Cleaning is a chore that many homeowners do daily, weekly or monthly to ensure that their homes are pleasant and welcoming. Something that is regularly ignored during cleaning is the upholstery.
Cleaning the upholstery should be a simple task. Here are some tips to make your upholstery look new effectively!
When it comes time to clean the upholstery in your home, the initial step is to check the label on your furniture to determine what cleaning solution is needed. After selecting the appropriate cleaning solution, test it on a hidden area of the upholstery to ensure it does not cause stains or unwanted discolouration of the fabric.
Once you know what cleaning solution to use, the vacuum cleaner is next. Vacuuming your furniture helps it look newer by removing dust or debris that has blunted the appearance of your upholstery.
When finished with the vacuum cleaner, choose the right cleaning tool to apply the cleaning solution to your upholstery. It is better to use a cloth rag or a brush with soft bristles for most furniture. Rub or brush in the same fabric direction when using a rag or brush.
While cleaning the upholstered surface, be sure to moisten the surface only by applying the cleaning solution on a cloth or brush, not directly on the upholstery. This practice will avoid discolouration. Once you have finished wetting and rubbing the upholstery, the drying process can begin.
Natural dry air is the best way to dry upholstery, while attempts to speed up the process with a hairdryer or other forms of heat are likely to damage the material. To speed up the drying process, increase the room’s circulation by using fans.
For any on-site cleaning or more difficult stains, homeowners should follow the same rules for cleaning an entire upholstered part:
Choose the proper cleaning solution, vacuum, moisten a rag or brush to soak up the coloured area with the chosen cleaning solution, and let the upholstery air dry.
Apply these essential tips and tricks to keep your upholstery clean and like new. If some stains and dirt are more difficult to remove with commercially available cleaning products, you may need professional cleaning.
When the pollution is severe, the only right decision is to contact a company to wash upholstered furniture. Specialists have professional equipment for washing upholstery and extracting dirt in depth. We recommend using professional upholstery cleaning services at least once a year. In the meantime, you can take care of its good looks, relying on the tips we will give you below.
If there are smokers in your home
The smell of cigarettes penetrates the clothes and the furniture’s upholstery. Take care of its removal periodically. We recommend baking soda – a universal tool for cleaning the home and removing cigarette odour. Sprinkle the upholstery on the furniture in the evening and let the soda extract the smell all night. In the morning, remove the soda with a vacuum cleaner.
Regular vacuuming
Polluted air is everywhere. Even when the house is regularly maintained, dust penetrates and accumulates, and the upholstery is a very convenient place for layering. Vacuum cleaners have attachments that protect the surface of the upholstery. Use them not to damage their appearance. Use the appropriate attachment to clean tight spaces between the different upholstery parts. With the right attachments, you can also clean the edges.
Can you use detergents?
The upholstery material determines whether you can use detergents and what they are. It’s easiest to keep the label that says how you can clean. Then you will not take risks. But if you need more time, contact a professional cleaning company. They will select the appropriate cleaning method which will not damage the fabric.
Stains and how to clean them
The spots are unpleasant, especially when they are large. But every stain irritates – because the upholstery loses attractiveness and is not easy to clean.
The furniture in the living room is often dripping and spilling – when drinking coffee, eating in front of the TV in the evening or on weekends, watching children’s shows by little naughty people who do not pay attention to greasy crumbs or drops of juice.
According to most housewives, knowing how to clean the sofa means knowing how to remove stains from the upholstery. For this reason, it is feasible to use ready-made stain removers, such as those available in most stores. Home remedies are also good if you do not like strong chemicals. In both cases, you must be careful not to damage the fabrics and cause bleaching of the colours.
If you decide to bet on the ecological options for cleaning the spotted sofa, here are home-made detergents with which you can treat different types of fabrics:
For textiles:
- Mix ¼ a glass of vinegar with ¾ glass of warm water and a spoonful of dishwashing detergent.
- Pour the blend into a bottle and spray the stain briefly.
- Rub the area with a soft cloth until the stain disappears.
- Use a wet towel to remove the soap and a dry towel to dry.
For leather upholstery:
- Mix 50 ml of olive oil with a glass of vinegar.
- Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the entire surface.
- Treat with a soft dry cloth. That will simultaneously clean and polish the leather upholstery.
For synthetic materials:
- Mix ½ a glass of vinegar with warm water and half a tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent.
- Spray the stains directly.
- Rub the mixture with a soft rag until the stains dissolve and disappear.
When dripping juice, coffee, wine, etc., wipe immediately, then dampen a towel and rub to remove dirt thoroughly.
But what to do when someone drips the sofa or armchair and finds out after hours or the next day? For most upholstery fabrics, you can clean them with white vinegar, but you must dilute them with water. We recommend using a microfiber cloth for cleaning. After removing the stain with white vinegar and water, clean it with a damp cloth.
How to clean greasy stains?
The most budgeted way is salt. Just sprinkle on the stain and leave it. It will absorb grease, so you should vacuum the furniture’s surface. To help the salt absorb greasy residue, you can rub it lightly with gentle movements. If necessary, replace the salt with a new one. If the method doesn’t work, dishwashing liquid can also help – but remember that too much water will damage upholstered furniture.
Fruit and vegetable juice stains
When the juice gets on the couch, prepare a mixture of ammonia and vinegar (in equal proportions). Apply the product on the stain, wait for it to disappear, then wipe with a cloth dampened in clean water. Dry the upholstery with a hairdryer. The method is suitable for removing stains from baby puree, ketchup and fruit.
Paint, ink and other contaminants
Do not be discouraged if you wrote with a pen and inadvertently ran it across the couch! First, try rubbing the stain with an eraser. If this does not help, moisten a cotton pad with nail polish remover and gently rub gently. Removing ink from fabric upholstery is easy, but problems will arise if the upholstery is leather. We recommend entrusting the cleaning of such a product to a particular service.
As you understand, if it is not a question of heavy and deep pollution of your upholstered furniture, you could quickly, easily and entirely with home means clean your favourite sofa to shine. After a hard day’s work and weekends, this soft and comfortable furniture helps us relax while enjoying our favourite TV shows or books. That is why we face the mission of taking care of their condition.