Expert: Mark H. Miller - 8/24/2011

Question
QUESTION: I recently bought a used set of 2 loveseat with a nubby upholstery fabric. It was not until I got them home that I realized that when you sit on them you end up with a sand-like residue on the seat of your pants. I don't know if the fabric is failing or if this is from the stuffing (foam wrapped in poly). I have beaten them, vacuumed them and feel my next step would be to cover the cushion with some fabric that is not permeable to "sand." Any advice?

ANSWER: Hello Kaye,

Only you can tell if this is actually sand or looks like sand.  If it is sand then you should vacuum the pieces thoroughly until you get rid of it all the sand.

What I suspect is that the old foam inside the cushions has deteriorated.

Foam deteriorates from heat of the sun, not necessarily direct sunlight.  Deteriorating foam is dark yellow in color,  feels just like sand and is extremely toxic.  I suggest you wear a mask to avoid breathing the dust,  open a cushion and see if the foam is deteriorating and turning to "sand",  if that is the case I suggest you remove the cushion insets,  treating them as a very toxic substance,  vacuum everything out of the interior of the covers and replace them with new fillers.

If it's actually sand well then it's nothing more than a nuisance.

I hope this information will help you make a decision,  please don't hesitate to contact me if you need further advice or pointers.

Mark Miller.

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QUESTION: Mark:

Can I do this and actually feel that they are no longer a health hazard. I do have a good respirator for taking out the old ones (but what do I DO with those??) And will vacuuming out the broken down foam particles be enough? Now I am somewhat worried.

ANSWER: Hi Kaye

Realistically most cushions eventually end up at the city dump or in a landfill.  I recommend that you remove the old cushions outside and not inside your home.  Put them into a plastic garbage bag and get rid of them in the trash.  Yes,  vacuuming the old particles should be enough to get rid of any dust embedded in the upholstery fabric.  Upholsterers handle old foam all the time and often do so without taking any precautions - which may be very foolish.  Just treat the old foam as you would any other toxic household product - in a well ventilated area or outside and get rid of the old cushion in a plastic garbage bag.

Making the decision not to have this in your home is in my opinion a very wise step in the right direction.  When I handled old foam such as your in my upholstery shop I would wear rubber gloves, a mask and dispose of the old inside a plastic bag in the trash.  

I hope this helps.

Mark Miller.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Mark:

I'm back. I took apart one cushion (wearing rubber gloves) and find that I don't think it IS the foam breaking down. This seems very intact. Instead it seems to be the backing that was applied to the upholstery fabric. From my Internet searching it seems most of these backings are laytex and not toxic. What do you think of this?

Answer
Hi Kaye,

If the foam is the problem it would be very obvious - the whole piece of foam would be a hard mass that crumbles to the touch.  So based on what you say I think that your finding is correct and that it is the latex backing to the fabric that is the source of the sand like dust.   The term we use in upholstering is "latex backed fabric" because it usually is just that - latex.  Based on what you say,  in my opinion, the problem you experience should be resolved with a very thorough vacuuming.  Latex backed fabrics should never be dry cleaned since the dry cleaning solvents may dissolve the latex backing.

Mark Miller.