Tips for caring Upholstery on your furniture

If you live in a household with messy pets and kids, you know that maintaining upholstered furniture can be a daunting task. While vacuuming and fluffing pillows can come in handy, caring for the upholstery on your furniture may require a little bit more.

While many people admire the upholstery’s beauty, they often have a shorter useful life than leather’s head-wearing qualities. However, upholstery can still be kept in top shape with the right level of care and cleaning approach.

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We have prepared this guide to allow you to maintain the upholstery on your furniture. Read on and discover a few of the invaluable tricks to keep upholstery on furniture fresh and clean.

Clean your sofa fabric regularly

Make sure you clean your sofa fabric regularly to ensure it’s in the right condition. The fibres tend to collect dirt particles that are kept below the surface level.

Blot any spills and dirt with a clean cloth, don’t rub but blot with care. Sometimes, that’s all you need to get rid of the dirt completely, particularly if you’ve already pre-treated the fabric with a fabric protector. Don’t forget to test an inconspicuous area before using any spot cleaning product.

Check with the manufacturer’s guide to find out whether you need a solvent-based cleaner. It works out well if you use a mild cleaning product. Apply it with a soft brush and vacuum when dry.

Leave the furniture upholstery to dry before using it again. That will come in handy to prevent creases from forming. The formation of creases before drying means that you have to start all over again. Consider opening your house’s windows and doors to increase airflow and improve the drying up process.

Avoid exposure to too much heat and other pollutants

The upholstery can be easily damaged by sunlight, causing it to fray, or worse still, fade away. Position it in such a way that it’s not left in the sun for long. That is the case for silk and other delicate upholstery fabrics. Besides, heat from pipes, radiators, and fireplaces can warp and dry out the fabric. Choose a shady spot away from heat sources that may cause long-term damage.

Airborne pollutants, including smoke, can also damage the fabric. It may not be easy to avoid fumes completely, but proper ventilation can come in handy. Ventilation is also crucial because some upholstery fabrics can easily absorb odours.

Turn and plump the cushions

You can improve your upholstered furniture by regularly turning over the loose cushions. This is by far the easiest method to service your cushions to ensure that that they maintain the optimal comfort level and keep their natural shape.

The method also gives room for even distribution of wear and tear and prevents your cushions from developing indentations faster. Fluffing your cushions after cleaning them will also ensure they stay in top shape. You can also change the cushion around from one part to another since some seats get more usage than others to ensure event usage.

After a prolonged period of use, plump the seat, arm, and back cushioning. It is an essential task, especially if the fabric is filled with fibres, feathers, or both because they are not as resilient as foam and may not return to their original shape.

Protect your fabric

The best way to protect your fabric is to pay attention to spills promptly. Your upholstery fabric undergoes a severe finishing process where it is treated with mildew inhibitors, soil and water repellents.

While that is essential for care and maintenance by preventing the absorption of spills into the fibres immediately, it does not substitute cleaning your upholstery immediately it gets dirty. Please don’t allow it to give you a false sense of security. Promptly clean up spills and stains and make sure you follow the manufacturers’ guidelines for proper care techniques.

Get a professional

It would be best if you get professional help to conduct thorough cleaning after a few years. Don’t wait for your upholstery to get visibly dirty. The dirtier the upholstery, the harder it is to retain the initial glory.

Final thoughts:

Maintaining the upholstery on your furniture does not need rocket science or spending too much money. With the advice on this guide at your disposal, you will be able to maintain your upholstery condition for many years.