Spring Cleaning Tips

Do you ever think of cleaning your upholstery as part of Spring Cleaning?

You can pay a cleaning service to do it such as professional carpet cleaners. I've always done it myself.

First you thoroughly vacuum your couch or chair... cushions, back, sides, skirt, etc. I have a good vacuum cleaner so it is effective and doesn't just spray fine dust back into the air.

After vacuuming I take what I can fit into the washing machine and I wash it on delicate. Arm covers, pillows, afghans, cushions. I let them drip dry but not out in the sunshine (no need to stress fibers by drying in dryer and you don't want any fading by leaving it out in the sun). Other cushions (like the seating suchions) that are too big for the washer I take outside on the patio. I take a SOFT brush and some water with very little upholstery cleaner in it (no need to leave a residue). I pour it over the cushions and gently scrub with the soft brush. If there are tougher stains, then bring out the hard stuff like Mean Green for that spot (but be sure to rinse and rinse and rinse to get it off). Then I use a wet/dry vacuum to vacuum off the water. You can do this as many times as you need to but keep in mind that you don't want to distress the fabrics any more than you have to. I don't want my upholstery to pill, get rubs or stretched. The last time is with clean water to rinse any residues away. Vacuum the water out as much as possible. I use a Rainbow vacuum cleaner for this job because it has much more suction than a shop vac. Since I don't have carpets I don't have a carpet cleaner with smaller attachments.

I let everything get completely dry like a day or two with a fan blowing in the living room so that there is no mildew. Then I take the cushions outside again and spray down with Scotch Guard. This step really helps you keep your upholstery clean as spills should bead instead of soak in. Scotchguard has a terrible chemical odor so if you are sensitive then use a mask. Once it dries the odor is gone.

I regularly vacuum the cushions and under the cushions but I wash the upholstery about every 2 years. If I had children or the dogs were on it a lot, then I would do it more often. My dogs usually stay in the Master Bedroom Suite so they are rarely on the living room couch or chairs.

This is how I do it, hope my suggestion helps you.