Upholstered furniture can be a beautiful addition to your Brisbane home. Unfortunately, it is also prone to staining. Soft surfaces like fabric are notoriously difficult to clean especially when they have padding underneath them. The key to successful upholstery cleaning is to use the right tools and techniques. Here are some tips that can help:
1. Start with a good vacuuming.
Before you reach for any water-based cleaning products, try using your vacuum to get out dirt and stains. Most vacuum cleaners come with an upholstery attachment. Using this attachment, vacuum the furniture carefully, using overlapping strokes that move from one side to the other.
Once you have vacuumed the entire surface of the furniture, vacuum it again, this time in the opposite direction. Use the crevice tool to get down into any cracks or crevices, removing as much dirt and grime as possible. In many cases, a thorough vacuuming may be enough to refresh the furniture, leaving it looking like new again.
2. Evaluate the material that was used to cover the furniture.
Different types of material require different cleaning techniques. For instance, the method that you use to clean a leather chair is far different than the method that you use to clean a chair that is upholstered with cotton.
Try to figure out what type of fabric is covering the piece of furniture that you are trying to clean. You may be able to find a tag on the furniture that describes the materials that were used to create it. In many cases, this tag will also include care instructions. If you can't find a tag, do your best to guess what type of material it is.
3. Try a dry stain remover.
There are powdered stain removers on the market that can be used to remove certain types of stains from upholstery. Typically, these products are used by first sprinkling them on the stain and then gently working them into the surface of the fabric with a brush.
They are then left in place for a specific amount of time, giving them a chance to soak up any contaminants in the fabric. Once the time is up, the powder is simply vacuumed away, removing the stain along with it. Typically, these types of cleaning products are a better choice for upholstered furniture than products that contain water since they are less likely to cause damage.
4. Try steam cleaning.
Depending on the type of fabric that was used, you may be able to steam clean the furniture. Steam provides just enough water to loosen stains without saturating the underlying padding.
Before you try this method, however, always double check to make sure that the fabric that is used on your furniture can withstand contact with water. Additionally, test the steam on an inconspicuous area to make sure that it won't leave behind watermarks or discolouration.
Expert upholstery cleaning in Brisbane, QLD takes a bit of finesse. It is important to choose a cleaning method that won't damage the fabric or the underlying padding. Typically, the best methods are the ones that don't use water. For tough stains, however, you may be able to steam clean the furniture, depending on the type of fabric that was used to cover it.