Upholstery Cleaning Importance And Tips

Upholstered furniture is essential in every home. However, if you have pets and children, then you know how problematic it can be to maintain it clean at all times. In fact, some of us tend to ignore the task, but the pain comes at the moment you are forced to dispose your old weathered furniture. Upholstery cleaning is a critical task that you should never ignore. Remember that your upholstery has to survive all the stains, pet urine, dust and tears and much more.

You have to clean your upholstery for various reasons. Some of these reasons include:
To eliminate allergens
The health of your family members is vital and should be a priority. Dust and bacteria do get trapped in your upholstery inside couches, chairs and other pieces of furniture. Cleaning your upholstery helps to drive out all dust, bacteria, and mites that can compromise the indoor air in your home. Upholstery cleaning significantly decreases cases of allergy and other related conditions. Therefore, cleaning your upholstery is a great investment for the health of your family.

To improve the life of your furniture
Soil particles and dust that settle on your furniture can slowly weaken its fibers and erode the fabric of your upholstery. It can cause tears and even wear out your furniture. Apart from making your furniture looking great, upholstery cleaning improves the lifespan of your upholstery.

Remove unwanted odors
Bad odors get trapped in the fabric and porous surfaces of your upholstery. Such odors come from cooking smells, smoke, and pet urine. A combination of all these can result in unpleasant odor that can make your home unliveable. Cleaning your upholstery is an excellent way of making your home fresh again.

How often should you clean your upholstery?
Some negligent homeowners never bother cleaning their upholstery. However, your upholstery cleaning should be scheduled to every year. If you��ve had yours cleaned in the recent past, then you must have noticed the difference. Perhaps, everyone appreciates sitting on a clean, bright and shining couch. If you��ve never cleaned yours, then it might be the source of your family��s breathing problems. Allergens, dust, bacteria and mites hide inside your upholstery. Having your upholstery cleaned annually can dramatically improve the indoor air quality of your home.

Tips on how upholstery care should be done
So you��ve chosen the most suitable upholstery that fits your style. One of the commonly asked query that most homeowners ask pertains the best upholstery cleaning method. Wiping is just superficial cleaning and does not dislodge the dust and mites that are deeply hidden in your furniture. Upholstery cleaning should be a thorough task. You must ensure that your furniture doesn��t smell bad or have unsightly stains. There are several ways, tricks, and techniques on how to clean your upholstery. Here are some of the guidelines on the best upholstery care.

Vacuum your upholstery
Vacuuming is the best approach and the least demanding upholstery cleaning technique. It involves the use of a cleaner that sucks dirt, dust, harmful bacteria and dead skin cells. Vacuuming prevents these particles from damaging your upholstery. When vacuuming your upholstery, ensure to use a crevice nozzle and other attachments so as to reach all the corners of your upholstery. Some of the vacuum cleaners come with shampoo application attachments that make the task fast and efficient. However, when using such cleaning devices, ensure they are compatible with your fabric.

Use spatula to remove any excess dirt 
Before administering any cleaning method, ensure to use a spatula to scrape off any excess dust or dirt lightly. A plastic spatula has soft and gentle with no rough surfaces that can scour the fabric your upholstery.

Stain removers and home-made cleaners
While stain removers and other home-made cleaners are excellent in cleaning upholstery, they may not be effective on all types of upholstery. Therefore, you should first test on a small area to check how it does. When using a home-made cleaner, you can consider mixing warm water and dish washing liquid to form sufficient foam. Use a sponge to apply the foam on your upholstery. A paste of vinegar, Borax, and salt are excellent in removing bad odors and stains. The paste should first dry before washing off to obtain an odourless and stain-free surface.

Use OxiClean
This is a popular commercial upholstery cleaning technique that is very compatible with upholstery fabric. First, OxiClean is dissolved in warm water. This is because the powder form is quite strong and can damage the fabric of your upholstery. A soft cloth is then used to apply the dissolved OxiClean. Additionally, ensure to follow the manufacturer��s instructions when applying the solution. This may include the length of time you can leave the solution on your furniture before you can wash it off.

Hydrogen Peroxide
This is great if you are dealing with food-stained furniture. Hydrogen peroxide quickly removes stains of grease, oil, wine or grape juice. You can make your furniture sparkle once more with the least effort. Hair sprays and alcohol are also great in removing ink stains.

Use Woolite foam
When using Woolite, you must consider checking the manufacturer��s instructions first. The foam is applied then allowed to sit for a specified period before wiping it off. Remember to use a soft piece of cloth when wiping off. In some cases, cleaner deposits may remain. The spots can be dabbed with a soft piece of cloth drenched in a solution of white vinegar.

Should you hire a professional upholstery service?
Though some people prefer cleaning their upholstery by themselves, it may not be done properly. Specialized upholstery cleaning companies have the right cleaning equipment, tools, and knowledge needed to ensure your furniture is restored to its tip top condition. Though it may be cheap to do it yourself, you must consider other factors. You may consider hiring a professional if you want to eliminate all the deeply embedded dust, dirt, and allergens from your upholstery.

Conclusion 
Upholstery cleaning is beneficial in enhancing the aesthetic appeal as well as upholding great health standards of your home. However, the outcome of your cleaning depends on the type of equipment, method, and quality of cleaning you administer. The above are the reasons why you should clean your upholstery and the right cleaning techniques to use.