What do you stuff cushions with

For example, at temperatures of about degrees, polyurethane foam begins to rapidly decompose, releasing gases and compounds such as hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, acetronitrile, acrylonitrile, pyridine, ethylene, ethane, propane, butadine, propinitrile, acetaldehyde, methylacrylonitrile, benzene, pyrrole, toluene, methyl pyridine, methyl cyanobenzene, naphthalene, quinoline, indene, and carbon dioxide.

Companies and media releases claim that using soy in polyurethane foam production results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions, requires less energy, and could significantly reduce reliance on petroleum. I have leaned heavily on Mr. While these claims contain grains of truth, they are a far cry from the whole truth. It is true that the energy needed to produce soy-based foam is, according to Cargill, who manufactures the soy polyol, less that that needed to produce the polyurethane foam.

My concern with the use of soy is not its carbon footprint but rather the introduction of a whole new universe of concerns such as pesticide use, genetically modifed crops, appropriation of food stocks and deforestation.

The debate still rages today. Despite what polyurethane foam and furniture companies imply , soy foam is not biodegradable either. Those ever so carefully phrased words are an admission that all polyurethane foams, with or without soy added, simply cannot biodegrade.

And so they will languish in our garbage dumps, leach into our water, and find their way into the soft tissue of young children, contaminating and compromising life long after their intended use. Like a subliminal message, the polyurethane foam and furniture industries are using the soothing words and images of the environmental movement to distract people from the known negative health and environmental impacts of polyurethane foam manufacture, use and disposal.

Cigarettes that are organic pesticide-free , completely biodegradable, and manufactured using renewable tobacco, still cause cancer and countless deaths. Polyurethane foam made with small amounts of soy derived materials still exposes human beings to toxic, carcinogenic materials, still relies on oil production, and still poisons life. We think there is a viable, albeit expensive, product choice: natural latex rubber.

Also, remember latex is rubber and rubber is latex. Natural latex is breathable, biodegradeable, healthier i. Thanks so much for your research! It is so hard to constantly question every purchasing decision based on safety.

Reblogged this on Statements In Design and commented: An excellent accompaniment to their previous couch blog! Redesign with your health in mind…. I just started following your blog. Because of the cost, we have to save for it and do not want to keep poisoning ourselves in the meantime. The majority if not all of the foam in the sofa is in the seat cushions.

It is very inexpensive per cushion. Thank you for your reply. What questions do you advise I ask to ensure it does not contain SBR? I asked if it was GOLS certified and they said yes and that it was Does this sound accurate? Should I ask to see anything in writing? The only thing I can think of to offer is that I know some doll makers prefer using a wool stuffing because it is heavier and I understand it can be stuffed a bit more tightly.

Quality outside One thing we always stress in our tutorials is the need to be precise! Quality inside Our review and samples today are based on the Fairfield product line. These consist of one or more of the following: Resilient Washable Will not bunch Resists mildew Flame retardant Hypoallergenic Eco-friendly Stuffing tools A key to successful stuffing is what you use to get into those hard to reach corners, curves and crevices. Start with a generous handful of filling. Gently pull the filling loose.

The idea is to remove any clumps, while fluffing the fill at the same time. Repeat the process times before inserting the fill into your project. From this worked filling, take a portion equal to the area where you want to begin stuffing. Begin stuffing in one of the corners farthest from the seam opening. Whether you use your fingers or one of the stuffing tools listed above, gently, but firmly, push the filling into the corner. Keep in mind, sometimes the solution is to add a bit more filling to the immediate area.

Once the corners or other tight areas are filled, you can begin to insert small amounts of additional filling, gradually working your way toward the opening. When it comes to pillow firmness, we recommend not filling it up so much that it becomes uncomfortable for the user. A pillow should have a pleasing give to it when pressed.

As you approach the opening and complete the stuffing process, you want to take one last look at the item from the outside. This is your final chance to address any problem areas. Stuffed pillows are usually hand -sewn closed. Thread your needle with coordinating thread , and keeping your stitches as small as possible, slip stitch the opening closed.

The tiny stitches help insure no stuffing will poke out of the hand -sewn seam. As you sew, continue to manipulate the fill so this final area is just as smooth as the others. You may find partially sewing the opening, then adding more stuffing just underneath, will help fill out the area.

Batting and interlining for a smoother shape When faced with a unique shape, Donna recommends combining a layer of batting and interlining with your main fabric.

Cotton is soft and compressible although slightly more firm than traditional pillow filling like down or polyfill. New synthetic materials such as memory foam have relegated cotton to a minority position as pillow filling. Amazon has organic cotton filling available by the pound. This down alternative filling is available at Amazon in 1, 2, 3 and 5 lb.

About two pounds will adequately fill a standard size pillow. Note that there are a lot of different types of down alternative fillings marketed under different brand names. The quality will vary considerably. Adding more or less pillow filling will dramatically change the character of your pillow.

Generally speaking, adding more filling will increase the loft of your pillow and make it feel more firm. Conversely, a reduction of pillow filling will result in a softer, thinner pillow. Determining the amount of filling to stuff in your pillow is almost as critical as picking the filling itself.

After the filling has been chosen and stuffed into a fabric case, most bed pillows are immediately sewn shut. Unfortunately no single pillow filling works for everyone. Hungarian goose down otherwise known as European white goose down is considered to be the best quality. Shredded Memory Foam Pillow Filling Memory foam is manufactured using polyurethane and several other chemicals. Buckwheat Hull Pillow Filling Buckwheat hulls are firm yet highly malleable and breathable, which makes them ideal pillow fill.

Did this for the back cushions and they came out great. Got some foam on sale from Joanns Fabrics and they now look great and keep their shape. What thickness of high density foam? I have a 40 year old sofa that is perfect in every way but the cushions…. The vacuum works well for squeezing everything into place but you may want to adjust depending on how much room you think you have.

I just did this. I got the foam on sale at joanns fabric. My back cushions had that batting stuff and was all out of shape. Put in foam and like new now. Thank you Thank you for your post. The only thing I left out was extra batting. The old looked in great shape and therefore think the foam will stay in place. The back pillows, I just bought a pillow and stuffed it up the zippered bottom. Looks like new and my back thanks you!! Hi, I have fixed cushions on my sofa which cannot be removed. How do I go about re foaming them?

Thank you Paula. My back cushions were fixed, but had a zipper along the bottom that gave me access. You may want to visit with an upholsterer and see if they can help. Thank you so much for this post. I do have one question. Is that correct? Oh fantastic!

I added the fiberfill in the top cushions and they too got top heavy and now begin to push my bottom cushions forward. I tried using the sure grip sheets I bought on-line but that was a joke. I bought a top of a line sofa and am so disappointed. Do you have a suggestion on a brand of fabric fill to use? Oh Lola… that is the worst, and I feel your pain! I believe the brand I used was Poly-Fill. Would using less product possibly make a difference?

Best of luck!! You might be out of luck unless you know a good seamstress that could add zippers to your cushions?