I went to a fancy furniture store

[Bryce C]

and was looking at blended poly/down cushions. I was pretty concerned when I read tags that indicated the cushions were a blend of poly and down and I couldn't quite feel the difference between them and pure poly cushions.

Pure down seems more obvious. The feathers slip between my fingers when squeezing it. But the blended poly/down cushions were harder to tell. How do I recognize down stuffed cushions in the field when there is no furniture tag or loose feathers and my squeeze test is hard to discern?

After reading this thread I am alarmed by the prospect of improperly identifying the cushion materials and causing major problems...

More on color damage from down filled cushions

I understand there are some individuals who are advising that down filled cushions can be safely cleaned if the down and ticking are wrapped in plastic prior to cleaning. This discussion began because of growing concerns about discoloration from flame retardent materials in the ticking that...

mikeysboard.com

 

[The Great Oz]

Open a zipper. The down is in a cotton bag that surrounds the foam cushion,

 

[Bryce C]

Open a zipper. The down is in a cotton bag that surrounds the foam cushion,

I saw the cotton bag, had no idea that contained the down separately with foam at the core. Thanks for sharing that.

I found some good articles and read that the flame retardant commonly applied to the cotton ticking rubs off onto the cover over time, and sometimes it degrades and becomes a stronger acid causing the splotchy discolored fiber damage in the presence of moisture. Some say that when ph testing the cotton ticking anything on the acid side is dangerous, but others say that it can be as low as ph 6 and be ok. Can 6 still be dangerous? If the ph looks good is down filled upholstery generally safe to clean as long as the down is kept dry?

 

[Bryce C]

Eerie silence, especially on such a potentially risky thing to clean

 

[Bryce C]

I'll guess it's preferable for newbs not to touch it at all. And if they audaciously do, ph test the ticking of down stuffed cushions and if it checks out then proceed with a vlm technique of sorts

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Give me a call tomorrow morning Bryce

 

[Bryce C]

Give me a call tomorrow morning Bryce

Will do, thanks Jim!