How to clean upholstered furniture at home

Most people rarely change upholstered furniture, this applies to both the wealthy and the middle classes. Furniture is often dirty, no matter if it is made of leather or velor. The issue of cleaning sofas, poufs, and chairs remains relevant at all times. It is for this reason that the housewives resort to certain tricks that help clean interior items without damaging the structure of the fibers. We have compiled for you a collection of effective methods for any wallet.

How to do wet cleaning of furniture

If dust has settled on the furniture or minor spots have appeared, we recommend using a single wet cleaning technology. It is suitable for all types of fabric, does not take much time and gives an effective result.

Necessary materials:

• kitchen sponge (foam);
• a vacuum cleaner;
• carpet cleaner;
• carpet brush with bristles of the same length;
• container with warm water.

Technology

1. Dampen a sponge in warm water, squeeze out a little so that water does not drain with a stream. Treat contaminated areas.
2. Prepare a cleaning solution: pour 1 cap of carpet cleaner in 3.5 liters of water, stir until foam rises.
3. Moisten a sponge in the prepared solution, wring out and wipe upholstered furniture.
4. Take a carpet brush, rub the dirt. If you have faux leather furniture, do not press the brush too hard.
5. Dip the sponge in clean water and remove any remaining foam. To prevent stains after local treatment, evenly distribute the soap solution over the entire surface of the furniture. Rub with a brush, without making much effort.
6. Dip the sponge into a bowl of clean water again, remove the foam. Repeat several times until you are sure that the cleaning compound is completely removed.
7. In cases where the surface of upholstered furniture is made of textile, it must be vacuumed to prevent the formation of mold. Turn on the device at medium power, change the nozzle to a soft brush, walk through the entire coating. If the room is dry, you can skip this step.

General recommendations for cleaning upholstered furniture

1. Using a vacuum cleaner as the only cleaning tool is ineffective. To get a good result, use a compress. Dilute 35 g. chopped salt in 1.2 liters of water, wait until the crystals dissolve. Fold the cheesecloth in several layers, soak it in this solution and wrap the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner. Such technology not only fights stains and stubborn dust, but also refreshes furniture while maintaining color.
2. It is allowed, but categorically not recommended, to vacuum upholstered furniture with velvet or velor coating. A stiff brush can ruin the pile, due to which the interior will seem old, worn.
3. It is possible to clean furniture from dust not only with standard wet cleaning, which involves the use of a vacuum cleaner. Use the "grandmother" method: mix 45 gr. salt with 25 ml. acetic solution (9%), pour the mixture into 1.2 liters of warm water, wait for the granules to dissolve and the solution to cool. Take the old sheet, dip it in the cooked product, squeeze it well and cover the upholstered furniture. Knock out the chair / sofa until the fabric becomes dirty. After that, rinse it with running water, lower it into the solution again and repeat the manipulations. After the time has passed, the sheet will no longer get dirty, this will be a signal that the furniture has been cleaned.
4. In furniture stores you can find special tools designed for a specific type of fabric.One bottle lasts for six months, while the products have a favorable pricing policy. The composition is available in the form of tablets that must be diluted with water. There is also a powder, gel, spray, aerosol. Choose what you prefer, evenly distribute on the surface, wait until it has completely dried and remove the excess with a vacuum cleaner. Important! Before using purchased products, conduct a preliminary test on an inconspicuous area of ​​upholstered furniture. After 30-50 minutes, evaluate the result. If you prefer two or three products of different brands, apply them on furniture with an interval of 3-4 hours, do not allow mixing.
5. If the furniture is already old and there are greasy spots on it, prepare a neutral solution. Pour in 20 ml. dishwashing liquid in 1 liter of water, dampen a cotton cloth and wipe the interior in one direction. After cleaning, collect the foam and treat the furniture with a sponge dipped in clean water.
6. To clean the dirt on the upholstery of leather or leatherette will help 10% medical alcohol. Moisten gauze in a small amount of the preparation, apply to the places of contamination and leave for 10 minutes. Rub the surface well, rinse off the residue with a clean, damp cloth.
7. Upholstery made of nubuck, flock, velor, chenille or suede is cleaned in the same way as in the case of leather products. However, you must immediately rub the surface with a special rubber brush (a shoe is suitable), and then wash off the alcohol with clean water.

