Caring for Upholstery Fabrics

You’ve just bought a brand-new set for your living room, and everybody loves it. A beautiful piece of furniture will add definition to any home and lighten up the place, but you also need to know how to clean it and take care of it properly, otherwise you will have a dingy, tattered piece of furniture squatting in your home before you know it. There are a few basic steps that everyone can follow to make sure that your beautiful, comfortable couch will look great and last long enough for everyone to enjoy.

Basically, you just have to remember two general rules for cleaning upholstery. Loose dirt and stains are the two most common culprits in dirtying your furniture, so learning how to deal with them will save you a lot of time and money later in the future. When it comes to loose dirt, you can just vacuum or brush them away. You have to do this as quickly as possible, though, before the dirt gets embedded in the fabric. Stains and spills can be dealt with by using a dry cloth to wipe them away and soak up the liquid.

But when you really want to learn how to properly clean a variety of fabrics, however, you need to know about the cleaning codes. Each and every fabric has its own specialized cleaning method, so make sure you know about them. There should be cleaning codes in one of the tags attached to your furniture, so try to look for them. If you can’t find the code, try cleaning a little spot in an inconspicuous area of the furniture to test for compatibility. There are four cleaning codes that are currently used by upholstery manufacturers. I will tell you about them, as well as the recommended procedures related to each code.

W – Vacuuming and light dusting are recommended. Use only water-based cleaning agents or foam from mild detergents or non-solvent upholstery shampoo.

S – Vacuuming and light dusting are recommended. Use water-free cleaning solvents or dry-cleaning solutions for spot cleaning. Avoid products with carbon tetrachloride. Use a soft cloth and clean the upholstery in a well-ventilated area.

WS – This is quite easy, since you can practically use any of the recommended methods above. When using a solvent or dry-cleaning product, be sure to do it in a well-ventilated area. Avoid products with carbon tetrachloride.

X – Vacuuming and light dusting only. Do not use liquid cleaning agents of any kind. Using water-based cleaners or solvents may cause shrinking and/or damage the surface appearance of the upholstery.

Try to clean your upholstery at least every month. If you have a futon for a sofa, flip the cushions over once a month, and wash the covers at the same time as well. You can use a piece of cardboard or a rubber spatula to remove excess foam. And remember to keep the material as dry as possible during cleaning; this will help keep the fabric from shrinking.

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Azlan Irda is the co-founder of www.aaafabric.com, which provides high quality fabrics and other products for all your needs. Visit his website to find out more about the latest high quality fabrics for all your fabric needs.

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