Upholstery in the home or office can provide a soft, comfortable, and beautiful place to sit or lie down, but when it gets dirty it might not be so appealing and you should do something to clean it so that it can continue to be enjoyed. Unfortunately do not do research on upholstery cleaning and can end up making their upholstery look worse or even ruin it beyond repair.
In order to help you with your upholstery cleaning needs, we have put together this guide for avoiding some common mistakes people make when cleaning upholstery. You can successfully clean your upholstered furniture with some patience and research, but it is also recommended that you start a relationship with upholstery cleaning services that will help your furniture last a lot longer and actually end up saving you the hassle of buying new furniture.
The main mistakes most people make when attempting furniture cleaning is not following instructions, using the wrong cleaning products, using wrong cleaning techniques, using too much water and not allowing enough drying time before use. We will go more into detail with these mistakes and what you need to do instead to get your upholstery clean and save on upholstery cleaning cost.
Not Following Directions
This may seem pretty obvious, but way too many people just start cleaning their upholstered furniture without reading the manufacturer’s instructions for care. Most furniture will come with a small pamphlet on how to clean it and what materials it is made up of. Of course, many people lose these instructions over the years.
If you are unable to find the care instructions, try looking for a tag sewn into the seams of the cushions or on the bottom of the furniture. There will normally be a tag with some care instructions.
Following these instructions will save you from potentially ruining your furniture. There is sometimes a special upholstery cleaning code on the tag, it is simple to understand as it just has some letters that stand for:
W – means you are safe to use water
S – use some sort of dry-cleaning chemical
WS – you are safe to use water or a dry cleaning chemical
X – means you can only vacuum clean the material. You may need to seek professional help for cleaning so be extra careful.
Avoid an easy mistake and follow these instructions. Failure to do so could really turn out bad for your furniture.
Using the Wrong Cleaning Products
There are many products that you can find in stores that claim to be upholstery cleaners, but they are not necessarily the right product for your job. Read the instructions on the back of any upholstery cleaning product you are considering to use.
Usually, they will tell you what materials they are safe on and if they should not be used on certain materials. You especially want to be careful on the upholstery that requires a dry cleaning product. These chemicals can even be harmful if used improperly.
When it comes to using dry cleaning chemicals, sometimes it is best just to hire furniture cleaning services because they know the right products to use and how to use them. When you consider that you must buy a special product, learn to use it, and then take time cleaning, it can actually save you a tremendous amount of time and money to just hire a professional.
Using Wrong Techniques
Upholstery cleaning requires specific techniques to work effectively and the wrong technique can definitely do more harm than good. A lot of people rub their furniture too hard, which can damage the fibers of the upholstery and even push the stain deeper into the furniture.
When cleaning upholstery, always use a blotting action with a soft absorbent cloth or sponge. Try to lift the stain out of the fabric gently. Do not push too hard, it can leave a dent in the upholstery that may not come out.
Do not use paper towels or different colored terry cloth. These materials tend to rub off in tiny pieces that will embed themselves into the upholstery fibers and you will end up spending more time trying to pick out the residue.
Using Too Much Water
For upholstery that allows water cleaning, you can really do a lot more of the cleaning yourself, but people tend to use too much water which can be difficult to dry properly. You want to use the tiniest amount of water possible, and you want to avoid letting any water soak into the foam of the cushions.
If you are able to remove the upholstery covers from the cushions, it is best to do so before cleaning.
One of the best methods of upholstery cleaning is steam cleaning, but to employ this technique you will need to rent a machine that can be difficult to use. To ensure that you get the best results from steam cleaning, it is highly recommended to hire a professional couch cleaning service.
The cost of a professional furniture cleaning will not be too much more than renting a steam cleaner, and the professional will do a much more thorough job and your furniture will look better and last longer.
Not Allowing Enough Drying Time
Since we love sitting on our furniture so much, a lot of people start using their furniture before it has had the proper time to dry out. It is recommended that you allow a full night after cleaning to make sure everything is dry.
You can open windows, use fans and heaters to help make the drying time faster. If you pulled the covers off of cushions, hang dry them instead of using a drying machine. If the covers did not come off, rest the cushion on its side so that both sides of the cushion are exposed to the air. Rotate the cushion every hour or so in order to dry them completely.
If you used dry cleaning products, you also need to let them air out for some hours or overnight. They may give off an unpleasant odor for some hours but it should dissipate. Open windows to allow proper ventilation and avoid inhaling too much of the fumes.
You can avail of our free estimate service to get an approximate house cleaning cost that matches your needs and budget. Call our office today or check us on Instagram!
