The Cutting Table · a question, worked through
Can I take the cover off a tufted cushion to wash it?
Buttons give a tufted cushion its shadows and its tailoring, and they also decide how it gets cleaned. Here are the questions buyers ask, one after the other.
Pinned by Élodie
The quick answer
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. If you need a washable cover, the workshop makes the same cushion untufted, with a zippered removable cover and piping, which can go through a gentle cycle.
Get a quote for a bench cushion
Key facts
- Tufted cushion covers are not removable.
- The buttons are stitched through the cover and the filling.
- Tufted cushions can't go in the washing machine; they are spot clean only.
- The fabric on tufted cushions is easy to spot-clean and durable.
- An untufted version with a zippered removable cover and piping is available.
- Tufted cushions can be made to custom sizes, with flat sides and piping.
- A diagonal button pattern is possible instead of straight rows.
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.
“Can the cover come off?”
No, and the buttons are the reason. On a button-tufted cushion each button is stitched straight through the cover and the filling, which is what gives the top its soft, shadowed dimples. Cut those stitches and the tufting is gone.
So the cover stays on for life, and the cushion never goes in the washing machine. The tufting entry in the glossary and the tufted or plain Pattern show how it is built.
“Then how do I keep it clean?”
By hand, and gently. The fabrics chosen for tufted cushions are easy to spot-clean and very durable, so a wipe of the surface handles most days. The tufted cushion care Pattern goes button by button, and stain first aid covers coffee, juice and paws.
“What would it look like without the buttons?”
Calmer. Without tufting the top lies smooth, the light slides across it in one long sheet instead of pooling in each dimple, and the piping does all the drawing at the edge. The workshop makes the same cushion untufted, with a zippered, removable cover and piping, and that cover can be washed on a gentle cycle at 86°F (30°C).
The eye sits down first, my friends. Keep the dimples for a formal room and a careful household; choose the zipper for a dog, a toddler or a bench cushion by the back door. Which matters more in your room, the shadow of the buttons or the washing machine?
Tufted or zippered, side by side
| Button-tufted | Untufted with zipper | |
|---|---|---|
| Cover comes off | No Stitched through | Yes Zippered |
| Machine wash | No Spot clean only | Yes Gentle cycle, 86°F (30°C) |
| Custom sizes | Yes | Yes |
| Edges | Flat sides with piping | Piping |
| Buttons | Rows or a diagonal pattern | None |
If a cushion has to go in the washing machine, order it untufted with a zippered cover and piping; button tufting keeps the cover on for good.
Élodie
Buyer questions
- A common question
Can you make a tufted bench or daybed cushion with buttons, and can the cover still be washed?
The workshop's answerThe button-tufted model can be made, including custom sizes, flat sides with piping, and a diagonal button pattern instead of rows. Because the buttons are sewn through the cushion, the cover doesn't come off and can't be machine washed; it's spot clean only.
- A common question
Can I wash the cover of a tufted floor cushion? It's for my dog's 20 x 40 in crate.
The workshop's answerNo. Tufted cushions are stitched through, so the cover isn't removable or machine washable. Clean it by wiping the surface.
- A common question
Are the covers removable and washable?
The workshop's answerNot on tufted cushions, because the buttons hold the cover and filling together. If you want a washable cover, the workshop makes the cushion untufted with a zippered cover and piping.
- A common question
Are the tufted corner floor cushions washable?
The workshop's answerThe tufted cushions themselves can't go in the wash, but the fabric is easy to clean and very durable.
Questions buyers ask next
How do I wash the zippered cover on the untufted version?
Unzip the cover, turn it inside out and machine wash at 86°F (30°C) max on a gentle or delicate cycle with mild detergent and no bleach. Air dry rather than tumble dry, and iron on low if needed.
Which fabric is kindest to spot cleaning?
Every fabric shares the same basic care, but a few weaves spot clean slightly more easily, and the durable velvet series is the most popular pick for kids' rooms. Ask the workshop which codes suit your household.
Can I see the untufted look before choosing?
Buyers ask exactly this before ordering. The workshop can make the same size either way, so describe your room and ask how the cushion would look without buttons: smooth on top, with the piping drawing the edge.
