If you have upholstered furniture, it will be in your best interest to keep it clean to increase longevity of the fabrics. Whether you are working with a couch, sofa, loveseat or chair, follow these steps to figure out how to clean them up or get a stain out.
Step 1: Research the different ways to clean your upholstered furniture, and what products would work best for this purpose. Having a general knowledge will bring you better success in the end, and a nicer-looking chair or couch.
Step 2: Take any cushions off and loosen dirt using a small dusting brush. You can also remove dust with a vacuum brush attachment while you loosen the dirt. You should vacuum all the surfaces of your furniture piece, including the back, sides, arms, skirt and even the platform under the cushions.
Step 3: Also vacuum both sides of the loose cushions and place them back on the base of the furniture piece.
Step 4: Make a solution of a quarter-cup laundry detergent or liquid dish detergent and one cup of warm water. You can blend this using an electric mixer and mix until the solution contains a whipped cream texture; it will be dry and even form peaks.
Step 5: You will want to test the fabric for fading. You can do so by dipping cloth into the suds and rubbing a small place on the back of the furniture and let dry. If there is fading, there will be shrinking and/or discoloration. If this is present, have the cleaning done professionally. If there is no fading, continue.
Step 6: Choose a spot on the furniture to clean. Dip the cloth and rub the suds on it. Dirt will show in the suds. You can use a scraper to remove the suds. Rinse the furniture with a damp cloth. Repeat this method on the rest of the piece of furniture. Overlapping is OK.
Step 7: The upholstery should dry overnight. You can speed up the process by using an electric fan.
Tips
- Prevention is always a good rule of thumb when it comes to upholstery cleaning. Vacuum each week to remove dust and keep heavy soiling of the fabric from occurring.
- You do not want to snag your fabric during the vacuuming process. To avoid this, place a piece of nonmetallic window screen between the vacuum nozzle and the fabric.
Items Needed
- Upholstery
- Vacuum with attachments
- Dusting brush
- Solution of detergent and water
- Electric mixer