Upholstery Cleaning To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Upholstery Cleaning To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19. With tensions running high during this COVID-19 pandemic, keeping you and your family safe should be a top priority. The COVID-19 virus is highly contagious and quickly spreads between people. To minimize your risks of getting sick, developing proper sanitation and cleaning habits are a must. Included in these cleaning habits is the cleaning and sanitizing of your home‘s upholstery. The COVID-19 virus can survive on surfaces for up to three days. This prolonged survival time makes it a danger in high traffic spots like mattresses, sofas, or chairs. In this article, we will discuss why you should be cleaning your upholstery to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Upholstery Cleaning To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 –
Why you Need to Clean Your Upholstery

The COVID-19 virus is mainly transmitted through the air by the infected breathing or coughing. When you become infected with this virus, the symptoms lay dormant for multiple days. Even without feeling sick, the infected are breathing out this contagious virus. If you are in public, it may be possible that someone infected with the COVID-19 has contaminated something of yours. From your clothing to your skin, the COVID-19 virus can survive on these surfaces for a long time.

Now, if the virus is living on the surface of your skin, you can quickly transfer it to the upholstery. You pose a risk of this virus moving from your clothing or skin onto your mattress. To combat this transfer of the virus, cleaning your home’s upholstery routinely will reduce of spreading the virus.

How to Clean Your Upholstery Properly

To properly clean your upholstery, you must first check the upholstery tag for information on how to clean the piece. Using the proper cleaning solution is critical in keeping your upholstery in good condition.

Upholstery Tag Types

• S or Solvent: If your upholstery tag has an ‘S’ on it, it is recommended you use a cleaner without water. Fabrics typically cleaned with dry cleaner are cotton, linen, and silk.

• W or Water: If your upholstery tag includes a ‘W’ on it, the recommended cleaner should be water-based.

• SW or Solvent/Water: If the tag includes an ‘SW,’ you can use either water-based or dry upholstery cleaner.

• X: Use neither solvent or water-based cleaner—vacuum-cleaning and brushing only for these fabrics.

Cleaning Sofas

To start the cleaning process, remove all cushions and pillows from the sofa’s frame. Vacuum these cushions and furniture first to make sure no large pieces of debris are present. If your sofa has removable covers, you may wash them in a washing machine to quickly kill all bacteria on the surface.

If you cannot wash the covers on your sofa, you can use a small mixture of water and 60% rubbing alcohol. Mixing these two creates a homemade disinfectant that will kill the COVID-19 virus on contact. Put the rubbing alcohol and water mixture into a spray bottle and spray down your sofa’s surface. With a clean cloth, spread this mixture throughout the sofa’s surface to make sure all areas are covered. Allow for this homemade disinfectant to air-dry before sitting on it.

Cleaning Mattresses

To start the cleaning process, remove the sheets from the mattress and put them into the washing machine. If you do not have a washing machine, hand-wash the sheets under warm water. Once removed, place a disinfectant solution into a spray bottle of two-parts rubbing alcohol and one-part water. Thoroughly spray all surfaces of the mattress with this disinfectant solution, making sure to include the headboard as well.

Once sprayed, use a wet rag dipped in warm water to wipe down the mattress. Wiping down the bed will eliminate the strong smell that rubbing alcohol gives off. The most critical part of cleaning your mattresses should be the sheets, blankets, and pillows. These are the parts that your body stays in contact with throughout a night’s sleep.

Cleaning Carpet

While carpet does not pose a significant risk to people like a sofa, families with small children should routinely disinfect their carpets. Young children could pick up a contaminated item from the floor that has been in contact with the virus. The most effective way to clean a carpet is by using a steam cleaner. A mixture of white distilled vinegar and water will kill 99% of all bacteria. A vinegar mixture is non-toxic and safe to be in contact with children and pets.