Smelly Cockpit Cushions

[Thistledew]

We have a new to us - 1997 She has the stock grey squishy cockpit cushions.
They smell like sweaty feet. We've washed the cushions and the foam and they still smell nasty.
Our friends had the same cushions on their with the same problem. My guess it's the kind of vinyl of the cushion covers and the old foam.
Does anyone else have this problem????
We plan to replace them in the next year or two, but wondering if anyone has come up with a way to resolve the issue?
As long as the cushions are in the cockpit, it's OK, but if it pours rain, the Captain prefers to pull them into the cabin to keep them dry and then everything stinks :p

[NiceAft]

It's been years since I've had the factory cushions, so I'm only guessing here, but if they smell badly, there may be some vegetation involved. Can the cushions be opened at all? Are there zippers? If there is a way to access the filling, there must be some sort of anti fugal spray to apply. Then dry those suckers out well and spray with Fabreez

If they can't be opened, short of an upholsterer replacing the stuffing, I don't believe you have any solution other than drying them out and keeping them that way, and good luck with that on a boat.


Ray

[seahouse]

Yeah, the moisture is the problem (and the length of time they stay wet), and once you have had it the first time, the cushions have been innoculated (and it's pracically impossible to get rid of all of it) and the colonies will return more easily after that (which is an advantage to starting with new ones that someone else hasn't "innoculated" for you) . There is a product called Concrobium that is somewhat non-toxic (and you can mix your own too with formulas online) that helps combat the growth of mould, but there is nothing that works better than keeping them dry from the start, or drying them out immediately after they get wet.

[Don T]

Hello,
After our infamous cat caper we replaced the foam for all cushions. The interior got 3 lb/cu ft foam and the exterior got Ethafoam fitted after washing with bleach. Smell brand new.

[Chinook]

The factory cockpit cushions are virtually impossible to keep dry when rainy weather comes. All that moisture, absorbed into open cell foam, provides a perfect culture medium for mold and mildew. We are still using the original cushions after 13 years, and they are in remarkably good condition. We do have the full cockpit enclosure, which we put up in rainy weather. The cushions still get wet because some rain runoff does drain onto the cockpit seat area. When the cushion foam gets wet, I unzip the covers and remove the foam, wring out the water, and let them dry in the sun. I keep a close eye out for signs of mildew on the insides of the covers, and wash with a bleach solution. I have also inserted pieces of a plastic bristle matting material I saw at the Seattle Boat Show one year inside the cushion covers. This keeps the foam elevated inside the covers, and substantially reduces the amount of water they absorb. Some day I'll probably replace them with Topsider closed cell foam cushions, but till then I'll keep maintaining the old ones.

[ris]

We had to replace the interior and exterior cushions because of smell. We could not get rid of the odors.

[Thistledew]

The cushions do have zippers and we pulled out the foam and washed the foam and the vinyl covers. Oddly enough there is no sign of mould or mildew on any of the foam or covers, that's why I'm so confused.
I may pick up some new foam for the short term and see how that goes

[dlandersson]

Mine are original (I think) and are ok. Something I do every Fall is pull out the foam, wash everything with detergent and then wait about 100 years for the foam to dry out.

We had to replace the interior and exterior cushions because of smell. We could not get rid of the odors.

[NiceAft]

We replaced our cushions year two of ownership. We just did not like the feel of vinyl. The only reason I am mentioning this is because of the choices you have in what to stuff the cases with.

I originally was going to stuff with open cell foam, I was told by the upholsterer who made the new cushions that since I was using Sunbrella for the casing, I could use closed cell foam for the stuffing since the Sunbrella would not let water even get to the foam. If water did get in, closed cell does not let the water flow through, but it gves a firmer sit, and comfort is important. This is our tenth year with the boat, and nine with the cushions. By the way, even letting the cushions for two seasons being in the cockpit 24/7, never any smell.

Think about the advantages/disadvantages of closed cell foam versus open cell foam.

Ray

[Kevin S]

After you re-insert the foam into the cover, lightly dust the surface of the foam with baking soda. Make sure they are dry before putting them below decks, and keep that can of Fabreeze handy. I do the baking soda and it works well.

[Russ]

I assume the smell is damp, mold, mildew smell.

If it were me, I'd try some bleach and soap. Take the foam out and soak it with a solution of bleach and soap. Wipe the fabric inside and out as well. Then dry it....thoroughly. Let it all sit out in the sun.
Bleach is the silver bullet for killing mold spores. There may be other products out there, but this works best in my opinion.

--Russ

[DaveB]

I replaced mine with 1 inch closed cell foam and Sunbrella covers with Velcro .
Perfect for storage and never smells plus they float and never absorbs moisture.
Can fit all cockpit covers on top in 6 inches total thickness.
Perfect choice.
Those open cell original chusions were never for wetness and sticky plus they are to bulky for storage and you bottom out.
They look pretty in a show room.
Dave

We have a new to us - 1997 She has the stock grey squishy cockpit cushions.
They smell like sweaty feet. We've washed the cushions and the foam and they still smell nasty.
Our friends had the same cushions on their with the same problem. My guess it's the kind of vinyl of the cushion covers and the old foam.
Does anyone else have this problem????
We plan to replace them in the next year or two, but wondering if anyone has come up with a way to resolve the issue?
As long as the cushions are in the cockpit, it's OK, but if it pours rain, the Captain prefers to pull them into the cabin to keep them dry and then everything stinks :p

[Thistledew]

We pulled out the old foam and it was deteriorating - no mould, but there's probably some we can't see.
We bought 4" mattress foam and cut it using the old foam as a pattern. They definitely smell better - but the vinyl still smells like well....... vinyl.
They are much more comfortable and definitely more bulky - but total cost was $80 and we were able to get it done with 4 days before our 2 week cruise.
We do plan eventually to do new cushions with closed cell foam and sunbrella - but for the time being - I think Thistle Dew .

[DaveB]

We also replaced all interior cusions with Sunbrella and put in High desity 3 inch foam and 1 inch closed cell foam on top. This allows for wet clothing to sit on without water penetration and still have comfort seating. Sunbrella does not absorb water but over time or constant sitting it will allow moisture.
This is why having closed cell 1 inch thick on top and 3 inch foam under.
Vinyl doesn't belong on a boat, creates mildew in short time, those with allergy will know .
Dave

We pulled out the old foam and it was deteriorating - no mould, but there's probably some we can't see.
We bought 4" mattress foam and cut it using the old foam as a pattern. They definitely smell better - but the vinyl still smells like well....... vinyl.
They are much more comfortable and definitely more bulky - but total cost was $80 and we were able to get it done with 4 days before our 2 week cruise.
We do plan eventually to do new cushions with closed cell foam and sunbrella - but for the time being - I think Thistle Dew .

[Sea Wind]

We had the same problem when we bought the boat, we also used a bleach solution on all surfaces and let the foam and covers in the sun for a few days (inside out). The foam was packed inside trash bags and sealed with duct tape. No more sweaty feet odor… from the cushions.