Advice needed

[HakunaMutataa]

We got new sofas around December time. Initially we flipped the cushions weekly but we have been lax recently and it has maybe been a month or more since we flipped them.

Flipped them today and noticed that the cushions themselves all smell really foisty. The foam inside the cushions doesn't smell and isn't mouldy. The part of the sofa the cushions sit on also smell foisty. There's no sign of mould or anything anywhere else in the room. We flipped the sofas over and unzipped them at the bottom. Inside the sofa also smells foisty but again no sign of mould.

What could be causing this and how can I get rid of this horrible smell? We have sprinkled baking soda over the cushions which worked initially but the smell came back the next day.

I’ve never had to flip cushions on a sofa. What new hell is this? Also, what is a foisty smell?

I'd contact the company, you shouldn't be having that. I don't flip my cushions because they only fit one way & 10 years on they don't smell at all 'foisty'.

I do need new sofas though, but if they smelt foisty at all, ever, I'd go back to the company I bought them from.

@Littleants im not sure you can explain whst 'foisty' smells like, just like you can't explain what a rose smells like. It's a kind of stale, damp, mouldy smell 💁🏻‍♀️

Do you mean fusty?

I would blast them with Febreeze or other noxious substance rather than fanny around putting outside on a fresh day etc.

Thanks @FWBNC. I have contacted the company as we have 5 year guarantee with them and they are sending someone out to take a look. I'm just concerned as in all the small print it mentions "odours" are not covered.

I've never had a sofa smell this this before and just can't understand what on earth could be making it smell that way. It's definitely on the inside when I unzip it so I'm wondering if there's some kind of issue in there.

I know what foisty means 😂
Contact the sofa company.
Don't spray the actual covers of the cushions with fabreeze, I did this and it reacted with the fire retardent coating and took the colour out of the cushion covers

Do you mean fusty?

Or even musty?

Oh gosh...febreeze was my next thing to try. I'm worried about getting them wet and making the smell worse.

We have just over a week until they are coming out to take a look. I am not sure I can put up with this smell that long!

Fusty/musty/foisty are they not all the same thing 🤣

Don't spray them with anything until they've been out.

Even then be very careful what you use, unless you want colour loss, which isn't always even.

They can't contract out of something that's a consumer right, so if the odour is caused by their product manufacturing, it's still down to them. Just not if it's your wet dog or having something spilt on it!

Let us know when they've been out! I hope they sort it for you. Quickly!!

Definitely don't spray them before they come out.

We use the word foisty in this house too. I always thought it was a northern word as all my family are geordies but I could be wrong.