Cleaning Upholstery: Tips on How to Keep Upholstery Looking Great

With the cost of everything going up, I don't know how some people are financially able to consistently purchase new furniture. Personally I am not one of those people. I, like most American families, am on a budget. My family has to save up for big purchases to avoid putting things on credit. That is why I am such a fan of keeping my furniture nice and clean. It helps me to elongate the life of my furniture and allows me to save our money for vacations, birthdays, and other fun things we can enjoy.

SpotBot
One of the smartest purchases I made was investing in a Bissell SpotBot. Not only is this machine great on carpet, but it helps me to keep my furniture clean. The cleaning products that are recommended for use in the SpotBot smell great and work even better. I have had nothing but results from this machine. However, I cannot take all the credit, my husband did give this to me as a gift, so kudos to you honey!

While the SpotBot can be an investment retailing for around $120, to me it is so worth it. I was able to salvage a chair using the cleaner, so I have saved around $300 on a new chair. One of the best tips I can give for the SpotBot is to always use a clean water and solution mix. You can store the mix in the machine, but I found that using hot water really improves the efficiency. Also keep the furniture as dry as possible and use fans to speed the drying process to avoid damage.

Continuous Cleaning
One of the best ways to keep furniture looking good is to clean the dust off it regularly. I like to run the wand attachment on my vacuum over my upholstered furniture when I vacuum. Also using products like Febreze help to keep the freshness on days you don't clean.

Cleaning Spills
Different spills require different formulas to clean them. Here are a few tips passed down from my mom. To clean dark stains, like coffee or drinks, use a mixture of 1 tsp mild detergent and 1 cup warm water and blot from the outside in. If the stain is stubborn, you can follow it by blotting a mixture of 1/3 cup white vinegar and and 2/3 cups water.

To clean oily stains use the same mixture of detergent and water but follow with blotting a mix of 1 tbsp ammonia and 1/2 cup water, then blot with clean water to remove any excess ammonia and detergent.

Club Soda is another way to remove stains. This method works best for fresh stains. By letting the soda fizz on the stain for 15 to 30 minutes based on the amount of time the stain has set and then rub the stain with circular motions using a sponge or scrub brush. Be careful not to ruin the fabric by over scrubbing. Once the stain is gone, blot up any excess liquid with a clean towel.