How Do You Clean Bean Bags Without Removing Beans? – Best Solution

BySarah Williams

Generally, all bean bags directly touch the floor of the home. Therefore it may dirt with dust and germs over time. Hence you should clean the bean bag after a certain period. Also, some bean bags do not have separate inner lining layers. Thus, removing beans fillers from the outer cover is a challenge. 

You can clean bean bags without removing beans. However, you must check the manufacturer’s guidelines to clean it safely. The ability and the method to clean bean bags without removing beans highly depends on the type of bean bag filler used in the bean bag. 

Further, read the below factors and get knowledge before making a decision.

Clean Bean Bags Without Removing Beans

Table of Contents

Methods To Clean Bean Bags Without Removing Beans

There are several methods to wash a bean bag with beans in it. The first one uses a washing machine, and the second is a hand-wash. 

However, before selecting the cleaning methods, you should check the manufacturer’s guidelines regarding washing and drying because they may include that your bean bag is washable or not. You can find these guidelines from the tag attached to the bean bag.

Further, you can check the manufacturer’s suggestions about bean bag cleaning because the cleaning method depends on bean bag filler type and bean bag fabric type. 

After reading the manufacturer’s suggestions, you can get good knowledge about how to clean particular materials. However, if they can use machine wash or hand wash, you can carry out the following steps. 

Check the Bean Bag Filler Type

Bean bags contain tiny pellets inside, and they are prepared with different kinds of materials. Hence, first, you should know the filler type. The most commonly used filler types are mention below.

  • Polystyrene 
  • Microfoam
  • Memory foam
  • Plastic

Among them, most bean bags are filled with a form of Styrofoam or expanded Polystyrene. Thus, they are cheap and light weighted materials. Also, the expanded polystyrene beans are non-polar substances. Hence, it does not dissolve in polar agents such as water. Therefore you can wash beans with water. 

In addition to that, you cannot use hot water to clean bean bags when beans are in, because these expanded polystyrene beads have 95% air pores in the middle. Hence, there is a high possibility to change the bean shape at high temperatures. 

Wash Bean Bag Without Removing Beans Using the Washing Machine

The different bean bag types come in different shapes, sizes, and volumes. For example, a toddler’s bean bags size is around 100 liters. But standard bean bag size ranges from approximately 400 to 600 liters.  

Generally, every modern washing machine comes with a 50-liter capacity. So it is not possible to put a 100 to 600-liter bean bag into a 50-liter washing machine. 

Hence, you cannot put your giant bean bag into the washing machine when the bean is in it. Anyhow, if you try to apply pressure on the bean bag to put it into the device, the beans may compress. 

The compressed bean cannot recover. As a result of this, your bean bag may lose its unique properties and comfy feel. 

Moreover, when you are compressing, the bean bag seams may break. It causes to spill out the thousands of small beans. I’m sure you do not need to spend hours collecting messed-up beans. 

But if you have the machine with relevant capacity, yes, you can wash your bean bag with beans in it. But, first, check whether the bean bag manufacturer permits washing bean bag in the washing machine or not. 

Also, make sure to maintain water temperature around 86 Fahrenheit degrees. The relatively high temperatures may deform the beans and also fabric. Do not set your washing machine to rotate at high speed. 

Please set it to rotate gently because high speed may damage the bean bag’s seams and deform the beans. 

If your bean bag has any damage, it is not recommended to use the washing machine. Because expanded polystyrene beads can easily spill out in the washing machine, it may cause to damage your equipment and loss of your bean bag.  

In addition to the above factors, do not use a tumble dryer under any circumstance to dry your bean bag with beans in it. Moreover, do not use iron. You can use the air-dry method to dry your bean bag with beans safely. 

Manually Wash Bean Bag Without Removing Beans

wash bean bags without removing bean

Suppose you are going to wash your bean bag manually when beans are in it. It will help if you take a relatively large container. Now you may think, ‘How am I find this mush of large container? Don’t overthink. See your surroundings. You can use a bathtub as an alternative to a large container. Then, follow these guidelines.

Step 1: First, add few drops of detergent into the tub or container

Do not add any detergent containing bleaching because it may react with your bean bag fabric and bean bag fillers. Thus, purchase a detergent from a known brand to clean your bean bag safely. 

Step 2: Then fill the ¾ part of the container or tub with the water

Step 3: Dip the whole bean bag or part of the bean bag in the water

In this step, sometimes, your water tub is not enough to dip your bean bag completely. Then you can gradually rotate the bean bag in the water tub and clean all areas.  

Step 4: Use a soft sponge to rub the outer cover of the bean bag

You should strictly align with the manufacturer’s guidelines. If they did not allow to rub the bean bag while cleaning, do not do it. You can do this step around 5-10 minutes. 

Further, do not break the seams of the bean bag while rubbing. Because if tiny bean beads spill out, you may have to solve a huge problem. 

Step 5: Drain the water 

Step 6: Refill the tub and rinse the bean bag using new water

Please wash your bean bag until all soap and detergent remove from the bean bag and its fillers. 

Step 7: Finally, place the bean bag on a big towel or clean surface and let it air dry

The cotton towel helps absorb excess water from the bean bag. Hence, it is better to use a cotton towel to speed up the drying process. 

Moreover, do not place your bean bag under direct sunlight to dry. Because it may fade bean bag fabric, place your bean bag under the tree or shaded area. Then let it air dry. If it is a sunny day, you may dry your bean bag and beans within 3-8 hours. 

Further, if your bean bag is dirt with pet or toddlers pee, you can add few drops of white vinegar to the container to get the pee out of the bean bag. Then it removes the unpleasant odors. Further, you can use Oxiclean detergents because Oxiclean does not damage the bean bag fabric color. 

However, this method is successful for the bean bag prepared with non-waterproof fabrics such as cotton, velvet, and linen.

But it is useless to apply these steps to the bean bag prepared with waterproof fabrics such as leather and vinyl. Thus, waterproof materials do not absorb the water. 

Moreover, the water does not penetrate the middle layers of the bean bag. But your ultimate goal is cleaning bean bag fabric and beans at once. However, you cannot achieve it when your bean bag fabric is made with waterproof material. 

Final Words

I believe now you have a good idea about washing a bean bag with beans in it. However, before doing anything, you must read manufacturer guidelines.

This is the best method to clean bean bags without removing beans.

After all, you should only do the steps that manufacturer-approved. It reduces the risk of damaging the bean bag and its beans.

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