Soft and stain-free. How do you clean upholstered furniture?

Upholstered furniture should be cared for on a daily basis, not just from stain to stain. How do you clean upholstery? What to keep in mind when choosing cleaning agents? What should you pay special attention to in order not to damage the fabric?

For an armchair or sofa in the living room, we often choose the upholstery material ourselves - suitably soft, finished in our favourite colour, resistant to abrasion and dirt. We match the upholstery not only to our arrangements, but also to our everyday needs. After all, comfortable upholstered furniture, apart from moments of relaxation, is increasingly often used at work or when caring for children. To ensure that they fulfil their role for as long as possible, let us repay them with regular cleaning.

Nowadays, upholstery fabrics can last for years in perfect condition thanks to their durable microfibres, protective Teflon coatings or densely woven structure. Proper care helps them to retain their properties. It's also worth knowing the ways to clean your sofa or favourite armchair when there's a lot going on in your home, because we take a slightly different approach to stain removal than regular cleaning. How do you choose the right method? It's not that difficult at all!

HOW TO CLEAN AN ARMCHAIR, SOFA OR CORNER SOFA?

First of all, make sure the fabrics do not retain smaller dirt particles - such as dust or sand. Vacuum upholstery regularly, ideally once a month. This is very important because dust that penetrates between the fibres can cause even a little spilt water to leave a dirty smudge on your sofa or armchair. If you have allergies at home or have pets lounging on your soft furnishings, it's a good idea to use the vacuum even more often. To avoid damaging the fabric, use the upholstery nozzle.

In order to prevent stains and dirt from leaving a mark on your sofa or armchair, it is important to react quickly - for permanent discolouration you will need a specialist. Remove stains on an ongoing basis with a soft, slightly damp cloth or absorbent paper towels. Try to clean the upholstery in such a way that you don't rub the dirt into the fibres: just gently press the cloth onto the stained area.

Juice and tea stains are best removed from fabrics treated with a special finish. The easy clean technology means that the fibres are already coated with molecules at the production stage, which protect the fabric against dirt penetration and make it easier to remove stains. In turn, covering the fabric with a special hydrophobic coating effectively impedes the absorption of spilled liquids, leaving their droplets on the surface of the fabric. In this way, our armchair or sofa does not absorb moisture and the upholstery material is more resistant to permanent discolouration. It is worth remembering, however, that over time any surface finish will naturally wear away or evaporate.

In addition, sofas and armchairs should also be brushed from time to time. This will prevent hair, dander and dust particles from penetrating between the fibres. Check the abrasion resistance of the upholstery material (expressed in Martindale cycles - the more, the greater the resistance) and choose an appropriately soft brush, preferably made of natural hair. This is particularly important in the case of the most delicate, easily mottled fabrics.

CHOOSING UPHOLSTERY FURNITURE CLEANERS

Upholstery fabrics for upholstered furniture vary in composition. Some have fibres of hard-wearing polyester, while others enjoy the feel of a soft blend of cotton and wool. It is essential to bear this in mind when choosing cleaning products for them. Let's check which materials they are suited to. A special foam is best for cleaning delicate cotton fabrics, and mild detergents without paraffin, alcohol or solvents for cleaning microfibre.

If you don't want to take any risks, you can also use warm water and soap to clean upholstery. This is an extremely mild solution that will certainly not leave any permanent marks or damage on the material.

Before cleaning the upholstery, vacuum it thoroughly. Also test the chosen cleaner in an inconspicuous area (e.g. the back of an armchair, sofa or corner sofa) to see how the fabric reacts to it.

We can start cleaning the sofa from the seat, which is usually the slowest to dry. Be sure to use gentle, circular movements when applying the product or removing the cleaning foam. This is very important, as we don't want to end up rubbing the dirt into the fabric. When cleaning cotton fabric, a soft, white cloth comes in handy so you can see if you have removed all the accumulated dirt from the upholstery surface.

If you use a wet cleaner, apply it very carefully so that you don't accidentally get the upholstery wet. As a precaution, it is always a good idea to have a hairdryer at hand to dry off any excess moisture. And, of course, remember that your armchair or sofa needs to dry thoroughly before you can sit on it again.

CLEANING VELOUR AND VELVET FABRICS

Velours and velvets are extremely soft and their subtle finish effectively creates a sense of cosiness in the interior. However, they are very delicate fabrics - to maintain their elegant character, you need to spend some time with them.

You don't need chemicals to clean a velvet sofa: you can use a solution of cold water and ammonia (in the proportion of 2 tablespoons of ammonia to 1 litre of water). Soak a soft cloth in it and gently rub it into the upholstery according to the direction of the fibres. When you have finished, leave the furniture for about an hour. At the very end, let's comb the bristles with a soft brush. If you come across sticky hairs, you can dry them with a hair dryer.

Velour should be brushed and vacuumed particularly thoroughly before cleaning. If you have a hoover with variable suction power, choose one of the weaker settings - so as not to damage the fabric structure. When cleaning velour upholstery, carefully choose the mildest, specially formulated products and make sure not to apply them under the hair. In the case of larger stains, a little patience will also be useful, as it can take up to 3 to 5 hours before the agent is sufficiently absorbed into the fabric.

UPHOLSTERY CLEANING: DON'T FORGET THE DETAILS

To give our armchairs, sofas and corner sofas a refreshing breath of fresh air, in addition to the upholstery, we should also take care of the legs and structural components and vacuum the bedding box. Wooden pieces can be cleaned with a polish cleaner to revive their shine and colour.