Although expensive, upholstered furniture adds character to our homes. Upholstered sofas, chairs, recliners, and beds become part of our daily routine of winding down after a tiring day outdoors. Often, such furniture items become a part of our cherished memories.
But, it’s important to care for upholstered furniture items. As much as comfortable and stylish as they are, they also demand routine maintenance.
Here in this post, we share with you a compilation of the 7 most effective tips to care for your upholstered furniture.
1. Avoid Direct Sunlight
A little exposure to sunlight now and then is not a problem. But, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can damage your upholstery, especially if it’s made up of leather (or leatherette) and fine fabrics.
The UV (Ultra Violet) rays in sunlight can deteriorate the condition and reduce the life of your upholstery.
So, you should either place upholstered furniture in areas that do not receive direct sunlight or keep them out of harm’s way by drawing the curtains or blinds.
2. Vacuum Clean Upholstered Sofas and Chairs on a Regular Basis
Regardless of the ventilation in your house, dust will settle on everything, upholstered furniture included.
When you sit on an upholstered sofa or chair with dust stuck on the fabric, your weight pushes down the dust into the interiors.
Like superfine sandpaper, the dust pushed deep into the fibers will abrade the surface of the upholstery fabric. Such dust-induced abrasion happens on a microscopic scale; consequently, your upholstered furniture’s material wears out faster.
So, remember to vacuum clean your upholstered furniture each time you perform house cleaning. A weekly cleaning schedule works well for most people.
Before vacuuming, remember to clip loose threads (if any) and tighten buttons. To reach tight spots and corners, you can rely on a crevice tool.
You can also whisk away the dirt by using a soft-bristled brush.
3. Avoid Pollutants
Various airborne pollutants such as smoke and fumes from a fireplace or a kitchen can also damage delicate fabrics. You cannot always avoid these airborne pollutants but proper ventilation can help.
Upholstered furniture is also known to absorb odors. So, ventilation can also help with odor control.
4. Do Not Remove Tags Attached to an Upholstered Piece
If you have just bought a piece of upholstered furniture, you will find a tag attached to it at one corner. Normally, this tag is attached to a corner hidden from plain sight.
It contains information such as the style, cushion content, fabric numbers, delivery date, etc. This information will come handy the next time you need to clean or reupholster your furniture.
You can either keep the tag attached to the furniture or click a picture and save it for later reference.
5. Fluff Up and Turn Your Cushions
Cushions are made of soft materials. In any home, they are sat on, leaned against, and jumped on regularly.
When the material in your cushions loses shape, the upholstery can also lose its shape.
Be sure to turn and fluff up your cushions on a regular basis.
A few rounds of slapping and light punching each week can evenly distribute wear and tear and prevent indentations.
You can also shift the position of cushions on an upholstered sofa so as to ensure even usage among all seats.
If, over time, you notice that your seat cushions have lost their shape almost permanently and become somewhat sloppy, consider adding some extra padding.
You can do it by opening a seam along a cushion’s back.
6. Tackle New Spills or Stains Immediately
Accidents happen.
No matter how careful you (or your kids) are, there will be occasions when you spill a liquid on your upholstery.
First things first, use a clean, folded towel to blot a spill without wasting any time. Be sure not to rub the towel over the spill.
With pre-treated fabrics, you can generally remove a fresh stain completely by blotting it with a folded towel.
In case you drop food or a viscous liquid on the upholstery, always use a spoon to remove the solid before blotting. Be careful not to rub the target area too hard with a spoon or scraper.
Do not use printed paper towels or colored towels. You may end up transferring dye-color onto the upholstery fabric.
If you have a furniture manufacturer’s or upholster’s cleaning instructions available, use a clean cloth and specific cleaning product (made for cleaning your upholstery fabric) to remove stains as soon as possible.
Professional upholsters would be more than glad to help you find the right cleaning product for your fabric.
Most furniture manufacturers recommend solvent-based or water-based products for removing stains.
If you are not sure, stick to a mild cleaning product. You can test an unknown spot cleaning product by applying it to a small, hidden area of the fabric.
Apply the cleaning solution and gently push it into the fibers in a circulation motion. Vacuum-clean the target area once it’s dry.
7. Treat Upholstered Furniture Right
It’s a good idea to ban eating and drinking on upholstered furniture.
Try to keep your pets off the upholstery as much as possible; you can give them a separate cushion to sit on.
If your upholstered pieces are subjected to heavy use and wear & tear, consider hiring professional upholstery cleaners once every year to deep clean your sofas, chairs, etc.
Author Bio: Sought out and utilized by many of today's prominent interior designers, Daniel Mizrahi offers over 40 years of experience in extensive design for custom upholstery, drapery, window treatments and design. Daniel has ran his own showroom since 1980 offering Los Angeles and Ventura County homes with professional hands on design expertise with unmatched quality.
