Upholstery is an art that has brought new life to old pieces of furniture for centuries, and it’ll likely continue for many years to come. Not only does the practice of fitting padded textiles to chairs and sofas give you a unique one-of-a-kind piece – it’s also very environmentally friendly! There are many benefits to getting your furniture reupholstered, but making the most of your new and improved decor does require some upkeep. Upholstered furniture is prone to getting dirty and dusty regardless of how much it is actually used and cleaning it is the only way to prevent cobwebs, crumbs, and pet fur from piling up. Plus, a clean piece of furniture will keep your allergies at bay and stop stains from spoiling the look of your precious family heirloom. If your upholstered furnishing is due for a cleaning, but you don’t know where to start, you’re in luck because today we’re going over the ins and outs of how to clean upholstery!

Step 1: Vacuum
The first step to a thorough upholstery cleaning is getting your hands on a good vacuum and using its attachment to suction out unwanted dirt and debris. Use short, overlapping strokes and make use of the brush on the attachment to loosen up any crumbs that have gotten into the crevices of your upholstery. Also, be sure to clean areas that may not be seen at first glance – lift up the cushions, remove them if you can, and vacuum both front and back. That’s the only way to ensure crumbs, pet hair, and dirt don’t settle into your furnishing and become a permanent fixture!

Step 2: Wipe Down Wooden or Metal Areas
To keep your upholstered furniture in tip-top shape, it’s important to also take care of the areas that don’t have any upholstery on them. Wipe down the feet of your sofa and any other areas that are made of wood or metal with a solution containing warm water and liquid dish soap. Gently work away on the frame of your furniture and be careful not to soak it – you just want to get rid of stains or residue, not scrub away at its finishing.

Step 3: Remove Stains
To remove stains from your couch or chair without compromising the state of the upholstery, you’ll need to look at the fabric care codes to see what’s safe to use on the material:

• WS: This code means your fabric can withstand either water- or solvent-based cleaners.
• W: Material with the care code “W” can be cleaned using water-based cleaners.
• S: Only solvent-based cleaning chemicals should be used on upholstery with this code.
• X: Fabric that falls in this category should only be cleaned with a vacuum, and no water can be used.

Here are some homemade cleaning solutions you can use and the upholstery material they are best equipped to clean:

• Synthetic upholstery: 1 cup warm water, ½ cup vinegar, and ½ tablespoon liquid dish soap.
• Fabric upholstery: ¾ cup of lukewarm water, ¼ cup vinegar, and one tablespoon dish soap.
• Leather upholstery: ½ cup olive oil and ¼ cup vinegar.

All three of these solutions can be mixed in a spray bottle and spritzed on to the stain. Gently scrub the stain away with a soft cloth until it is completely gone.

Step 4: Give Your Furniture A Good Sudsing
Next, give your upholstery a thorough cleaning by sudsing it (*note: this step should only be done if your upholstery contains the code W or WS). Pour out half a teaspoon of clear dish soap into a bowl and run warm water on top of it to create suds. Lightly dip an upholstery brush into just the suds and go over the fabric in small sections. Once all of the upholstery has been sudsed, use a clean damp cloth to wipe it down.

Step 5: Dry and Do You
That’s it! Now all that’s left to do is let your upholstered furniture dry and flaunt its beauty to future guests!

For more information on how to clean upholstery contact Hill Upholstery.

The original version of this article was published in www.prestigedecor.ca