How to Clean Dirt from Upholstery
Upholstery Cleaning in Winnetka — Just upholstery has attacked by skin oils, hair, dust, food crumbs, and spills. If your seats and couches are currently starting to look worse save yourself hundreds of dollars and don’t call in a professional –not yet, anyhow. Banishing dirt, stains, and even discoloration yourself can cost mere pennies. However, before you dive into this manual on how to clean upholstery, first learn what you are dealing with by checking the label on the base of the piece or below a cushion to learn what kind of cleaner is recommended. The label needs to have a code: S = Solvent Based W = Water Based, WS = Water or Solvent. X Professional Cleaning Required. Then use the cleaning hints and techniques here (making sure to test on an inconspicuous area first). Should you do a general upholstery upkeep as part of your regular home maintenance, your furniture will look good longer.
Give the item a comprehensive vacuuming with the upholstery attachment. Start at the top, and work your way down, with short strokes. Working in the same direction is important for fabrics which have like corduroy, a nap, chenille, or suede. Switch into the crevice attachment to better clean seams and folds, as well as round buttons and tufting. Or, use a can of compressed air (just as when cleaning your keyboard) to dislodge dirt and dust from nooks and crannies.
For fabrics with a W or WS code, combine a few drops of dish soap in a bucket of lukewarm water. Gently brush over the whole piece using a soft brush and damp with all the soap solution. Take care not to soak some regions, as moisture can cause some fabrics. Follow up by wiping the entire piece using a clean, damp cloth. Permit the piece to air dry before sitting . Don’t try to speed up things using a hair drier, since the warmth could cause fabrics pucker or to psychologist, but feel free to turn on fans to amp up the air circulation in the room. Clean one facet of any cushions and allow to dry completely overnight prior to cleaning the side.
For fabrics with an S code, use only solvent-based cleaners like a dry cleaning solvent; water based cleaners can damage these fabrics. Dry cleaning solvent can be bought online (type”upholstery safe dry cleaning solvent” into a search engine), or you might find it in home dry cleaning kits like DRYEL, available in a grocery store or at big box discount stores. Make sure your work area is well ventilated. Apply dry cleaning solvent to a clean towel and brush over generally dirty areas of upholstery. You can work solvent into areas using a clean, soft-bristled brush. Allow the piece to dry before sitting it on again.
