Upholstered furniture has always been an integral part of the interior furnishings of our homes. Regardless of the target style, form and quality of purchased furniture, it will require proper care, which does not have to be associated with high costs or a visit to the specialist.
Couches, sofas, armchairs, corner sofas and sofas are furniture which cannot be missing in any home. We sleep on them, study, work, relax or simply spend time with our loved ones. Regardless of the intended use, after some time marks, dirt and stains will appear adequate to the wear and tear. In order to make the furniture enjoyable for a long time, functional as well as aesthetically fresh look, it is worth taking care of proper upholstery care
Usually we have three options to choose from: we order a professional sofa washing service (at the cost of about 130 PLN), we buy advanced cleaning products and get to work (the expense of about 100 PLN) or we decide to clean using home methods
Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages, but when we have a basic knowledge of the maintenance of various materials, the most beneficial financially and organizationally will be the use of resources that we use every day at home. In this way, we will be able to save up to several hundred zlotys per year.
When starting to clean upholstered furniture, it is important to remember that the most common mistake is the lack of initial recognition and cleaning of the surface. If you use the wrong solution, you will damage the upholstery, if dust or crumbs are left on the material – there is a risk that during further operations you will unknowingly damage the furniture or your work will be significantly prolonged, and this is what you want to avoid.
After thoroughly vacuuming the upholstery, you should gradually apply small amounts of preparations in such a way that the surface remains slightly moistened when you slowly rub the used cleaning agents into it, until the foam appears which allows you to remove the dirt
It’s a good idea to plan your work in batches – start with the seat, handrails, fronts, and only finally tackle the back. You can also use fixatives, but it is not necessary, especially if you want to use home methods.
The most popular home furniture cleaner is the baking soda well known to our grandmothers. Just a few tablespoons of baking soda combined with a liter of running water is enough to effectively treat stains. Sometimes, lemon juice is also added to the solution, which acts as a disinfectant and eliminates mites.
If you have cotton, velvet, corduroy or velvet upholstery at home, the best way to clean them is with ordinary washing powder or a solution made by combining a liter of cold water and two tablespoons of ammonia.
A little more caution is required when caring for leather materials. The best solution in this case will be warm water with dishwashing liquid or – if the stain is fresh – toothpaste. A shameful mistake is the use of soap or bleach, because their use can lead to greater damage than the original.
Main photo: Max Vakhtbovych/pexels.com
