In the 13th century, upholstery was restricted to royal families since it was deemed a luxury item. These days there’s nothing worse than finding a stain on your upholstered furniture that doesn’t want to go away. Unfortunately, since most people don’t have access to royal housekeeping services, you’ll need to figure out how to clean upholstered furniture to ensure it looks its best.
The fabric and materials used for upholstered furniture will dictate how you clean these items. The manufacturer’s instructions will tell you if the material has been pre-treated to prevent stains. Some cleaning methods may reduce the effectiveness of these treatments.
The upholstery cleaning care label will also have cleaning codes on it. These codes will indicate what type of cleaning solution you can use or if the furniture should be brush-cleaned only.
So keep reading to find out how to properly clean your upholstered furniture.
Steam Clean Your Upholstery
Steam cleaners are the perfect tool to clean upholstery with. These cleaners only use heat and water, so you don’t have to worry about cleaning solutions damaging the fabric. Most steam cleaners even come with an upholstery attachment to make the job easier.
Your steam cleaner will come with instructions on how to set everything up. Ensure you’re staying as far away from the steam as possible to avoid burns. Heat rises, so don’t lean over the applicator while you’re using it!
It’s also useful to move the furniture you’re cleaning to a clear area, so you don’t need to move things around mid-clean.
First, you should remove all the cushions and clean them one side at a time. Allow the cushions to fully dry before you do the other side. This will prevent them from smelling damp or picking up dirt.
When using your cleaner, you want to use quick strokes instead of continuously blasting the fabric with steam. This will keep your couch from becoming waterlogged.
Once all the cushions are clean, you can clean the frame of the furniture. Once the frame is completely dry, you can put the cushions back.
If you find this process too tedious, you can hire a cleaning service to do a priority cleaning on all your upholstery.
How to Clean Upholstery Without a Machine
While steam cleaning is one of the best ways to clean upholstery, there are ways to get the same effects without needing to buy a machine. All you’ll need is a suitable cleaning solution, a brush, a vacuum cleaner, and some determination.
First, brush off your furniture to get rid of any dirt or debris that is sitting on top of the upholstery. Then go in with the vacuum to pick up any smaller crumbs or dust. The vacuum will also suck the dust out of the fabric, so take your time with this.
If the cushions are extremely dusty, you can take them outside and give them a few wacks with a stick. This will cause the dust to loosen up and let go of the fabric.
If there are noticeable stains on the upholstery, you’ll need to use a cleaning solution to spot-clean the area. Just be careful to make sure the color of the fabric doesn’t bleed or lighten where the cleaner is applied.
If the upholstery requires more intense cleaning, you can try sprinkling the fabric with baking soda. Leave the baking soda on for 20-30 minutes before you vacuum it all up. The baking soda will deodorize the upholstery and remove various stains.
Use Baby Wipes to Clean Upholstery
Baby wipes make for a great upholstery cleaning solution. Baby wipes are gentle and soft, so the material itself won’t damage fabrics. There also isn’t much moisture in baby wipes that you need to be wary of.
Baby wipes are great at spot cleaning or cleaning messes as they happen. If you can prevent a stain from forming, you won’t have to deal with it later on. Just make sure you test a small piece of upholstery first!
How to Clean Upholstery With Vinegar
If the stains on your furniture just aren’t budging, you might need to go with a stronger approach. White vinegar is a fantastic cleaning option as it tackles stubborn stains but also won’t damage most fabrics.
To make the cleaning solution, you’ll need:
- A cup of warm water
- A cup of white vinegar
- A teaspoon of dish soap
Use this natural cleaning solution to blot the stain until it disappears. You don’t want to rub it in or soak the fabric too much, as it can cause bleeding.
Prevent Stains on Upholstered Furniture
The best way to get rid of stains is to simply prevent them. If your furniture isn’t pre-treated to repel stains, then you can simply apply a treatment yourself.
You can re-apply treatments every few years to ensure the stain-fighting power stays strong.
Know How to Clean Upholstered Furniture
The first step in caring for your upholstery is knowing how to clean upholstered furniture. You can’t just jump in with soap and water; each item needs to be treated differently depending on the materials used. If you don’t take the time to properly research how to deep clean upholstery, you’ll just end up making a bigger mess.
If you’re looking for a Kansas City house cleaning and maid services to help you with any cleaning needs you might have, feel free to request a quote today! All our services are always covered by our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
