Buying upholstered furniture is expensive, so you would want to keep them longer through time. Here we’re going to share some tips for upholstery cleaning that will help retain the integrity of your sofas and ottomans.
The risk of spills, stains, and muddy prints from your pets endangers the condition of your upholstered furniture. We want to help you care for them so that you can still use them for many years. Sure, you can hire an upholstery cleaning service, but doing it on your own can be beneficial as well. Let’s find out more about DIY upholstery cleaning in this article.
Vacuum them daily
Your upholstery is vulnerable to dust, soil, and pet hairs daily. By regularly vacuuming them, you’re preventing this debris from piling up into the fabric. Doing this, you’re preventing dust mites from growing inside your sofas and ottomans.
Cleaning upholstery must be part of your deep house cleaning checklist. You can invest in a powerful vacuum cleaner for this task. You also need to schedule this so that you will have enough time, especially if you have a lot of upholstered furniture.
Wet Wipes are effective
Wet wipes or baby wipes are also excellent for lightly cleaning your upholsteries. They are slightly moist just enough to remove some sticky stains on the fabric. You can use it for wiping your leather seats or sofas made from polyester.
If there are spills, you can also use baby wipes for blotting. But better if you use a paper towel first before the wet wipes. This is effective for wiping coffee spills and crumbs from your food.
Read the washing instructions first
There are four codes you usually find on the washing instructions – “S”, “W”, “S/W”, and “X”. Read them first to avoid ruining the fabric of your sofa, loveseats, or other upholstered furniture.
If you see the “S” code, that means you won’t use water, instead, use an organic solvent for cleaning your upholstery. If that’s a “W”, then it can be washed with water. “S/W” means water and organic solvent work both for cleaning them. Lastly, “X” means you just vacuum them.
If you’ll be cleaning your upholsteries, we recommend that you check the code first. That way, you’d know the dos and don’ts of washing your sofas and leather furniture.
Prevent stains on surfaces
Prevention is better than cure, and you can do that for your upholsteries as well. You can buy fabric protectors in stores to improve stain resistance. Read the instructions on how to use them. But typically, it’s a spray application. You spray one or two coats on your upholstery to make them resistant to stains and spills.
After spraying, let it sit for five to ten minutes. This allows the treatment to settle and get fixed on the fabric or leather.
Never scrub the surface
If there are stains or dirt on your sofa, don’t scrub them since that will scatter them. The stain will be absorbed more if you scrub the surface. What you can do is blot any spills or stains. Afterward, gently wipe it with baby wipes or a clean cloth.
If the stain cannot be removed on your own, then you can hire an upholstery cleaning service like Fast Maid Service. These professionals know the best practices for cleaning different fabrics of upholsteries. They also have the equipment and knowledge of the different methods of cleaning upholsteries.
DIY Tips How to Remove Stains on Upholstered Furniture
The rule of thumb is to attend to stains immediately. That way, you’re preventing them from sticking too hard on the surface. Wine spills, coffee spills, muddy paw prints, and blood are some of the challenging stains to remove from your sofa and mattresses.
Below are some home remedies you can do for removing stains on your upholstered furniture:
- Crayon marks: You can use toothpaste for this. Dab and apply a small amount to the stained area and then rinse with clean water. Wipe with a dry clean cloth or paper towel.
- Blood stains: Use diluted hydrogen peroxide solution for removing blood stains.
- Red wine spills: Apply a small amount of table salt and then blot with drops of hydrogen peroxide. You can also use lemon juice as an alternative to hydrogen peroxide. Dry it up with a paper towel or clean cloth.
- Grease: Sprinkle the stained area with table salt, and let it sit for five minutes. Afterward, use soap and water for washing. The alternative is to use rubbing alcohol instead of soap and water.
- Coffee spills: Prepare a 50 percent solution of vinegar and water. Spray on the stained part and wash with a dishwashing soap solution. Rinse with water and then let it dry with a paper towel.
- General stain remover: Sprinkle with baking soda on the stained part. Drop a little white vinegar in the same area. Let it sit for five to ten minutes. Afterward, rinse with water. Dry it up using a clean cloth or paper towel.
Steam cleaning Upholstery
For tough stains, steam cleaning is your best solution. At Fast Maid Service, we offer affordable steam cleaning service for your furniture, mattresses, and carpets. We have the equipment and training to effectively remove any tough stains on your sofas and mattresses.
The steam deeply cleans through the fabric, it’s also an essential mold cleaning tip you need to include in your regime. It softens the stain while disinfecting it. Compared to normal washing with water, this one dries faster. We also use deodorizing agents to remove unwanted scents on your upholsteries.
Hire a professional upholstery cleaning service near you
Cleaning your furniture is not an easy task. Of course, you have other things on your plate, which makes it more challenging. To save time and effort, you can always go to a reliable upholstery cleaning company for assistance.
Our cleaners are trained and bonded to perform all methods of upholstery cleaning. Whether you have organic stains or inks on your upholsteries, we can help you remove them.
Should you need a free consultation or estimate, call us at (703) 559-4555. You can also book an appointment online or visit us on Facebook. We are open from Mondays to Saturdays between 8:00 am to 6:00 pm daily.
