---
title: "How to Clean a Tufted Cushion: Damp Cloth, Mild Soap"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/how-to-clean-tufted-cushion/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/"
published: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-07-09"
keywords: "how to clean tufted cushion, clean tufted bench cushion, tufted cushion no zipper, spot clean tufted floor cushion"
---

# How do I clean a tufted cushion if it can't go in the washer?

*Buttons hold a tufted cushion together, and they also keep the cover on for good. So the cleaning happens where the cushion sits, with a cloth and a light hand.*

Also asked as: How do you recommend cleaning it?; Is there a zipper in this construction?

> **The quick answer:** Clean a tufted cushion in place, by hand: wipe the surface gently with a damp cloth, and use a little mild soap and water for marks. Tufted cushions have no zipper, so the cover never comes off. The soft fabric range wipes clean most easily; if you want machine-washable covers, choose the untufted, foam-filled version with a zipper.

![Black and cream ticking stripe box cushion with piped edges on a walnut bench, lit by low sun from a side window](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/black-cream-ticking-cushion-walnut-bench-1536.webp "Close up, the ticking shows a small herringbone texture in each stripe, and self piping keeps the box edge tight.")

## Key facts

- Tufted cushions have no zipper; the cover does not come off.
- Clean a tufted cushion gently by hand with a damp cloth.
- Use mild soap and water for marks.
- The fabrics are chosen to be easy to clean and practical for homes with kids.
- The soft fabric range is the easiest to wipe clean.
- The untufted, foam-filled version has a zippered, machine-washable cover.
- Tufted French floor cushions are normally 4 to 5 in (10 to 12 cm) thick and packed with siliconized polyester fiber, not foam.
- The largest tufted square floor cushion is about 48 x 48 in (122 x 122 cm), so cleaning happens where it sits.
- Tufted cushions cannot be made as thin as 1 in.

## The damp-cloth routine

- ✓ Dampen a soft cloth with plain water.
- ✓ Wipe the surface gently; the cover stays on.
- ✓ For a mark, add a little mild soap to the water and dab.
- ✓ Let the cushion air dry where it sits.

## What a tufted cushion won't forgive

- ✗ The washing machine: a tufted cushion can't go in.
- ✗ A hunt for the zipper: there isn't one.
- ✗ A hot iron on the linen-look: it is synthetic and can melt, so steam or iron on low only.

## Pick the fabric that forgives, then clean less

The eye sits down first, but the hand does the cleaning, my friends. On a tufted cushion the fabric carries all the work, because nothing unzips. The workshop chooses fabrics that are easy to clean and practical in homes with kids, and the soft fabric range, part of the [performance and pet-friendly](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/performance-and-pet-friendly/) family, wipes clean most easily of all.

Velvet has no stain-repellent coating, the teddy fabric is water-repellent, and you can add a fabric protector spray yourself once the cushion arrives. A black and cream ticking forgives a crumb; a pale oyster velvet shows every fingerprint in low sun.

The [tufted cushion care Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-cushion-care-buttons-cleaning/) goes further. [Bench cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bench-cushions/) and floor cushions can be ordered untufted with a zipper, and the [tufted vs plain Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-vs-plain-cushions/) weighs that trade. Is yours in a child's reading nook, or a grown-up hallway?

## Tufted or untufted, if washing decides it

|   | Tufted | Untufted, foam-filled |
|---|---|---|
| Zipper | None | Yes, removable cover |
| Cleaning | By hand: damp cloth, mild soap | Cover machine washes at 86°F (30°C) |
| Fill | Silicone ball fiber, no foam core | Foam |
| Drying | Air dry in place | Air dry, or a low dryer setting |

> **Tailor's margin:** A tufted cushion has no zipper, so it is cleaned where it sits: a damp cloth, a little mild soap, and patience.

> Tufted cushions cannot go in the washer; wipe them with a damp cloth and mild soap, or choose the untufted zippered version for washable covers.
>
> — Élodie

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** The tufted version has no zipper. How do I clean it?

**The workshop's answer:** You clean it in place with a damp cloth; the soft fabric in particular wipes clean easily by hand. If you need a removable cover, choose the non-tufted, foam-filled version, which has a zipper.

**A common question:** It's a tufted floor cushion for my kids' reading nook. How do I keep it clean?

**The workshop's answer:** Wipe it gently with a cloth; a tufted cushion can't go in the washing machine. The workshop can make it untufted instead, with removable covers that can be machine washed.

**A common question:** Does the tufted linen floor cushion have a zipper?

**The workshop's answer:** No. It is tufted and handcrafted, so the cover does not come off. Clean it by wiping gently with mild soap and water.

**A common question:** Can I use a fabric protector spray?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, you can apply one yourself once the covers arrive. Velvet has no stain-repellent coating, while the teddy fabric is water-repellent; beyond that, washability is the main protection.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Can I steam shipping creases out of a tufted cushion?

Shipping creases fade on their own. To speed it up, steam or iron on low only. The linen-look range is synthetic and can melt under a hot iron, so keep the heat gentle and test a hidden spot first.

### Which fabric is easiest to keep clean on a tufted cushion?

The soft fabric range. It was chosen for being especially easy to clean and durable, and it wipes clean by hand more readily than the others, which matters when the cover can never come off.

### Are untufted cushion covers machine washable?

Yes. The untufted, foam-filled version has a zippered, removable cover that machine washes at 86°F (30°C). Air drying is best; if you use a dryer, choose the low setting and never high heat.

## Related at the atelier

- [Can I take the cover off a tufted cushion to wash it?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/tufted-cushion-cover-removable-washable/): No, a tufted cushion's cover can't be removed or machine washed, because the buttons are stitched through the cover and the filling together; it is spot clean only.
- [Can velvet cushion covers go in the washing machine?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/velvet-cushion-cover-machine-washable/): Yes: velvet cushion covers unzip with a hidden zipper and are machine washable at 86°F (30°C) maximum on a gentle cycle, the same care as every other fabric in the range.
- [Can I iron my cushion covers to get the shipping creases out?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/iron-cushion-covers-remove-shipping-creases/): Yes, you can remove creases from cushion covers with steam or an iron on a low setting, and shipping creases also fade on their own over time.
- [Custom Bench Cushion in Bouclé: Ties, Non-Slip or Zipper?](https://cushionguide.com/readings/dusty-blue-caramel-cream-boucle-stack-side-view/): A custom bench cushion stays put with fabric ties where there is a frame, rail or slats to tie to, or with a non-slip base where it rests on a smooth, flat top.
- [Custom Bench Cushion in Bottle-Green Velvet, Hidden Zipper](https://cushionguide.com/readings/hidden-zip-green-velvet-bench-cushion-cover/): A custom bench cushion in bottle-green velvet looks richest where warm materials surround it: honey oak and terracotta tile make the green read deeper.
- [Mustard Bouclé Bench Cushion on Teal: A Buyer's Project Retold](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mustard-boucle-ash-bench-cushion-teal-wall/): A tufted bench cushion cannot have a removable, washable cover, because the buttons are stitched through the whole cushion.
- [Tufted bench cushion or plain? Buttons, looks and washability](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-vs-plain-cushions/)
- [Linen bench cushions: which 'linen' is on your bench, and how it wears](https://cushionguide.com/guides/linen-bench-cushions/)

*With color and care — Élodie*

---

Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/how-to-clean-tufted-cushion/