Give Your Upholstery a Facelift

Upholestery is defined as furniture whose wood and metal insides are covered with layers of cushioning and fabric. Upholstered furniture is highly common and most everyone has at least one piece of it in their home.

To keep your upholstery in good, clean condition, a little regular maintenance is in order. Make sure to vacuum your upholstered furniture, preferably at the same time you do your carpets. Remove all cushions and get down in the cracks of your furniture with an attachment. Vacuum the surfaces of all your upholstery with the soft brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. Once a week should be sufficient for most furniture, however if you live in a high-dust home or suffer from allergies, you will want to vacuum more frequently.

Once a month or so it's a good idea to clean your upholstered furniture with a general upholstery cleaner to remove ground in dirt and dust, and to keep your items smelling and looking fresh. There are special cleaners on the market made for cleaning upholstery. Many of them offer foaming action and are also used on carpets. Be sure to test the cleaning agent on a small, hard to see patch first to make sure it doesn't discolour the uphplstery. If it's alright, simply spray the foam on your upholstered furniture, allow to soak in for a few moments, then rub gently in one direction or blot away. Once your upholstery is completely dry, a vacuuming is in order.

For stains and spots, you can use the same type of foaming upholstery cleaner or even natural concoctions such as club soda or vinegar water to remove stains. Clean your upholstered furniture in the same way as you would your carpet. Apply the cleaning solution to the stain or spot, allow it to soak a few moments, then blot away and vacuum when dry. You may need several applications of cleaner and to remove the stain. Never allow your upholstered furniture to become soaked or saturated because excess moisture can cause mildew and mold to form.

There are professional upholstery cleaning services out there that can clean your upholstered furniture and carpets for a price. It's a good idea to utilize these services at least once a year to make sure your furniture and carpets are maintained properly. The cost of having a professional service clean your upholstery will depend on the service you choose and the amount of items or space being cleaned.

If your upholstery no longer serves your decor, or is in bad shape, then you can reupholster your furniture to make it like new again. Once usually handled only by professionals, there are now easy to use reupholstery kits and slipcovers to please any preference that you can do yourself to save time and expense.