Removing stains from upholstery

It is important to understand that soapy water or carpet cleaning gel does not always effectively remove complex stains. It is for this reason that professional upholsterers developed folk remedies for stain removal. They are absolutely safe, so they are approved by most users.

1. Stains from berries and fruits. Mix in equal proportions ammonia and table vinegar (take 50 ml. Of each product). Moisten a foam sponge in clean water and apply to stains (if fresh contaminants, you can skip this step). Then soak gauze or bandage in a solution of ammonia and vinegar, treat the places of pollution, wait 10 minutes. Now re-wet the cloth in clean water, remove excess solution. Walk along the surface with a vacuum cleaner, putting gauze soaked in water on its nozzle.
2. Coffee stains. Combine 50 ml in one composition. filtered water, 40 ml. table vinegar (9%) and 45 ml. gel for washing dishes. Stir, cover the container with the mixture with a film or bag, wait about half an hour. At the end of the period, stir again, scoop a little funds on the foam rubber kitchen sponge, evenly distribute to the places of pollution. Gently rub with a toothbrush or hard side of the sponge, leave for 5 minutes. Remove the foam, rinse the composition with filtered water and dry the furniture upholstery in a convenient way. You can use a vacuum cleaner if you wish. Similarly, stains from spilled wine are removed.
3. Stains from beer and kvass. Pour 1.3 liters of pure water into a container, bring the composition to a boil. Rub a small square of fragrance-free baby soap (about 2 * 2 cm in size) on a fine grater, dip the shavings into water and let it dissolve. Stir until thick foam, fold the bandage or gauze in 4 layers, lower the fabric into the solution. Squeeze a little, grate the contaminated areas well. Wait at least 15 minutes, then rinse off the foam and remove the remaining product with clean water. Grab a non-stained area to prevent stains from detergent. After that, prepare a solution to eliminate odor: pour 75 ml. 9% vinegar solution in 1 liter of filtered water, mix and gently wipe the treated area. Remove the composition with a soft cloth dampened with clean water.
4. Gum stains. Pour 400 ml into an enameled pan. filtered water, bring to a boil and pour 40 g. chamomile flowers.Stew on medium heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the stove and let the composition cool. Strain through a sieve or 6 layers of gauze so that no small particles of the plant remain in the solution. Pour the prepared mixture into ice molds, freeze. Apply a few cubes to the chewing gum, wait for it to harden. Remove the ice, try to scrape the chewing gum from the upholstery without damaging the structure. Do not use sharp objects. When the chewing gum is removed, wipe the surface with an acidified solution: dilute 25 ml. vinegar in 450 ml. pure water.

How to clean upholstered furniture covers

First of all, it is necessary to remove all small particles from the surface of the covers, whether it is bread crumbs or beads. To do this, use a vacuum cleaner with nozzles of various shapes to penetrate into the recesses of seams and bends. You can handle the covers by removing them from the upholstered furniture, if that is more convenient.

After processing with a vacuum cleaner, it is necessary to turn the covers inside out and place them in the washing machine. Choose the temperature regime based on the type of fabric. If the upholstery consists of natural fibers, set 40-45 degrees. If the surface is made of leather, synthetics, leather substitute, velor, velvet, cambric, give preference to a low temperature regime (30-40 degrees). In this case, pay attention to the degree of extraction, it should not exceed the mark of 500 revolutions.

At the end of the washing, remove the covers, smooth them and dry in a convenient way. You can hang them on a clothes dryer or on the wooden back of a chair. After the final drying, put the covers on the furniture and smooth them with your hands.

Heel from lipstick, fat, felt-tip pen and other firmly ingestible products are removed with 10% medical alcohol or ordinary vodka. The tool is suitable for surfaces of any material, it is important to know the measure in everything. If the dirt is not strong, clean the upholstered furniture with soap and water, adding carpet washing gel.

Video: how to clean a sofa at home