I am sure most of you would have fabric furniture inside your house as these furniture items are more comfortable and help you relax. However, if you keep fabric chairs, sofas, and other furniture clean, you can even extend their lifetime.
Different styles of fabric furniture are found and thus you can apply different cleaning procedures for each one of them. Regular cleaning is required for fabric items in order to avoid any serious unmanageable stains.
Tips for making Fabric Furniture Cleaner and Appealing
Important: In order to avoid any damage being caused to your fabric furniture, check for the upholstery label that you may find under the furniture or go through the paper that you would have got with the purchase of that furniture.
See what cleaning supplies and methods are recommended for that item. If you cannot find this information, it is recommended that you check with the manufacturer of the company for complete details.
If the vacuum cleaning method is not mentioned, this label or guide will give you details of what kind of fabric is used on that item that would help in determining a method of cleaning. Also if you are not sure of what cleaner should you get for fabric cleaning, call the manufacturer or check with the store you usually buy cleaning supplies with.
Another option is that you can check over the internet and read the reviews to see which type of cleaner may be suitable for your furniture fabric.
Cleaning Methods Depending Upon Fabric
- Usually, some codes are mentioned on fabric furniture that allows you to have information on the cleaning method.
- If your furniture has a “W code”, you can vacuum that furniture item with an attachment of a soft brush. For particular prominent spots on furniture, use water-based cleaner foam. Rub the foam upholstery shampoo with the use of a soft brush around the stain. When you are sure that the fabric has dried, vacuum the furniture again.
- Furniture items with an “S code” can be vacuumed often to get rid of dust. Stains can be dealt with the use of a dry cleaning product. This product must be used with gloves in order to stay protected. The same method must be used with furniture having a “W-S code”.
- Some items may an “X code” that tells you that this item must be vacuumed only. No need to use liquid/foam cleaners. Use of such liquids may result in discoloring or shrinking of the fabric. It is recommended that you use a good quality lightweight cleaner in order to avoid causing any damage to furniture.
- If there is no code labeled on furniture, you can vacuum them with some easy steps.
- If the cushions are removable, remove them for cleaning separately. Set them aside and deal with the structure of furniture first.
- For cleaning of structure, attach the nozzle attachment to your vacuum. This would enable you to drag all the dust and debris out of the furniture for deep cleaning. A hose attachment is to be used for vacuuming crumbs and other dirt particles from that area. You must not rub hose into furniture fabric as it may further push dirt inside them.
- Now shake the spray foam cleaner bottle for the mixture to unify. It is recommended that you apply cleaner over a small stain to check for any damage that this cleaner may cause. If the results are satisfactory and no discoloring/damage happens, you may use the cleaner over the rest of the stains.
- First focus on heavy stains and soiled spaces over furniture. Follow instructions of use given on your cleaner bottle for further safety of the material. For microfiber material, you can gently clean the stain by slight rubbing of cleaner with a damp dry cloth. Before moving from one stain to another, rinse out the sponge.
- The cleaner must be completely dried before you vacuum again.
- Till the time you are waiting for the cleaner to dry, deal in the same manner with removed cushions. Use cleaner at one side of the cushion first and let it dry. Then only you can begin with another one.
- You can clean arms and legs or any other wooden parts with a damp cloth.
- Once the furniture is completely dried, vacuum again to get rid of any excess cleaner from the fabric. Repeat the same steps with both sides of the removed cushions.
- When you are absolutely sure that all the parts are completely dried, place the cushions back together.
Special cleaning instructions for furniture fabric maintenance
- Spilled liquids must be cleaned immediately always in order to avoid stains from becoming unmanageable. If the liquids or food spills are not immediately cleaned, they may soak deep inside fiber which later becomes a little difficult to get rid of.
- Vacuuming for fabric furniture is recommended once a week at least however if it is heavy traffic facing furniture item, you may clean it more often.
- If you have pets roaming around your furniture, get an effective pet hair cleaning vacuum.
- Do not use any bleach containing cleaning supplies of fabric furniture as it could result in discoloration and permanent damage. Likewise do not use any nail polish remover or other supplies containing acetone.
Conclusion
Most of the fabric furniture could be cleaned with an upholstery attachment of a vacuum cleaner however some microfiber ones may need different cleaning equipment. The above-mentioned tips and instructions could be followed for all types of fabrics.
Randomly cleaning fabric furniture gives a lot of benefits as there may be stains that are not really visible. Dust and dirt also settle down the fabric that makes your furniture appear dull and faded.
Moreover, this dust and dirt accumulated can cause allergens and dust mites. Effective vacuum cleaning of furniture would give you a beautiful neat appearance along with a healthy living environment.