloth, or washed whole only if it fits your machine.

Can I choose where the zipper goes on a non-tufted cushion?

Yes. Name the edge, such as the long back edge, or a long side so the cushion can be flipped, and the zipper is sewn there. Say so in your order note.