When it comes to laundering--laundering--upholstered furniture, up to
and including every piece of a sleeper sofa, I have done it. I have
done it with detergent and a garden hose in 90-degree weather. Never
had a problem with residual damp--*IF* done on a string of 90-degree,
bone-dry days. I've had the same success with carpets. But I'm up
against a thorny problem: a moldy, mildewy, but cosmetically excellent
vinyl Barcalounger, probably from the 70's. (The avocado green vinyl
and french provincial wood--instead of upholstered--recliner base
suggests it's from that era.) I live in the Northeast U.S., where
soaking the living daylights out of the underside of the chair,
throwing Oxyclean on it, and then letting it bake is not currently an
option. I am considering throwing scalding Oxyclean on the underside
of the vinyl, hosing it down, and then sticking it in a room with the
thermostat turned up to 90.

Friends say just take it to a car wash, to which I've replied I don't
think even 70's vinyl (pretty indestructible) could withstand that. So
if anyone here has ever owned a restaurant with vinyl booths, or
commercial minimalist couches--or anything vinyl that became truly
rank but that you did not want to part with--and if you have
suggestions on how to get vinyl upholstery truly clean, I'd appreciate
hearing from you. It goes without saying that I'm not interested in
Febreze. Thanks!