How To Replace The Foam In Attached Couch Cushions

A saggy, lumpy couch is a sore sight and hardly the look you want for such a focal point piece of furniture in the room. You don't have to throw out the whole couch if the cushions are worse for wear, but you will need to replace the foam inserts. Some couches make this simple solution a little trickier if they feature attached cushions. Nevertheless, replacing the foam in attached cushions can be accomplished in several ways so you can plump up your couch and reclaim a comfier sitting experience.

Before you can restuff attached couch cushions, you'll need to figure out how to open the cushion without destroying your furniture. This may prove to be the trickiest part of the process, as there are several ways that couch cushions may be attached to the sofa or couch.

Start with the simplest solution and run your hand along the underside of the cushion — the side that's usually tucked away and not visible. Some attached couch cushions have a hidden zipper where you would normally find the seam, granting easy access to the cushion stuffing.

If there's no zipper, you'll have to resort to peeling back the external fabric. This can be done a couple of ways. If you have a sewing kit, then you may already be comfortable with opening the cushion seam. Find the stitch seam that runs along the underside, hidden portion of the cushion. Use a seam ripper to open the seam — just enough to access the foam in the cushion and replace it. To sew your cushion back up, use sewing pins and a strong nylon thread, making sure to fold the fabric inward so the new stitch seam is not visible.

For some couches, it may not be possible to access the underside of the cushion, and you'll need to do a full upholstery removal to get to the cushion filling. Flip your couch upside down for easy access to the staples. Using a staple remover, lift and loosen the staples. Follow up with pliers to completely remove the staples. When enough staples are removed, you can lift the upholstery and replace the foam in your couch cushion.

If you're not replacing all the internal stuffing, consider cleaning the old stuffing before it's out of sight and out of mind again. Use an upholstery stapler to replace your couch upholstery when you're finished.

Unless you really enjoyed this process, you probably want to choose quality, comfortable foam that will prolong the life of the cushion and prevent sagging. Before you purchase a foam replacement, especially if this is for the family couch that sees plenty of sitting action, look at the grade and quality number. A higher number equals better quality.

The comfort and sleek look of your couch and sofa depend on more than just the foam. You can't forget the top smoothing and supporting layer of batting. A cotton and polyester batting blend is typically the most comfortable and durable for seating cushions.