Upholstered furniture is truly an investment for your homes. Thus, your investment should essentially offer you years of enjoyment and service.
The truth is, unwanted spills such as messy paw print or a spilt glass of red wine are just a part of life even though you and your family members are extra careful.
Of course, knowing how to remove upholstery fabric stains is a skill we need to learn. Let us share with you a few tips in this article on how to eliminate stubborn stains from your upholstered furniture.
Table of Contents
Get to Know the Labels
First is making sure you read and understand the cleaning tips from the manufacturer. There are different upholstery fabric types, and a wide range of materials, ranging from natural to synthetic are available in the market.
Here the codes from the labels you’re likely to find and what do they mean:
- W: A water-based detergent can clean the fabric.
- S: Do not clean this material using water. Try using a solvent-based cleaner instead.
- S/W: It means that the type of stain will determine the most effective cleaning method to use. Wash oil-based stains using sofa solvent and water-based blemishes using clean water.
- X: A rare label usually found on sensitive furniture. This code suggests limiting your cleaning, thus leaving the task to professional furniture cleaners.
The Power of Vacuum
Vacuum the upholstered furniture to eliminate any dirt to make sure that no extra debris is in place. Always consider it as a first step in dealing with old stains, and you will be surprised in how it can help.
Also, make sure to clean the fissures on the fabric where food crumbs, pet hair, and dirt accumulate. If the cushions of your sofa are not attached, consider removing them first and vacuum-clean both sides.
However, if there’s too much dirt or pet hair, try using a lint roller to eliminate hair vacuum can’t get.
A Shampoo Can Do
Foam shampoos or water-based aerosol are easy to use. They create a foam, decreasing the risk of soaking the upholstery fabric that can cause color bleeding or shrinkage.
Then, you can vacuum off again some debris and specks of dirt after drying the upholstery. Thorough vacuuming is needed to remove residue.
Clean Using Home Materials
Prepare the couch by brushing it with a stiff brush or wipe it using a clean white towel. This step will loosen everything that has seeped onto your upholstered furniture.
- Get a box of baking soda and sprinkle it through the entire couch, and leave it for about 20 minutes.
- Then, remove the baking soda from the upholstery using a brush attachment.
- Mix 1 cup of warm water, a tablespoon of vinegar, and one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle. Then, add one teaspoon of baking soda and tighten the cover of the spray bottle.
- Spray a white towel with your cleaning solution, and gently rub any spots and blemishes on the upholstery fabric.
- Lastly, leave the fabric for about a few hours to dry.
To conclude
The upholstery on recliners, couches, chairs is one of the most abused surfaces of your home. Dirt, bread crumbs, pet hair, spilt coffee, and oils from your hands and toes build up over time, making your upholstered furniture look shabby.
Thus, properly take care of them to make the most of your upholstered furniture. That said, make sure first to get to know the fabric of your upholstery.
You can then remove the stains from your upholstered furniture using the few tips mentioned above. With the proper care and cleaning, you can indeed remove those stubborn stains from your upholstered furniture.