Cleaning Upholstery: How to Clean Upholstered Furniture

Upholstered furniture is commonplace in every single home, and if your home is anything like mine you have messy husbands, children who spill and dogs who shed all over these exquisite pieces of furniture. Here are some ways to clean the upholstered furniture without running the integrity, the fabric and the design of the piece. When it comes to cleaning upholstery more water isn't always better. In fact, the less water that is used the better because the moisture is going to seep into the fabric and become lodged there, unable to dry quick enough.

The best bet for upholstery cleaning is to use a steam cleaner. These can often be rented on a daily basis for less than twenty dollars and can clean not only upholstery but carpets and tapestries as well. Be sure to check the label on your piece of furniture, as some items may not fare well after being steam cleaned.

Any stains that have become lodged in the material should be treated with a pre-cleaner that has been specified for upholstery. This should be a mild cleaner, nothing harsh that is going to stain the material further or irritate the stain and cause it set more heavily within the fabric.

After removing all moisture from the fabric with a cleaner, it is time to try and scrub the stain to remove it. Use something non abrasive such as a soft cloth, as most furniture upholsteries become pulled very easily. Be sure to avoid any metal parts of the furniture such as buttons or zippers as they can easily become rusted when exposed to moisture.

Many swear by home remedies that take stains out of upholstery and are mild enough to use on the most delicate of fabric. What is this miracle cleaner? Baby wipes, as they contain very mild cleaner, and are not abrasive to fabric.

Be sure to check the label on your sofa, chair or other piece of furniture. Some fabrics may shrink if exposed to the high temperature of a steam cleaner.

Some upholstery cleaners are safe for practically every piece of upholstery in your home, one of these cleaners Is Procyon. This is an all natural cleaner that contains no soap products, yet is able to remove even the toughest of stains. It is a colorless, odorless cleaner that is water soluble. The reason it works so well and has become so popular is because of the soap free nature, if there is soap in the solution that is being used to clean the upholstery, it is impossible to remove 100% of the soap residue. This soap residue can change the color of the fabric, irritate skin and allergies, and trap even more dirt within the upholstery.

There is the proper way to clean upholstery, regardless of the solution used. The product should be applied sparsely to the stain, never soaking it fully. Than, the product should be agitated which activates most products to remove stains. After this has occurred, the product should be blotted with a clean, dry towel to absorb the stain. Once the towel has become soiled, it is time to use a new towel as the stains may transfer back to the upholstery.

Cleaning upholstery is different for every item, it is important to read the label and use mild but effective cleaners.