How to Clean Upholstery
How to clean upholstery – to keep your furniture looking like new
When cleaning upholstery it is important to get to it as soon as possible. The longer you take to clean it the harder it is to get stains out and to make your upholstery looking nice. Following are some simple steps on how to clean upholstery.
Get rid of the solid pieces
When you clean upholstery begin cleaning by getting rid of any large chunks and crumbs. You can vacuum the crumbs away easily. Hopefully you are cleaning the upholstery soon after the mess was made which makes it easier getting sticky things off. If there are any large chunks stuck on the upholstery use the side of a spoon and carefully scrape off what you can. Be very cautious about pushing the gunk deeper into the fabric. You may need to go over the fabric again with the vacuum. The vacuum will pick up all the tiny and small pieces that was scraped off earlier. When vacuuming use the attachable dusting brush onto the hose, the brush is gentler on the fabric. If you don’t have an attachable dusting brush you can use a dusting brush. If you are cleaning a stain that is still wet don’t go over the area with the vacuum but go onto the next step.
How to clean upholstery with a cleaner
You can get upholstery cleaner at your local store or you can make your own cleaner at home. Mix a quarter cup of natural dish detergent with one cup of luke-warm water. Use an egg beater to mix the soap and water together to make a thick foam. Dish detergent is great for cleaning upholstery, try to use natural or biodegradable which is gentler on the fabric.
If possible take the cushion off to make cleaning and drying easier. Using a soft bristled brush apply the foamy mixture onto the stain, use a small amount like the size of a quarter to start with and slowly add more if the stain is larger or needs more cleaning power. Then gently massage the cleaning solution into the stain using the brush. Brush at the stain for a full minute to let the soap penetrate the fabric and loosen dirt and grime from the fabric. If the stain is tuff you may need to let the cleaning mixture rest on the stain for 5 minutes. Then gently wipe the grimy foam away.
Rinse the grime away
Use a clean white cloth or rag to clean away the grimy foam. Damp the rag with clean water and gently rinse the spot and wipe away any suds that were left over. Repeat this process as many times as needed with rinsing the white cloth in between. You don’t want to put any grime back into the fabric so you will need to rinse the white cloth every 30 seconds in clean water to wash away any dirt that is being transferred into the cloth. Don’t use a colored cloth or rag so that the color doesn’t get into the upholstery. You can also use a special appliance that’s made to throughly rinse the upholstery.
Dry the upholstery
Before you use your furniture again it is important that you dry it out thoroughly. If it is not completely dried when using it dirt can get trapped in the damp spot causing another dirt spot that will need to be cleaned out again. Also if it isn’t dried properly mildew can build up and a bad odor may result. Once it is completely dry replace the cushion.
Steam Clean Couch
Steam Clean Couch – Do It Yourself
Steam clean couch helps remove dirt, grime, mildew and other allergens and makes the couch hygienic and look newer. Steam cleaning is a deep cleaning process by using chemicals and high pressure blast hot water and steam to your couch. The process can also clean carpets and other upholstery. When steam cleaning your couch, it is recommended to know the fabric of your couch by looking at the cleaning code underneath the frames of the cushions but not all couches have it since the law does not require manufacturers to place cleaning codes.
You will see the following cleaning codes:
“W” (wet or water) – It is safe to apply water.
“S” (solvents only) – Dry-clean only, Strictly NO WATER.
“S/W” – (solvent-based or water-based cleaners) Safe to use both solvent and water-based cleaners.
“X” (vacuum only) – Use vacuum to clean only.
Before steam clean couch, make sure to do a test on an inconspicuous area with a little water to avoid any damage such as water stains and color loss.
Instructions:
- First, remove the cushions and start to vacuum the frames to remove dust and do the same to the cushions.
- Use a hot water and fill the reservoir steam cleaning machine.
- Add cleaning solution and water it down. Do not use too much solution for it only helps but water helps break up and extract dirt.
- Clean the entire couch and cushions from side and top to bottom.
- Suck up as more water as possible and go over the cushions.
- Wash the entire couch and all surfaces with the steam cleaning machine. Suck up more water.
- Let the frame dry up. Use a fan to allow more air for faster drying. Better leave the cushions standing up and let them dry for about 1-3 hours.
If you are not sure what kind of fabric your couch is, better let the professionals do the steam clean couch for the material tells what method to use and how effectively it can be cleaned.