In my house, Nugget has lived up to the hype of keeping the little ones busy and excited all day. The highly versatile furniture/toy provides a safe environment for jumping up and down, as well as resting after a long day of fun and games.
Even more, I like to watch the kids use the pillows to explore their wild creativity. There is nothing that makes me proud than observing them create and demolish piles, castles and forts just for fun.
All in all, this playful couch is not without its challenges. A major constant concern is dirt. Since it is made of foam and microsuede covers, you have to deal with pet hairs, spills and all the dirt that collects as children and pets get down with their business. So then, how do you wash Nugget cover?
How to Wash Nugget Cover
Nugget covers are made of microsuede fiber that is 100% washable. You can also wash it as often as needed because it is sturdy and durable.
Step 1: Remove the Covers from the Foam.
Whether you are spot cleaning your nugget or cleaning the entire cover, take off the cover first. As for spots, the staining matter gets absorbed into the foam if you spot clean with the cover on the foam. On the other hand, you cannot wash the covers with the foam inside because the two are made differently.
Nugget covers are easy to take off but quite difficult to put back. Howbeit, putting them slowly and carefully works so long as you have not washed them in hot water. Hot water can alter the size of nugget covers because it shrinks some fabrics.
Step 2: Spot Clean
Since Nuggets are a favorite playground for kids, spotting and staining is the order of the day. From playdough to crayon, ink, grease, juices and fruits, you will begin to deal with all kinds of stains as soon as you gift your babies with the colorful set.
Different kinds of stains require spot cleaning before you proceed with washing the entire cover. To begin with, know the kind of a stain on your cover. Stains are different and how they respond to spot cleaning depends on whether you make the right choice of a cleaning product.
The good thing with nuggets, the Nugget website provides a list of the most suitable spot cleaning products for different kinds of stains.
Chocolate Stains
Chocolate stains are oil-based. Just like other stains of their kind, they can be difficult to remove especially after drying. This means that you should try to clean them as soon as possible for best results.
Chocolate stains on Nugget covers are most likely to occur as a result of smudging as children engage in their playfulness. Begin by using a blunt object or butter knife to remove bits of excess chocolate. Do it carefully to avoid smearing the stain further on the cover.
To clean the stain, use a damp white wash cloth or microfiber cloth with one of the following products.
- Folex: This is a reputable instant carpet spot remover that you can use to clear a wide range of spots. Examples include grease, blood, playdough, cosmetic products stains, oil, rust, wine and ink stains. The feature you might like most about Folex is how quickly it works. You just need to spray it on the stain and wait for a minute for the results to manifest.
- Oxiclean: This Powderly formula or spray formula is another reliable stain remover for chocolate stains. Simply rub the stain with a cloth dipped in a solution of Oxiclean and water. Spray directly on the stain if using the spray version. Let the solution sit on the stain for at least an hour then proceed with washing the entire cover. Alternatively clean the spot repeatedly with a cloth dipped in the solution. Next, rinse the cloth in clean water and wring out excess water. Use it to clear product residue from the spot-cleaned section.
- Woolite: Unlike Folex and Oxiclean, Woolite is a gentler cleaner that is also reliable for removing an array of stains. Mix Woolite with water and use a cloth wrung in the solution to clean the stain.
- Dawn: Dawn dish soap is the kind detergent you are likely to find in almost every home. Since it is highly versatile, it is useful for cleaning dishes, laundry, upholstery and almost all kinds of surfaces. Dawn is quite gentle and likely to work best with fresh stains.
- Amodex: This is an instant ink remover that also works for food, blood, grass and other kinds of stains. Apply Amodex directly on the stain, brush gently and let it do the magic. Do not wet the stain with water before applying Amodex.
Condiment Stains
Condiments are substances that you use to flavor food. Soy sauce, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, sour cream, ketchup and mayonnaise are perfect examples. Most condiment stains are oil, tannin or dye based. The base can also be two or more of these components.
To clean them, you need to use the same products you would use for a chocolate stain. Even so, you might need to treat a stain more than once to remove it completely.
Crayon Stains
The primary components in crayon are wax and color. Both of these are sticky, hence difficult to remove. Nuggetcomfort recommends Amondex and rubbing alcohol as the best spot cleaning products for these kind of stains. You can also try to remove them with WD-40 or dry cleaning solvent.
Begin by scraping off excess crayon from the spot with a blunt knife or spoon. If you are finding it difficult to remove soft crayon, wrap an ice cube in a polythene bag and use it for hardening. Next, blot the spot with a white paper towel to remove as much as possible of the remaining crayon.
If using Amodex, apply it directly on the stain. If using rubbing alcohol, wet a white microfiber cloth or cotton ball and use it to lift the stain. To use WD-40, spray it directly on the stain and wait for a few minutes. Blot with a paper towel and repeat the steps again until you clear the stain completely.
