Can you use bleach on outdoor cushions? Yes, on one condition
Bleach is the fastest way to get mildew and set stains out of garden cushions. It is also the fastest way to ruin the wrong fabric. The condition: the colour must be in the fibre, not on it.
Which fabrics can take bleach
- Solution-dyed acrylic (Sunbrella®, and a few other brands): yes. The pigment is inside the fibre. Sunbrella's own care instructions allow a bleach solution.
- Solution-dyed olefin: usually yes at the same dilution, but check the label; some olefins have a printed pattern on top.
- Piece-dyed or printed polyester, cotton, canvas: no. The colour is a surface layer and bleach lifts it with the stain.
How to tell what you have
Look at the back of the fabric. If the pattern is as sharp on the back as on the front, the colour goes through and it is probably solution-dyed. If the back is pale or white, it is printed. Then do the drop test: one drop of 1:9 bleach water on the underside, ten minutes, rinse. No change means safe.
The dilution
1 part household bleach (about 5% sodium hypochlorite) to 9 parts cold water. Apply, wait 15 minutes, scrub lightly, rinse until no smell remains.
Stronger is not better. Undiluted bleach weakens the water-repellent finish and the stitching, even on Sunbrella®. Do it outside, keep it off the lawn and off metal furniture frames, and wear gloves.
What bleach is for
Mildew, green algae, bird droppings, red wine, grass, most organic stains. It is not for rust (it sets it; use lemon juice and salt), and not for grease (use a degreasing soap first). The full list is in stains by type.
If your cushions cannot take bleach
Use oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate, sold as colour-safe stain remover) or a 1:1 white vinegar solution. Both are slower and need more scrubbing, but they are colour-safe on printed fabric. Expect to repeat the treatment for mould; see mould on garden cushions.
Why we sew in Sunbrella
Being able to bleach a cushion back to clean after a bad winter is one of the main reasons we only use Sunbrella® fabric. The cover is also washable at 30°, and the 5-year fabric warranty covers fading and weathering. More on the fabric: what is Sunbrella fabric.
158 Sunbrella® colours in 45×45, filling included, shipped next working day. Browse the collection or ask about made to measure.
