Cleaning upholstered furniture at home
We use upholstered furniture every day, so it is not surprising that the surface begins to grease, shine, stains appear on it. But this is not at all a sentence to your favorite interior items.
You can even solve the problem with improvised means. How to clean a sofa with baking soda? Should the composition of the upholstery be taken into account? Everything in order.
Most common stains
Unfortunately, there is such an anti-rating of pollution. Many people prefer to eat while sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, and then crumbs of various origins, as well as greasy stains, tea and coffee residues will surely appear on the surface of their favorite soft sofa.
Less commonly, upholstery stains from nail polish or hair, hair dye and wax. There are also blood stains, especially if there is a cat in your house that is not averse to playing and scratching anything that falls into its claws.
If the sofa is in the children's room, and often becomes a testing ground for children's entertainment, then you will surely find stains from felt-tip pens, plasticine, and even the remains of chewing gum on the upholstery.
Pets are also ready to leave their mark on the upholstery, so you invariably find fur and dirty paw marks on the couch.
As you can see, pollution can be very diverse, and they are united only by the need for prompt disposal.
Varieties of upholstery
The effectiveness of cleaning largely depends on the quality of the upholstery and on the detergent.
For some coatings, only dry cleaning is acceptable, others are capable of withstanding slightly damp procedures. In order not to spoil the furniture in the process of getting rid of stains, it is important to know exactly the features of the upholstery.
- Genuine leather or a quality substitute. To get rid of stains, a damp cloth or soap solution is enough. The main thing is to dry the surface well after "washing". Problematic stains lend themselves to a solution of alcohol or vodka, in some cases "liquid skin" is used. And don't forget to polish your leather surfaces regularly.
- Flock, chenille, velor. These coatings are in high demand. They are appreciated for their durability, unpretentious care, moisture resistance. Such coatings can be cleaned with almost any compound, they are not subject to fading, and can easily withstand the effects of the tenacious claws of pets. Greasy stains can be easily removed with a thick soapy solution, and ink and makeup residues can be removed with alcohol.
- Suede leather. The main advantage of suede upholstery is that it does not absorb moisture and dirt. This is truly the perfect upholstery. The main drawback is the price. Cleaning in any form is acceptable: from washing in a washing machine to dry cleaning. The main thing after water procedures is to walk on the surface with a rubber brush to raise the pile.
- Silk. Such coverage is not common, but it does take place. He can be safely called the most fastidious. Silk will not react to the efforts of "Vanish"; after cleaning with a steam cleaner, stains may remain on it, which you will never get rid of.The only way is relevant: the brush is wrapped in a cotton napkin, moistened in a solution of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, and lightly carried over the surface. If this option did not give the desired result, you will have to turn to professionals.
We clean furniture correctly
There are a few tricks that can help you achieve the desired result:
- Do not try to use household chemicals for cleaning every time. If the spots are not so catastrophic, use folk remedies. If, after several attempts at home, the desired result is not achieved, do not experiment endlessly, contact the dry cleaner.
- Vacuum the upholstery well before wet cleaning, ideally vacuuming the inside of the sofa (s) would also be a good idea. For this, a vacuum cleaner with a special attachment is used so as not to damage the upholstery.
- When purchasing products for cleaning upholstered furniture, choose the one that suits your upholstery. It is also important to know: fresh or old pollution.
- Try any product on an inconspicuous area first to make sure you are satisfied with the result.
- Never use folk remedies and industrial cleaning preparations at the same time - there will be stains that you cannot get rid of.
- If you are the lucky owner of removable covers for upholstered furniture, and you can safely wash them in the washing machine, carefully study at what temperature you can do this, as well as at what power to squeeze.
- Any stain should never be rubbed. Thus, you only rub it deeper into the upholstery, and it will remain with you forever. Remove dirt with light circular movements.
- Any stains are recommended to be removed immediately. Do not leave them until tomorrow, or until "in a week", do not let the stain take in. Choose the cleaning method according to the fabric.
How to clean a greasy surface
Even if there are no stains from food or cosmetics on the upholstery of upholstered furniture, with regular use, the surface loses its original gloss and looks sloppy. Sludge areas appear as a result of the mixing of dust and moisture (sebum, sweat).
If the upholstery is leather, then it is enough to wipe the surface with a solution of soap and soda, or with ordinary dishwashing detergent. This method is delicate and, at the same time, quite effective.
It is worth noting that cleaning furniture at home with baking soda is one of the most common ways to get rid of dirt.
Any lint-free material can be easily cleaned with a brush dipped in an aqueous dishwashing detergent solution or in a soap and soda solution.
The resulting foam is applied to contaminated areas, left for 10 minutes and washed off. Excess moisture is removed with a cloth, light blotting movements.
If the dirt cannot be removed the first time, the procedure is repeated.
Regardless of what material the upholstery of your upholstered furniture is made of, you are quite capable of returning a "second" life to it. And often this can be done without expensive household chemicals, using improvised means.
Video: how to clean a sofa at home
