Furniture Upholstery can be difficult to clean and maintain especially if you have a family with children and pets. No matter how much time and effort you put into cleaning your furniture, accidents always happen! Learning how to clean and maintain your furniture is essential for a long lasting sofa life. From fabric protector to traditional methods, our experts have put together a range of ways to keep your furniture looking beautiful.
Choose the Right Fabric
Give yourself an advantage by buying the right furniture fabric for your home. There are many life style considerations to consider when buying the perfect fabric. Firstly, will your sofa sit in a busy room with children and where you entertain or will it occupy a home office? Microfibre blends will work best in places like a living room where there will be many visitors. If you are looking for a sofa to be only used by you, splash on luxury! A high thread count cotton or a velvet sofa is perfect. Keep dark fabrics are kept out of sunlight as they are prone to fading or try a fade-resistant fabric! Finally, long natural fibres are perfect depositories for dust and pet hair so if you are an allergy sufferer, synthetic blends will be a better choice.
Furniture Upholstery Protector
Furniture protector is a brilliant way to begin the process of maintaining your furniture. Protector will not affect the appearance of your fabric and leaves behind no residue. You also have extra time to clean up spills. It covers fabrics and upholstery in a thin and invisible coating that won’t change the look or feel of your furniture. Protector will also retain its colour and be kept stain free. It’s versatile and will work to protect from water and oil based stains. Using fabric protector is simple, you just spray the protector until all of the furniture is covered! It covers fabrics and upholstery in a thin and invisible coating that won’t change the look or feel of your furniture. A fabric protector with UV protection can protect both outdoor furniture and furniture that is in direct sunlight.
Clean your Fabric Regularly
Cleaning your fabric regularly can ensure your furniture is in perfect condition. Fibres in your upholstery tend to collect dirt, dust and pet hairs and keep them hidden before the surface. We have three easy steps to ensure your fabric remains dirt free.
- Regularly vacuum your sofa to make sure your sofa remains dust free. Use a soft brush attachment to avoid scratching the material.
- When cleaning your material, use a damp cloth to treat light marks and grime.
- Leave your sofa to naturally dry before sitting on it. This will prevent creases forming.
Accidental spills are to be expected on any piece of furniture, the golden rule is to act fast. Remove as much liquid as possible before it can soak into the fibres which will minimise a stain forming. Using kitchen roll or a dry cloth, remove liquid on the surface and then use a fresh, damp cloth to remove any marks which have appeared.
Can I Machine Wash my Upholstery Furniture Fabric?
There are several types of fabric that can and cannot be washed in a machine. There will be a cleaning code used by the manufacturer to determine the instructions for cleaning your material. Most manufacturers use these codes:
W: You can clean this material using water, water-based shampoo or upholstery foam cleaner.
S: You can clean this material with solvent-based cleaner. Do NOT use water.
WS: You can use both water and solvent based cleaner on this fabric.
X: Vacuum only or light brushing with a soft brush. Do not use solvent or water based cleaner.
How to Machine Wash Upholstery Fabric
- Firstly, set the machine to a cold water cycle. Your furniture may have a synthetic fibre with a low melting point. Washing on a high temperature may cause damage.
- Secondly, use a non-dyed detergent or pod. Dyed detergents with vibrant colours can stain your furniture casings.
- Thirdly, wash your casings. be sure to check they are on a cold wash.
- Lastly, dry your casings. Make sure you use a low heat to reduce damage risk. Dry your casings to damp/almost dry before putting them back onto furniture and let them dry before sitting back onto furniture.
Re-upholster your Furniture
If your fabric is past the point of no return, our fantastic team at Upholstery Guru can help you. We provide a comprehensive upholstery service with a wide range of quality refurbishment options to both domestic and commercial customers. No job is too small for us, we have a large number of fabric samples for you to choose from, and we can also source bespoke materials to match your requirements or colour scheme. We have decades of experience in dealing with upholstery of furniture and equipment in all environments including commercial, domestic, marine and vehicle upholstery.
Fancy a change of furniture upholstery? Contact us today so we can start planning your new look together for you, your family or customers