With kids home for the Summer, it’s a great time to start practicing tips on how to maintain clean upholstery! It’s no secret that regularly cleaning your upholstery will prolong your furniture’s lifespan. This is especially the case in a home with young children or pets that may easily dirty your upholstery. But, how about some tips to keep your upholstery in it’s best shape even between cleanings.
Vacuum & Dust Furniture Often
Remove dust, dirt and crumbs by making it a habit to vacuum most fabric surfaces with an upholstery attachment. This helps to lift general crumbs and dirt that were transferred from the floor to the fabric surface. A quick vacuuming helps to keep the dirty stuff from becoming more embedded, and prevent signs of wear.
Rotate Cushions
Flipping the cushions and rotating throw pillows or back pillows on a sofa will prevent uneven wear on the surface of the upholstery, especially if you always sit in the same spot.
Clean Spills Right Away
Keep some clean, white absorbent cloths handy for spills. When a spill happens, the first course of action is to absorb, do not rub, especially colored liquids like juice. When you’ve absorbed as much as possible, spot treat the fabric.
Apply a Fabric Protector
Apply a protectant to your fabrics, such as scotch guard. This will create a protective barrier over your fabrics so that spills will not absorb into the fibers. Instead, the spill will bead up on the surface for easy clean up.
Remove Odors
To help eliminate odors, sprinkle baking soda on upholstery surface and allow it to sit for an hour or more before vacuuming it up.
Steam Clean
If it’s been a year or more since you’ve had your upholstery steam cleaned, this could be a great time for it. Steam cleaning helps to remove dirt and stains that can make your upholstery look dull, dingy and unattractive.
You’ve probably invested a significant amount of money in your upholstery and we hope these tips will help to not only make your home look it’s cleanest this Summer but also expand the life of your investment for many seasons to come!
