Can You a Put Bean Bag Chair in the Washer? 6 Washing Steps!

Can you put a bean bag chair in the washer? Is it safe? Or would hand washing them be better? 

After a month of owning one, I had to find the truth behind it.

It always struck me whether I can put my bean bag chair inside the washer or not, and so, I dug deep and looked for the answer.

No, you can’t put the entire bean bag chair inside the washer because it can possibly lead to irreversible damage. You can only wash the cover or the fabric of the bean bag inside a washer.

So, in this guide, I will dictate everything I’ve learned from whether you can use an electric washer to clean it to a tutorial on how you can wash it!

Identifying the Fabric Used For Your Sacco Chair

Before I discuss with you the correct process of washing and cleaning one, it would extremely be important for you to be aware of the few different fabric types used for it first.

Like what I always tell people, different fabrics require different processes of care and maintenance, and therefore, cleaning them wouldn’t be the same.

Your bean bag chairs can be covered and protected with many different types and kinds of fabric, but the most common ones are cotton, polyester, nylon, suede, and leather.

Apart from the fabric or cover, what is the thing that makes it up?

Let me unravel what the contents are of Sacco chairs to help you identify and understand their structures better.

What Things are Inside Bean Bag Chairs?

Bean bag chairs have and contain beads made from expanded polystyrene, EPS for short.

This is what’s responsible for the comfortable feel that it gives you.

EPS is a plastic material that is mostly considered Styrofoam’s brother because this is the material considered to be the closest thing to Styrofoam.

Can You Wash a Bean Bag Chair?

Yes, you can wash your bean bag or Sacco chairs to free them from whatever bacteria, germs, and viruses could have stuck on them.

Washing it removes all dirt it collected and gathered, as well as gets rid of unwanted and unpleasant odors it developed.

A lot of people ask if these chairs can be put and washed inside washers. It’s quite complicated since not all bean bag chairs are made equally.

What does that mean? Let me go through this information more thoroughly.

Can You Put a Bean Bag Chair in the Washer?

The answer is yes and no – it’s quite complicated but allow me to explain it to you further.

I said yes because you can toss it inside the dryer without experiencing any problems, but only the fabric or the cover.

You can clean it like how you normally would clean fabric covers like blankets and bedsheets.

And no, because, wetting and washing the EPS or the beads inside it can be damaged and could appear flimsier than how it was originally.

Note: Bean bag chairs aren’t meant to be washed as a whole or without dismantling and disassembling them. 

In fact, you want to treat it like just another important piece of furniture, meaning, you’ll have to take it apart first.

How Do You Wash a Bean Bag Chair?

I don’t want to bore you with unneeded details and at the same time, I don’t want to leave you with an open thread.

So, what I will do is discuss the best, fastest, and most appropriate way of washing your bean bag chairs, regardless of the type of fabric it has.

I’ll approach it comprehensively, and will give you the most concrete way to do so.

Step #1: Take the Cover/Fabric Off

The first thing to do is remove and take the exterior or the cover of the Sacco chair off.

Whether it’s velvet, suede, cotton, polyester, or nylon, you can’t wash it together with the fillings or the beads inside the chair.

Unzip it and remove the cover or fabric covering the chair.

Step #2: Remove the Lining

When you’ve taken the fabric off, remove the lining or the inner sleeve of the bean bag chair as well.

NOTE: Not all bean bag chairs are manufactured with a lining. 

Some have the lining sewn on top of the fillings, so, double-check it first. If yours does not have one, go straight to the 3rd step.

Step #3: Set the Fillings Aside

Set the beads/beans or the fillings aside. You can pour it at a place you can remember, or you can prepare a sleeve or a piece of bag for it, too.

What I usually do is clip a piece of linen sleeve inside the bean bag chair.

I let it take the shape of the bean bag chair, and then I flip it over, releasing all the fillings and transferring it to the piece of cloth I installed.

NOTE: Ensure that no fillings will be wasted and that everything will be transferred.

Step #4: Wash the Covers and Linings

Then, the next step is to wash the cover and linings that you just removed. Now, you can hand wash it or toss it inside the washing machine.

You can do the latter if the fabric or the material is safe to be machine-washed. Otherwise, wash it gently and carefully by hand.

NOTE: Always remember to use a fabric conditioner to soften and maintain the condition of the fabric after washing. 

Step #5: Dry the Covers

Once it’s clean and fragrant, dry the fabric or the covers. Since you’re only drying the cloth (without the fillings), you can tumble dry it or put it inside the dryer.

Personally, I like sun-drying it. It gives the heat that makes me feel like the fabric has been pre-ironed and heated.

Furthermore, it’s such a natural approach too, meaning, you do not need to rely on machines, too.

Step #6: Reassemble Your Bean Bag Chair

When it’s dried up, reassemble the bean bag to its original state. Make sure that you put everything in order – the fillings, the lining, and the exterior or fabric.

That is how you clean the cover or fabric, as well as the lining of your bean bag chair.

Take note, this is only for the outer shell or the exterior coating of your Sacco chair – don’t forget that there’s still the filling inside it.

How Do You Clean the Filling or Beads/Beans of Bean Bags?

To start, you don’t wash the fillings with water, no matter what type of filling it is – and yes, even if it’s foam.

There are 3 different ways of cleaning the fillings of a bean bag chair:

1. Spray a few drops of warm water with mild soap. Do not overdo it because it could drown the beads.
2. You can buy an antistatic spray and use it on the fillings. This can be bought from department stores and shops.
3. Lastly, you can sprinkle baking soda (bi-carb soda) on the beans, and let them sit for about 10 minutes. Vacuum it afterward to remove the excess powder.

If you initially thought that you could just wash your bean bag filling with water, think again. It’s a lot more complex than you think!

Even if that’s the case, though, I never found cleaning both the fabric and the fillings of my bean bag chair to be a hassle. 

The process is simple, easy to do, and extremely convenient.

FAQs

Here are some other questions you might have in the ballpark that can help you clarify some more details about washing and cleaning your bean bag chairs.

What Happens When You Wet Your Sacco Bags?

There should be no risk or any damaging factor that could happen when the covers or the exteriors of the bean bag become damp and wet.

However, you must not let it reach the beans.

Water or any type of liquid for this matter can mess up and ruin the fillings and the bean bag chair, overall.

Can You Tumble Dry Your Bean Bag Chair?

You can only tumble dry the covers or linings of the bean bag chair, not when the beads are inside it.

The fillings could escape the lining and the cover and can clog your drains, as well as the mechanism of your dryer.

And, of course, you shouldn’t wet the fillings of your bean bag chair, so you shouldn’t worry about drying it either.

Final Thoughts

So, if you were asking, can you put a bean bag chair in the washer, you got the answer here!

Don’t make the same mistake I did – always ensure that you wash and clean your bean bag chairs appropriately to avoid ruining it, or worse, causing hazardous situations inside the house.

You should never be lost in finding the best and most efficient way of cleaning your bean bag chairs ever again!