Features of cleaning sofas and armchairs with fabric surfaces

If it is not possible to use dry cleaning services, you can try to carry out the necessary manipulations yourself. Compliance with a number of rules will allow you to obtain an optimal result and prevent damage to the material.

General rules for caring for furniture upholstered in fabric

Many housewives like to clean upholstered furniture with a vacuum cleaner during dry cleaning, believing that this is quite enough, especially with a regular approach. In fact, nothing collects germ-promoting dust and dirt like your favorite chair or large family sofa. Ideally, these items should be cleaned every 3-4 months, and you will have to do more than just superficial cleaning.

To properly clean the selected product at home using available tools, you need to perform the following steps:

No one has canceled vacuuming, we just need to increase the efficiency of the approach. We wrap the device nozzle with gauze soaked in a saline solution (take a tablespoon of salt per liter of water) and go over all surfaces, not forgetting the cracks. This allows you not only to clean the fabric, but also to refresh its color.

Advice: In the case of velor and velvet, it is better to refuse the flat nozzle of the vacuum cleaner, it will pick up the lint and ruin the appearance of the product. This way you can only treat cracks and hard-to-reach places.
It is better to replace the vacuum cleaner approach with an older, but effective at-home method. Take a sheet, soak it in a saline solution with vinegar (per liter of water, a tablespoon of table salt and a teaspoon of vinegar), squeeze thoroughly. We cover the sofa or chair with a cloth and begin to gently knock out the surface, slapping it with our palms. If necessary, change the sheet and continue until the material remains clean after exposure.
If there are greasy marks on the fabric, prepare a weak soap solution. We moisten a cotton cloth in it and begin to clean the problem area, performing movements in one direction.
For those who do not want to take risks with folk remedies, there is a wide selection of specialized preparations, for example, in the form of foam. Apply the product to the entire sofa and wait until it is absorbed or dries. The area should then be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.
It is often necessary to use several drugs to remove persistent stains. In this case, you need to wait at least two hours between steps, otherwise there is a risk of developing unexpected chemical reactions.

When processing fabric, you need to make sure that moisture is not absorbed into the surface, as this can lead to stains. You need to stock up on paper towels in advance to blot up any puddles that form.

Specifics of working with different types of fabrics

Before you start cleaning a soft sofa with a fabric surface at home, you need to understand the characteristics of the materials that most often act as upholstery:

Leatherette. This surface can be cleaned without any problems, but the fabric should not be allowed to become too wet. Stubborn stains can be removed using egg white. It is simply whipped into a thick foam and applied to the dirt.After a few minutes, wipe the surface; it should become cleaner and shiny.
Velours. It should be cleaned with a microfiber cloth soaked in vinegar solution (a teaspoon of vinegar per liter of water). In this case, you cannot put pressure on the pile; all movements are performed only in its direction. It is almost impossible to remove complex stains from velor at home; you will have to use dry cleaning services.
Suede or nubuck. In this case, you need to stock up on a special brush with soft bristles. Fatty formations can be easily removed with an eraser or an alcohol solution. It is recommended to regularly treat a sofa or chair covered with suede with dirt-repellent impregnations.
Tapestry. A capricious and demanding surface that only responds well to dry vacuuming. The use of cleaning products leads to rapid wear of the coating and a change in its color. If stains have to be cleaned wet, then only foam is applied to the stain, with a minimal amount of moisture.
Vinyl. Take three drops of any foaming detergent and dilute it in a glass of water. Use the resulting solution to treat problem areas.
Velvet and silk. Powder cleaning agents have been developed for these fabrics.

Regardless of how the sofa was cleaned at home, you need to ensure that it is thoroughly dried. If the fabric absorbs moisture and it remains inside the upholstery, mold will soon begin to bloom between the fibers. To carry out drying, you can use a fan, hair dryer or plenty of fresh air.

Optimal approaches to combating stains of various origins

Components that leave unsightly marks on furniture upholstery react to chemical exposure in different ways.Therefore, each problem must be approached individually:

Juice. You need to prepare a solution of ammonia and vinegar, using the drugs in equal proportions. Apply the resulting composition strictly to the stain and wait until it dries (no need to heat). Then the treated area should be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Coffee and tea. Regular soap will get rid of them. Rub a fresh stain with a bar of soap without adding water. Then take a damp cloth and wipe the area. We treat old dirt with soap foam.
Chewing gum. Before cleaning the problem area with chemicals, you need to take a piece of ice, wrap it in plastic and apply it to the product. When the composition freezes, scrape it off with a plastic spatula. Treat the remaining greasy trace with alcohol.
Blood. It can be easily removed with water, you just need to make sure that all the used moisture evaporates during the drying process.
Fat. Baking soda can help clean a greasy sofa. You need to pour it onto the problem area and wait until the grains absorb the fat layer. Then simply remove the composition with a soft sponge.

All of the above methods allow you to get rid of unpleasant odors. If this does not happen and the smell remains, this indicates poor quality of the manipulation. In this case, you should once again clean the problem area at home or entrust the process to professionals.