Upholstery Care Tips

Cleaning your upholstery on your own can be challenging. There's a lot of room for error due to the density of the fabric. In the case of upholstery that's bound to the furniture, you run the risk of having to throw away some valuable pieces should you get overzealous with your cleaning.

Regular Upholstery Maintenance

Don't be deceived by the fact that nobody steps over your upholstery in their shoes (or so we would hope). It can attract dust, it can attract dirt, and it can even be home to various bacteria. An example of why bacteria love upholstery are the pieces of food frequently found lodged inside. Say you're watching the game and eating pizza. You probably won't notice a small chunk of it being dropped somewhere in-between the fabric, but bacteria will take note, and soon enough, your favorite armchair will become a breeding ground.

If this sounds disgusting, that's because it is, so make sure regular maintenance is a thing. If you have a habit of eating on your armchair or couch, clean the upholstery weekly without ever skipping the schedule. The basis of the cleaning regimen should be vacuuming using various extensions – you won't do any damage and you'll deal with the bulk of what's inside the fabric.

Vacuuming is far from a complete strategy, however. You should also scrub the surface with a wet sponge here and there, after you dip it in a mixture of water and mild soap. You'll need to make sure that the sponge isn't carrying any water, or you run the risk of the upholstery retaining moisture, which brings us to the next point...

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The Dangers Of Soaking Your Upholstery

Mold is dangerous enough to deserve its own section. For some reason, many home owners don't think about where the water they're soaking their upholstery in will go. Presumably, they think it will dry out, which is possible, but not guaranteed – in the wrong setting, the watery residue will turn into mold pretty quickly, and you'll have no way to get rid of it.

When we perform hot water extraction, we use a powerful, industrial-grade vacuum that sucks out every last bit of moisture and leaves nothing behind. The vacuum cleaner in your home won't be able to accomplish this, so be extra careful when applying water to the upholstery – this includes large-volume spills, as well.

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Delicate Leather Upholstery

Leather upholstery has its own set of rules if owners wish to maintain its beauty. Aside from frequent vacuuming, you should also minimize water exposure, even if it looks like the material can handle it. Any scrubbing done needs to be slow, gentle and circular, and it should be done using a soft cloth. Never pour something on the leather – instead, dip the cloth in gentle soap or alcohol, keeping the level of moisture in check.

Leather is too expensive to mess around with. While it is certainly durable, it can easily lose some of its shine when handled poorly. If you've got a precious leather sofa or a chair, it's never a bad idea to let us handle its cleaning for you.

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