There seems to be hardly a thing better than freshly furbished upholstery in your rooms and workplaces. And reaching a time when winter seems to take a backseat soon, you might feel all geared up to start spring cleaning in less than a month’s time. Of course, when you buy fun, flirty fabrics for your furnishing, they do add an entirely new dimension to your rooms’ appearance. However, how long they continue looking fresh and crisp is a matter of question and it depends on how you maintain them round the year. While there hardly seems to be a substitute for an annual professional service, a little care on your part could be a much saver on time and money on your part.
In this regard, you can follow the three-prong upholstery maintenance tips to make things easy.
Step#1: Prevent Damages
- Use your vacuums well. They are just not for floors and carpets, remember? The simple to use attachments that even the most basic of these machines come with, can be a real lifesaver for upholstery upkeep. While conducting your weekly vacuuming rituals, give your soft furnishings some treat, as well. Optimally, use an angle-tipped crevice attachment to clean sneaky areas, such as the fabric folds, creases and tufted places where dirt and oil tend to stick.
- Pull out the cushion covers and beat them well manually. This helps prevent dust from getting into the fibers.
Step#2: Get the ‘Medicine’ for Stains Ready
- The rule of thumb for managing spills? Tend it as fast as possible. Blot the spilled thing either with a clean piece of cloth or a paper towel. Gently blot the paper; do not rub it. Rubbing can pave way to smudge the spill, thus forming a bigger stain.
- In case blotting does not work and you need to go a step ahead, then quickly go through the manufacturer’s care manual, which you might find inside cushion covers or under the chair seat. There you can find whether your fabrics would require water-based cleaners, solvents or mere vacuuming for clean-up. However, you should remember that oil-based marks (think cosmetics, gravy or butter), you need to treat them with dry-cleaning solvents only.
- No matter the solution you use, make sure that you run a patch test for colour fastness on your upholstery. Choose an inconspicuous corner of the fabric for testing. Apply your solution on a white piece of cloth only, and firmly press it against the fabric for half a minute. Check the white piece of cloth for colour transfer.
- When it comes to spot-cleaning, use a solution of neutral, ph-balanced detergent in water at a ratio of 1:20. This should be completed by blotting with clear water. Make sure that you do not over wet upholstery for cleaning.
Step#3: Cleaning It Deep
- Annually, conduct a professional upholstery cleaning service to conduct a deep cleansing treatment.
- If you prefer to machine wash the fabrics on your own, then once again, check the instruction manual whether they can be machine-washed. And even if you use your washing machine, turn the cushions and similar upholsteries inside out, and wash them in cold water to avoid premature-fading.
- In case your covers and fabrics require dry cleaning only, then you would best leave it under professional care. This will keep them looking fresh and neatly maintained for a long time.
- Also, remember to call your professional service provider when you feel doubtful whether it’s time to change your upholstery completely, or whether a little bit of expert care would do the job.
