Friday, November 26, 2010

Tips to Clean Upholstered Furniture

Things You'll Need:

  • Cleaning Cloths
  • Cleaning Cloths
  • Detergents
  • Electric Fans
  • Handheld Dusting Brushes
  • Power Brush Vacuum Attachments
  • Plastic Bucket
  • Plastic Bucket
  • Plastic Scrapers
 
Keeping upholstered furniture clean will increase the life of the fabrics. Here's how to wash  upholstery, whether it's a couch, sofa, loveseat or favorite chair.
 
1 Remove all loose cushions.

2. Loosen dirt with a handheld dusting brush while using a vacuum brush attachment to remove the dust.

3. Vacuum all surfaces of the furniture: back, sides, arms, skirt and the platform beneath the cushions.

4. Vacuum both sides of the loose cushions.

5. Replace cushions.

6. Add 1/4 c. laundry detergent or liquid dish detergent to 1 c. warm water. Blend with an electric mixer; whip the mixture until the suds look like whipped cream (it will be dry and form peaks).

7. Test for fading by dipping a cloth in the suds and rubbing a small place on the back of furniture. Let dry. If fading, shrinkage or discoloration occurs, have the job done professionally; if not, proceed to the next step.

8. Pick an area on the furniture, dip cloth and rub suds on.

9. Dirt will begin to appear in suds as they work. Use a scraper to scrape suds away.

10. Rinse area with a damp cloth.

11. Repeat steps 8 through 10 on other areas of furniture, allowing for overlap of areas during cleaning.

12. Allow to dry overnight, preferably with an electric fan blowing on furniture.