It’s easy to forget about cleaning your upholstered furniture unless something spills on it. However, dirt and grime and odors can build up in upholstered furniture the same as anywhere else in your home. In order to keep your investments in good condition for years to come, it’s important to ensure that you keep your upholstered furniture clean with regular maintenance. You don’t need to ban food and drinks and pets from the rooms with your upholstered furniture. With the following tips, you can keep your upholstered furniture clean and keep stains from settling in.
#1. Check The Label
The first part of how to keep your upholstered furniture clean involves checking the label it came with. You always want to ensure that you do this before busting out any spot cleaner, as the last thing you want to do is accidentally damage your furniture. The label will have codes that indicate what you can use to keep your upholstered furniture clean.
- W means that you should stick to water-based cleaners.
- S or P means that you should stick to solvent-based cleaners.
- SW or WS means that you can use either a water- or a solvent-based cleaner.
- X means that you shouldn’t use cleaners on it and stick to hiring a professional.
#2. Vacuum Regularly
You should be vacuuming your upholstered furniture about once a week. This goes a long way for preventing dirt buildup and the resulting wear and tear to your upholstery. It keeps any dirt from working its way deeper into the fabric fibers and thus being more difficult to get out.
You’ll want to remove any throw pillows and blankets to ensure a thorough clean. Most vacuums come with upholstery attachments that are gentler than normal to provide a gentle but thorough clean. You want to work with the nap of the fabric. Working from top-to-bottom is helpful to avoid missing any spots. Don’t forget the sides or bottom, nor the seams and other hard-to-reach areas.
If you have leather furniture, your vacuum’s brush attachment should prevent scratching. If it is or contains silk or linen, be careful to set the suction down low. If ever you’re unsure how to keep your upholstered furniture clean without damaging it, you can always call a professional.
#3. Spot-Treat Immediately
Accidents happen, even if you exercise great care around your furniture. When they do, there’s no need to panic. You will want to blot any spills immediately. Rubbing can cause the spill to spread and push it deeper into the upholstery, so ensure that you’re blotting with a clean towel.
You can use cleaners on spots, but always ensure that you check the label, as mentioned above. Cleaners will have directions for how to use them. Whenever you’re using a cleaner, it’s always best to test it on a little, unnoticeable spot, just to make sure that it won’t permanently mark your furniture.
Some stains can be very stubborn and difficult to get rid of, like red wine. There’s still the chance to keep your upholstered furniture clean by hiring a professional. Professionals have high-quality equipment that provides a deeper, more thorough cleaning than you could do on your own. While there’s never any guarantee that stains can come out, there’s always the chance that they can, so it’s best to do whatever you can.
Perhaps if the upholstered furniture that got stained has been surrendered to your cat and shows it by being covered in scratch marks, you may not mind if it’s stained. But a professional upholstery cleaner will always do whatever they can to ensure that no harm or damage is done during the cleaning process.
#4. Know When To Call The Professionals
You can do a lot to keep your upholstered furniture clean yourself. However, just like your carpets, a professional upholstery cleaning can do a lot to help your investments last as long as possible. Depending on your lifestyle and the type of upholstered furniture you have, how often you’ll need to call in the professionals depends.
If you live alone or with your significant other and you both are very meticulous about cleaning, you may not need professional upholstery cleaning too often. However, if you have pets or children or often have people over, you may need more frequent cleaning.
In general, it’s recommended that you get your upholstered furniture professionally cleaned once or twice every year to two years. Many factors can influence this, so it’s always good to check in with your upholstery cleaner about how often they recommend you have your furniture cleaned, as it can vary.
Professional Upholstery Cleaning You Can Count On
TNT Cleaning Company knows how important it is to keep your upholstered furniture clean so that it looks and performs (and smells) its best. We provide professional upholstery cleaning services, including for leather upholstery. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule your upholstery cleaning.