---
title: "Can You Wash Cushion Inserts? Wash the Cover Instead"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/wash-cushion-filling-or-cover-only/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-08-28"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "can you wash cushion inserts, washable cushion covers, how to clean cushion filling, backrest cushion inner liner, floor cushion spot cleaning"
---

# Can I wash the whole cushion, or only the cover?

*An old question with a short answer. The cover goes in the machine; the filling stays home and gets a damp cloth.*

Also asked as: Is there a separate fiber liner?; Can I still wash the covers?

> **The quick answer:** Wash the cushion cover, not the whole cushion: fillings sit in their own inner liner, so the outer cover unzips and machine washes at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle any time, while the insert is spot-cleaned by hand with a damp cloth. Silicone-fiber floor cushions can be washed whole if you truly must, but hand spot-cleaning is still the recommendation.

![Multicolour hexagon print seat cushion with orange piping and a single long rust back pillow on an acacia bench on a deck](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/hexagon-print-deck-bench-cushion-long-rust-pillow-1024.webp "A cheerful hexagon weave in orange, teal, yellow and navy on the seat, with one long rust pillow across the slatted back of a deck bench.")

## Key facts

- Backrest fillings come in their own inner liner, separate from the outer cover.
- Foam inserts have inner protective covers.
- Outer covers unzip from the underside and can be washed any time.
- Covers machine wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle; air dry them.
- The cushion itself is spot-cleaned by hand with a damp cloth.
- Silicone-fiber-filled floor cushions can be washed whole if really needed.
- Button-tufted cushion covers don't come off.
- Standard seat foam inserts are 32-density foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³, wrapped in polyester fiber wadding.
- A newly unpacked cushion recovers within about 24-72 hours, and packing creases on covers usually fade within 1-2 weeks, so wash only if it's truly dirty.

## Three layers, and only one meets the washer

Here is how a cushion is put together, my friend, and why only one part of it needs the machine. The filling never touches the outer cloth. Backrest fillings come in their own inner liner, and foam inserts wear an inner protective cover of their own. The outer cover is the only layer that meets coffee, sunscreen and dogs.

So the outer cover unzips from the underside and comes off whole. Wash it at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle and let it air dry. A seam is a promise, and the zipper is the part of that promise that lets you start over.

The filling stays home. Wipe it with a damp cloth if it needs anything at all. Silicone-fiber [floor cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/floor-cushions/) can be washed whole if you truly must, but the damp cloth is still the better friend. The [cover washing Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/how-to-wash-cushion-covers/) has the full routine, the [tufted cushion care Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-cushion-care-buttons-cleaning/) covers buttoned ones, and the [backrest cushion Atlas](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/backrest-cushions/) covers the shapes.

## What gets washed, and how

| Part | How to clean it |
|---|---|
| Zippered outer cover | Unzip, machine wash at 86°F (30°C) on gentle, air dry |
| Backrest filling in its inner liner | Stays out of the wash; spot-clean by hand |
| Foam insert in its protective cover | Spot-clean with a damp cloth |
| Silicone-fiber floor cushion | Spot-clean; can be washed whole if really needed |
| Button-tufted cushion | Cover doesn't come off; damp cloth with a little mild soap |
| Non-slip bottom pieces | Remove before washing; never in the dryer |

## Washing a cover the workshop way

1. **Unzip from the underside**: Slide the insert out in its own liner and set it aside.
2. **Take off the non-slip pieces**: Washed or dried, they are the usual reason a cover won't zip shut afterward.
3. **Wash cool and gentle**: 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle, for every fabric, velvet and linen included.
4. **Air dry**: If a dryer can't be avoided, use the low setting, never high heat.
5. **Refill when dry**: Slip the insert back in its liner and close the zipper.

## New filling for covers the buyer already owned

A buyer wrote to the workshop who already had backrest covers and wanted new filling for them. The worry was plain: would the filling be stuffed loose into the cover, and put an end to washing it? It wasn't. The filling arrived in its own inner cover and slipped into the outer cover the buyer already owned. That outer cover still comes off and goes in the wash whenever it needs to. What are you cleaning up after, coffee or a muddy paw?

> **Tailor's margin:** A cushion cover unzips and machine washes at 86°F (30°C) on gentle; the filling stays in its own liner and gets a damp cloth.

> Wash the cushion cover, not the whole cushion: the filling sits in its own inner liner, and the cover unzips and washes at 86°F (30°C).
>
> — Harlan

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Is the backrest filling stuffed straight into the cover, or does it have its own liner?

**The workshop's answer:** It comes in its own inner cover. Slip the filled insert into the outer cover you already have, and you can take that outer cover off and wash it whenever you like.

**A common question:** Can I wash a whole floor cushion by hand?

**The workshop's answer:** Spot-clean it by hand with a damp cloth. The filling is silicone fiber, so the cushion can be washed whole if you really want to.

**A common question:** Do the covers come off, and can they go in the washing machine?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Every cover unzips from the underside and comes off completely, and all fabrics, velvet and linen included, machine wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle. Air dry them. Button-tufted cushions are the exception: their covers don't come off.

**A common question:** My covers won't zip shut after washing. Did they shrink?

**The workshop's answer:** Covers don't shrink at 86°F (30°C) on gentle. Trouble zipping, or a tear, usually means the non-slip bottom pieces were washed or dried. Take them off first; in past cases the workshop replaced damaged pieces after seeing photos, so send yours and get its answer in writing.

## Questions buyers ask next

### How do I clean a tufted cushion?

Button-tufted covers don't come off, so spot-clean the surface with a damp cloth and a little mild soap and water. If you want a machine-washable cover, choose the untufted zippered version instead.

### Can cushion covers go in the dryer?

Air drying is best. If you must use a dryer for the fabric covers, pick the low setting and never high heat. Non-slip bottom pieces and rubber-backed covers never go in the dryer.

### Is a foam insert washable?

Wash its outer cover, not the foam. Foam inserts come in inner protective covers, and the workshop's advice for the cushion itself is hand spot-cleaning with a damp cloth.

## Related at the atelier

- [Can I buy just the foam inserts, without the covers?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/buy-foam-inserts-without-covers/): Yes, foam inserts and fillings are sold on their own, without covers.
- [Can I buy just the L-shaped corner backrests without the sofa?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/l-shaped-corner-backrest-without-sofa/): Yes, L-shaped backrests are sold on their own: choose the L-shaped backrest option on the listing or ask for a custom link.
- [Can you make a wall-mounted headboard cushion or backrest?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/wall-mounted-headboard-style-backrest/): Usually not with a rigid board inside: standard backrests are soft, so they can't be screwed to a wall or hung on a French cleat.
- [Replacement sofa and couch cushions: measuring, foam and covers](https://cushionguide.com/guides/replacement-sofa-seat-cushions/): To replace sofa cushions, send the length, depth and thickness of each piece, measured from the old cushion if it fit well or from the seat deck if it didn't, with photos of a tape along every side.
- [Bench Seat and Back Cushion in Jacquard and Terracotta Bouclé](https://cushionguide.com/readings/geometric-backrest-terracotta-boucle-seat-closeup/): For a bench seat and back cushion in two fabrics, put the forgiving cloth on the seat and the pattern on the back.
- [Outdoor Back Cushion Proportion: Amber on a Gray Patio Sofa](https://cushionguide.com/readings/amber-outdoor-back-cushion-gray-garden-sofa/): A patio back cushion should come close to the thickness of the seat cushion below it, because that proportion props the sitter upright the way the sofa was designed.
- [How tall should a back cushion be? Sizing backrests to your seat](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-height-sizing/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) 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/wash-cushion-filling-or-cover-only/