Material
Foam
An open cell sponge that absorbs freely and dries very slowly, so the method is blot, dilute, absorb and then a great deal of airflow.
- SurfacePorous
- WashingSpot only
- Colour run riskLow
- Reviewed7 September 2026
What foam can and cannot take
- Heat Avoid
- Water and soaking Use with care
- Acids, including vinegar Use with care
- Strong alkalis Use with care
- Solvents Avoid
- Chlorine bleach Avoid
- Abrasives Use with care
Always test on a hidden area first and let it dry before you treat the visible mark.
General rules for foam
The whole difficulty with foam is drying rather than cleaning. Open cell foam is a sponge, and there is no way to wring it without damaging it.
So the method is: get the liquid out mechanically while it is still on the surface, dilute what is left rather than adding more, and then use an absorbent and a lot of air.
Upholstery foam can be submerged and pressed if it really needs it, but suppliers are honest that this takes a very long time and is impractical on anything dense. Memory foam should not be soaked at all.
Check the label
Foam absorbs an enormous amount of liquid and releases it slowly. Suppliers describe blotting immediately with paper towels, diluting what is left with a sponge dipped in cold water, and then sprinkling bicarbonate of soda over the wet area to draw the remaining moisture out.
Stains on foam
- Baby sick Blot immediately with paper towels and keep pressing until nothing more transfers. Dilute what is left with a...
- Blood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Body oil Blot surface oil from foam without rubbing. Use a barely damp mild wipe only if the maker permits water-based...
- Breast milk Dry-blot without pushing milk into the filling. Treat only a tiny superficial spill on a covering whose maker...
- Bronzer Lift loose bronzer from foam before it is rubbed in. Blot cream bronzer, follow the material or care label, u...
- Coffee Blot foam first. Remove only a cover explicitly approved for removal and washing. Do not unzip an integral fi...
- Concealer Lift thick concealer from Foam, blot without rubbing, then use a very small amount of diluted washing-up liqu...
- Cooking grease Lift and blot cooking grease from Foam, then use a small amount of diluted washing-up liquid only if the mate...
- Deodorant Lift loose deodorant from foam with a dry white cloth, then wipe the remaining film with cool water and one d...
- Hair dye Blot hair dye from Foam, test the mildest compatible cool detergent route, clean inwards, remove residue and...
- Lipstick Lift lipstick from Foam with a blunt edge, blot without rubbing, then use a very small amount of diluted wash...
- Motor oil Blot motor oil from Foam, absorb as much as possible, then use a small amount of diluted washing-up liquid on...
- Nail polish Keep the material dry and touch off accessible free liquid only if contact is safe. Do not add nail remover o...
- Period blood Lift any tissue with a spoon edge, then blot. Use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent for th...
- Pet urine Blot until nearly dry, then use only the cool-water quantity foam can tolerate. Use a labelled pet urine enzy...
- Tomato sauce Lift tomato sauce from Foam, then wipe or blot inwards with a tested cool detergent solution. Remove residue,...
Foam is a solid full of connected air pockets, which is why it is comfortable and why it is difficult.
It absorbs and holds
Liquid is drawn into the cells and does not drain out under gravity. Pressing squeezes some back out, and that is the only mechanical way to remove it.
It cannot be wrung
Twisting open cell foam tears the cell walls, and torn foam crumbles from then on. Pressing flat between towels is the safe version.
Drying takes days
And foam that is dry on the outside can be wet in the middle. The supplier's test is to rest the item on a paper towel and press, which is a good one.
Damp foam grows mould
Which is the actual reason all of this matters. Foam left damp in an enclosed cushion is an ideal environment, and once mould is in foam it cannot be removed.
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
How to clean foam, F C Hancox Foam and Upholstery Supplies
manufacturer
UK foam supplier guidance to blot a spill immediately with paper towels, then dilute what is left with a clean sponge dipped in cold water, to sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over the wet area to absorb the remaining moisture, that heavily soiled foam can be submerged in warm soapy water and pressed and agitated but that this takes a long time and is impractical on dense foam, and to test for dryness by resting the item on a paper towel and pressing.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
How do I clean a spill on my mattress, Tempur
manufacturer
Foam mattress manufacturer guidance that the foam material should never be soaked, washed or allowed to become wet, that a spill is blotted rather than rubbed, that a non removable cover should not be saturated, and that the item is air dried completely with a fan blowing across the area.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
How to wash pillows, Sleep Foundation
publication
Sleep research organisation guidance that most pillows can be washed on a gentle cycle in warm water with a small amount of mild detergent, that solid memory foam pillows must not be machine washed or submerged because the foam cracks and degrades, that feather and down pillows are squeezed rather than wrung, and that dryer balls or dry towels help a pillow dry through.
Checked 7 September 2026