How to Clean Upholstery
Maintaining and cleaning your fine upholstered furniture is one way to increase the life of your investment. It is a quick and easy process that needs to be done only once a month. Most of the problems associated with upholstery are caused by dust. Food stains and spots are occasional problems. Here are a few easy rules to ensure the long life of your upholstered furniture.
Required Materials
- vinegar
- baking soda
- cornstarch
- peroxide
- cleaning cloths
- detergents
- hand-held dusting brushes
- power brush vacuum attachments
- plastic buckets
- plastic scrapers
Steps in Cleaning
- Remove the loose cushions off the furniture.
- Loosen the dirt with a hand-held dusting brush. Use a vacuum brush attachment to remove the dust.
- Vacuum all surfaces of the furniture — arms, sides, back, skirt, and the platform under the cushions.
- Vacuum the cushions. Take care to vacuum on both sides.
- Return the cushions.
Steps in Washing
- Add ¼ cup liquid dish soap or laundry detergent to a cup of warm water. Whip the solution with an electric mixer until the suds resembles whipped cream. It should be dry and has formed peaks.
- Check for fading by dipping a cloth in the whipped suds. Rub the dipped cloth on a small section at the back of the furniture. Let it dry. If fading, shading or discoloration occurs, let a professional cleaner do the job.
- To begin washing, dip the cloth and rub suds on an area on the furniture.
- Dirt will begin to appear in the suds as you work on it. Scrape the suds away with a plastic scraper.
- Rinse the area with a damp cloth.
- Repeat through steps 3 to 5 on other areas to clean the entire furniture.
- Let it dry overnight with an electric fan blowing over it if possible.
Steps in Removing Stains
- White vinegar diluted in water can be used to remove different stains. Aside from cleaning, vinegar also bleaches, disinfects, and deodorizes the soiled area. It is effective in removing stains from coffee and red wine.
- Salt effectively removes stains from red wine, tomato sauce, or blood. Red wine stains can be removed by covering the affected area with salt. Scrape the salt and wash it off with cold water. Blood stains can be removed by soaking the affected area in cold salt water and then washing it with warm water.
- Baking soda dissolved in water is another potent stain removing agent.
- Remove grease and oil stains by covering the stain with cornstarch. Let it stay for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming the cornstarch away.
