So, you’ve just purchased your brand-new item of furniture and it’s upholstered in a beautiful fabric material. And while you might be very careful around your new sofa or armchair for the first few months, like everyone, you’ll probably relax in time which can lead to stains, spills, and general dirt and grime. Now, we’re realists here at EZ Living Furniture, we would never expect you to use a slipcover because it can take away from the look of your furniture, but we do have some ways to clean your upholstery that don’t require a great deal of time or effort. So, whether you’re tackling a tough stain or simply trying to remove a recent spill, these tips will help keep your furniture looking pristine for years to come.
* We must clarify that this cleaning blog pertains to fabric upholstery only and the same techniques should not be used for alternative materials such as leather.*
1. Regular Cleaning & Care
Some cleaning tasks need to be carried out every week, if not every few weeks to keep upholstered items looking their best. Whether it’s velvet, faux suede, polyester, tweed, or chenille, the cleaning technique remains the same. All you need is your household hoover.
1. Connect the brush attachment to your vacuum cleaner and switch it to a low suction setting.
2. Gently move the vacuum head (with brush attachment) over the entire piece, paying particular attention to the sides, back, top, (and cushions if applicable). If you are vacuuming a sofa with removable cushions, take them off first to effectively hoover underneath.
EZ TIP: Velvet tends to gather more fluff than any other material listed above. Remove this using a lint roller to quickly and safely remove it from your velvet piece. This additional task will need to be carried out every couple of weeks.
2. Irregular & Occasional Maintenance
Some unexpected incidents can occur over the lifespan of your upholstered piece and it’s important to know how to address these. While we might not plan for stains or spills, they still happen and tackling each one requires knowledge and a unique cleaning solution. To help you, we’ve listed the best way to spot-treat each material type below.
Velvet: Allow the spill to dry into the mini fibres and then use a damp cloth with warm soapy water. Alternatively, an upholstery wipe or baby wipe will also suffice.
Faux Suede: Quickly soak up the excess moisture with a paper towel and then use a damp clean cloth with plain water to address the spill.
Polyester: Using the stain remover spray from our Guardsman fabric care kit, apply it to the affected/stained area. Then lightly blot the area with a damp cloth. Do not rub and allow it to dry naturally. Remember, always test any chemical on a concealed area of the item first. You might also come to notice a pilling or bobbling on polyester because it is a tightly woven fabric. The effect is similar to the fuzzing you might find on a wool jumper. This can be easily removed using a battery-operated fabric shaver (or debobbler).
Tweed: Follow the same instructions as listed with the polyester fabric above.
Chenille: Using some cool soapy water and a damp cloth, blot at the stain until it lifts. Do not scrub or rub harshly on the stain or use an overly damp cloth. Lastly, remove the soap residue using a clean, white cloth dipped in cool, clean water and allow it to dry naturally.
Occasional maintenance for all fabrics: We also recommend enlisting the help of a professional to steam-clean/shampoo your fabric furniture every 12-18 months. This will remove body/pet odours from the fabric that have built up over time. To prevent any differences from occurring in the colour and fabric of the fabric, remember to have all matching pieces of furniture cleaned at the same time.
Fabric-upholstered furniture is relatively easy to maintain and doesn’t require a lot of effort to keep it looking its best. So, if you’re in the market for a new item of furniture perhaps a fabric sofa, footstool, or bed frame is the best option for you and your busy household.
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