Introduction to Upholstery Cleaning
Having well maintained and clean upholstery in your home is quite important to those who want to keep their living area looking well cared for, beautiful and fresh. However, regular cleaning and maintenance of upholstery is a must as one cannot avoid the dangers of spills, stains and other such accidents. And of course, dust and dirt accumulate daily on these furniture items.
There are a few simple tips that you can use to keep your upholstery well maintained and clean. There are a variety of commercial and homemade upholstery cleaners available and keeping your living area clean can prove to be relatively simple.
Special upholstery such as leather or other exquisite materials should be given special care and their manufacturers provide detailed guides on maintenance. For other styles of upholstery involving fabric, strategies for cleaning are more or less general in nature.
Tips on cleaning upholstery
Make sure to vacuum clean your upholstery before deciding on a thorough cleaning job. This dirt and dust needs in order to be removed before the cleaning process which usually involves getting the areas moist. This grime can make the furniture look even messier if allowed to contact moisture. Hairs and pet hairs should also be vacuumed away prior to the cleaning process commences.
Ensure to blot and dilute any spills and stains as soon as possible, preferably immediately. This will stop the material of the spill from soaking in to the fabric of the furniture or the wood. Users must be mindful not to scratch or rub on the stain, but rather just blot it out and spread it over a more substantial area with a damp cloth.
Make sure that you know which cleaners to utilize for your upholstery. This will depend on the kind of fabric of one’s upholstery and the nature of the stain on the fabric. This could be a tricky process as there are plenty of furniture goods that feature a blend of fabrics and so are often dyed. Most of these factors, like the age of the furniture should end up being determined before deciding on a particular solvent for cleaning stains.
Understand what the code tags of one’s fabric mean. These tags may sometimes be an easy task to locate and at others they might be hidden away behind the furniture. Nevertheless, these tags contain industry standard program codes for the materials used including:
W: The fabric needs to be cleaned with a water based detergent
S: The fabric needs to be cleaned with water free or dry cleaning solvents
WS: The fabric could be cleaned with either water based or dry cleaning solvents with respect to the nature of the stain
X: Such fabrics require professional cleaning methods and really should only be brush or vacuum cleaned
In case your upholstery tags are missing, you should try and use each cleaning method on the underside or back where spots cant be seen. This will assist you to determine the best cleaner which you can use for the fabric.
The type of stain on the fabric also greatly determines what cleaner or solvent to use. There is no one solvent for several types of stains and cleaning solutions generally mention which forms of unsightly stains they cater to.