If your choice of product is a dry cleaning solvent, follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Erase Markers
There are two types of erase markers; wet and dry erase markers. The common thing between the two types is pigment. They are both pigmented but the dyes in wet erase markers are water soluble. This makes them easier to clean.
Dry erase markers are harder to clean when they stick on fabric fibers.
Nuggetcomfort recommend that you use rubbing alcohol for these kind of stains. Dap the stain with a cloth or cotton wool that’s wet with rubbing alcohol. You can dab the stain from the inside of the cover to avoid trapping it further into the fabric fibers.
Carry out the procedure repeatedly because the stain fades gradually. Finish up by rinsing the spot with clean water.
Fruit Stains
Most fruit stains are tannin or dye based. They can also contain both of these components. In most cases, tannin stains can clear with hot water and detergent. Unfortunately, you have to find a way to treat the stains first because you can only wash Nugget covers in cold water settings.
Dye stains are more resistant to regular detergents even under hot water settings.
As a result, it is best to treat fruit stains with bleach or stain removal products. Since Nugget covers are not bleach safe, use recommended stain cleaners such as Folex, Amodex, Oxiclean and Woolite.
Glue and Stickers
If you have an experience with glue or stickers trapped on fabric, then you know how difficult it is to deal with the mess. In fact you can easily make holes on the fabric while struggling to remove glue residue and stains.
For most fabrics, acetone is a reliable and effective remedy, and Nugget covers are not an exception. You can either use acetone or rubbing alcohol. Wet a cotton ball with either of these products and use it to work the spot repeatedly.
Grease Stains
Grease stains are common, unsightly and pesky. That being said, they should not trouble you because Nuggetcomfort recommends a variety of reliable stain removers.
These include Folex, Oxiclean, Woolite, Dawn and Amodex. Chances are also high that the list could go on to include other reputable stain removers. You just have to start with these ones because they come highly recommended.
A reliable home solution that I have found for grease stains is covering the spot with a powder absorbent such as chalk, cornstarch or baking soda first. You can use a soft brush to work the powder into the fabric fibers then let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Finish up by cleaning the cover with regular detergent and cold water.
Ink Stains
Mostly, ink stains comprise of solvents, pigments and dyes. Even so, the composition might vary from one type of ink to other. This makes it difficult to come up with a single stain removal method that cuts through all kinds of ink stains.
This could be one of the factors that Nuggetcomfort consider when recommending Amodex. Since it is an instant ink stain remover, it works fairly well with all kinds of ink stains.
Nail Polish
Removing nail polish from fabric fibers can be difficult and time consuming but not when you have acetone. The compound dissolve polishes quickly and it is also super cheap.
To remove nail polish from your Nugget cover, begin by blotting excess polish with a rag or paper towels. The necessity of this step depends on the amount of polish that has spilled on your cover. If you are dealing with a small stain that is probably dry, begin with the next step.
Wet a cotton swap with acetone and use it to dab the stain on your cover. Blot the spot with a white cloth beginning with the outer sections of the stain moving inwards. Rinse the spot with a cloth wrung in clean water or proceed to wash the entire cover.
Sharpie
Sharpie stains are basically a type of ink stains. Rubbing alcohol is by far the most reliable home solution for most fabrics including nugget cover. Even so, you can consider a commercial product and in this case, Nuggetcomfort recommend Amodex.
If using rubbing alcohol, blot the stain with a cotton ball or cloth that is wet with the chemical, with the stain facing downwards. Repeat this step until the stain clears and rinse the cover with cold water.
Syrup
Syrup stains come close to food and fruit stains because of the way syrup is prepared. In most cases, the stains appear because of the presence of fruit juice in the condiment.
As such, most products that can clear food and fruit stains can also work with syrup stains. In that regard, Nuggetcomfort recommends Folex, Oxiclean, Dawn and Woolite.
Step 3: Wash in Cold
Throw nugget covers of the same color into the washing machine. Next, choose the cold water setting and add Free and Clear detergent to the washer. Cold water is critical to the process because it keeps the covers shrinkage-free.
Run your machine on a normal cycle, rinse and hang to dry. Once again, remember not to throw the covers in the tumble dryer because of the heat factor. You also have to avoid sun drying for the same reason.
Just hang the covers indoors to air-dry.
Step 4: Put the Covers Back
Once the covers are dry, the last step is to put them back on the foam. You do not want to keep the foam pieces bare for a long time because unlike the covers, you can’t just throw them into the washer.
The furthest you can go as far as cleaning is concerned is spot cleaning. Nuggetcomfort recommend Folex for this purpose.
Putting the covers back can be a real pain. Still, you have to do it because the covers are designed to fit. Just take your time with each pillow and ask for help if you have to.
