The best cover is a zippered cotton cover. The zipper allows the cover to be removed for easy cleaning. Unfortunately few shikibutons come with removable covers. That means that the cover can only be spot cleaned and that the whole futon may need to be replaced in event of accidents, bleeding, or any other serious contamination. There is one solution: some firms offer zippered covers on their futons, while others may sell separate covers that can be slipped over your futon for protection. These covers, usually cotton, can be machine cleaned and dried. Here’s an example. It comes in five standard sizes abs can be machine cleaned and dried.