How Do You Deep Clean Upholstery?

How Do You Deep Clean Upholstery? Deep cleaning upholstery is indispensable in maintaining your home clean and visually appealing. Upholstery experiences a lot of abuse every day, including spills, dirt, dust, food remnants, cooking odors, body oils, and sweat.

This is why cleaning them on regular basis is crucial. Here are some ways you can deep clean upholstery without damaging its fragile structure.

1. Baking soda

Baking soda suits most types of upholstery. And it does a great job of removing grime, toxins and bad odors. First of all, take a stiff brush to wipe away crumbles and other debris. Don’t use aggressive traction against the fabric as it may harm it.

If you deal with delicate fabrics, like silk, vinyl, and linen, you should take a softer brush. Once you are done with brushing, apply a thin layer of baking soda and let it sit for 30 minutes.

If you have a dry carpet cleaner at hand, you can combine it with soda for a more powerful effect. As time is up, use your vacuum cleaner to eliminate the baking soda or mixture.

Don’t overestimate the resistance of upholstery and avoid applying an excessive amount of soda. In this case, more detergent doesn’t mean a cleaner surface. Always remember you deal with a fragile structure.

Also, before using baking soda, you need to try it on an invisible part of the upholstery piece of furniture. If you notice discoloration of the fabric or any other damage, you should give up on this cleaning method.

2. Solution for tough stains

Tough stains are always hard to remove. This is why, you need to try heavier weapons. To ensure that no damage occurs, you need to choose the solution that corresponds to your type of upholstery.

– Fabric upholstery

For fabric, combine 3/4 cup warm water, 1/4 cup vinegar, Mix well, then add 1 tablespoon dish detergent and continue mixing. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spread it on the stains. Use a clean cloth to rub the stain away.

If little spots still remain, repeat the process until the fabric gets completely clean.

– Synthetic upholstery

For synthetic, take one cup warm water and 1/2 cup vinegar. Add 1/2 tablespoon of dish soap for a deeper cleaning. Spray the mixture and let it sit for around 20 minutes. Then, use a cloth to blot the stain away.

– Suede upholstery

Before starting cleaning suede, you need to know that it hates water, which leaves ugly stains and spoils its look. This is why, it is not recommended to clean suede with water. Instead, use a steam cleaner to remove all kind of stains. If you don’t have one, you can apply some suede cleaner or vinegar on the spot.

Take a cloth and rub the stain away using gentle circular motion. Let it dry and use a suede brush to polish the delicate material. When it comes to spills, try to address them as fast as possible. If you let the liquid penetrate the suede, it will be incredibly hard to remove the stain later.

3. Steam cleaner

A steam cleaner is also good for deep cleaning upholstery. It offers faster results and allows you to save time and energy. You can replace a few minutes of manual rubbing with a quick jet of hot vapor that is equally effective.

If you don’t have such a machine at hand, you can rent one or call a professional cleaning team. They will do the work fast and high quality using powerful and safe equipment. While you are minding your business, playing with children or cooking, your upholstery furniture will be getting clean.

4. Cushion deep cleaning

Well, the most effective way to deep clean your cushions is to place them in the washing machine. Don’t forget to check the tag. If it has the label “machine washable”, you can proceed.

Alternatively, you can clean your cushions by beating the dirt off and exposing them to the sun for disinfection. Of course, if you struggle with tough stains, you can try the above-mentioned methods.

How Do You Deep Clean Upholstery? – Conclusion

On the whole, you can deep clean upholstery yourself with everyday items that are always at hand. Baking soda, vinegar, warm water, and dish detergent are excellent at removing debris and odors.

The only advantage is that such a method takes time and keeps you busy with other important activities. If you want a faster cleaning, you can call in a professional team.