Dust and grit wear out fabric by getting in between fibres and creating friction that increases wear, so it’s important to keep your furniture, especially living room furniture, clean.
Before you apply any cleaning method, test a small area. Choose an area at the back of the furniture or some other location that won’t be seen easily. It’s difficult to anticipate exactly how different sofa materials will react, even to something as simple as soap and water. Once your test area has dried, you’ll be able to determine whether you can treat the entire couch, recliner, and other parts of your living room furniture set.
You can use a handheld vacuum or a vacuum with a brush attachment for most furniture. This is especially important for linen and looser weaves that might be snagged by a regular vacuum hose. A bristle brush is also an option to break up dirt and separate it from the material where it has settled and been ground in through repeated use. Leather is one of the few surfaces where you should avoid a brush and use a cloth to wipe down instead.
For some types of cushions and materials, steam cleaning is an option. However, it’s crucial to make certain that any upholstery cleaned this way is allowed to dry quickly and completely. Otherwise, your couch may mold from the inside!
There are plenty of ways to get stains out of furniture fabric. Again, make sure to test first! For a recent liquid stain, dabbing it with a dry cloth will help pull as much of the stain out before it sets. Then, you can use one of the wet cleaning methods or try baking soda.
Simply sprinkle baking soda over the stain until it is covered and leave it for at least half an hour to absorb the liquid, then vacuum up the baking soda. When using liquid cleaning methods, a spray bottle is a great way to apply the cleaning solution evenly and reduce the amount of liquid soaking into your furniture.
For dry or set stains, there are a few different methods you can try. Several drops of vinegar in warm water or even warm club soda help break up the material creating the stain. You can combine water, vinegar, and dish soap, too. Sometimes, trial and error are necessary before you find a method that will work. Just be sure the couch dries between attempts.
While you can use industrial cleaners, check the label to determine if the cleaner uses a chemical solvent, which can damage your furniture. That said, you can check the tag on the underside of most couches and sofas to find out if certain solvent-based cleaners are safe to use. Microfiber can be particularly finicky.
To clean the feet and other non-fabric or exposed frame parts like wood or metal, add a little dish soap to warm water break up sticky dust, and apply it with a cloth or spray bottle. Once any wooden features are wiped down, let the air dry them before rubbing in the appropriate furniture polish. In addition to reinvigorating the appearance of your furniture, caring for the wood will address any chips or scuffs and keep the wood from cracking, so it will last much longer.
Unfortunately, you can’t always save your sofa and you’ll need to shop living room sets again. Of course, you can always try flipping the cushions first!
Routine cleaning and maintenance will extend the life of your furniture
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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