21Jul 2014

When cleaning upholstery, you really do need to know what you are doing, as you will find otherwise that things can go wrong very easily. The fact of the matter is that there is a lot to be said for having a think about it all in advance, as these things will be quite important when it comes to actually getting the sofa or arm chairs cleaned effectively yet safely. Knowing what your sofa is upholstered in, or whether it has removable covers will be a start, and from there you can work out the best way of getting it cleaned thoroughly but gently. As a start, covers that can be removed from the sofa can be washed in a washing machine usually. If you are at all worried about them shrinking, then you should avowing tumble drying them, and if you are worried about the color being lost, then you should hand wash them in the bath. However, hand washing will not be as effective, so it is sometimes best to have a look at the washing instructions and follow them to the letter. Avoiding any shrinking is essential, as it means that you will avoid any difficulty getting the coves back on. Should you have even the slightest bit of shrinkage you will end up have a massive struggle trying to fit the covers on, which can result in the covers tearing. Nightmare. Should the job seem like it needs a little spotting, rather than a full wash, have a look in to doing so with a little stain remover for clothing. Whilst some finer materials will not be right to clean with such things, most sofa coverings will be absolutely fine. You can just apply a little to a hidden area of the upholstery to check if you are at all worried. Scrubbing at the area having gotten rid of any residue form the staining will let you know how tough and dried in the stain is. Proceed carefully at first, as otherwise the likelihood is that you can end up with some serious issues surrounding over scrubbing the fabric and ripping or piling it. Rinse the area through with warm water when you think you have got most of it out, and check to see how well the cleaning has done. Repeat the process if necessary, but if it is not changing the look of the stain at all, then there is little point in over doing it.Should you have stubborn stains then it I always best to call an upholstery cleaner round. You will find that they have the requisite knowledge to ensure that your upholstery is cleaned properly, and without any issues surrounding using the wrong chemicals or techniques on the wrong materials. You will find that most cleaners use steam or dry cleaning, and both are extremely effective, though rather expensive. Steam cleaning uses steam to heat and lift the stain out, whilst dry cleaning uses a series of solvents that will attract dirt to them, getting rid of any stains easily. You will find that whilst they are expensive methods, the upholstery will usually come out looking pretty much brand new! If this does not sound like something you can afford however, then the best advice is to ensure that all marks and stains are cleaned off as soon as they happen, even if that does put a bit of a downer on the party that you’re having!

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