Can You Clean Your Upholstery?
Areas of Concern When Cleaning Upholstery
As someone who used to clean upholstery for a living, let me offer some advice. If you decide to clean your recliner yourself, first keep in mind that you do not want to get the fabric too wet. Although it may seem that more water will allow you to remove more stains, the moisture is in fact your fabric's worst enemy.
Try to presoak the stains with a fabric cleaner (as mild as possible) before actually putting any water on the fabric. Then, when extracting the water, be sure to get as much out of the chair as possible. Also, avoid getting any metal portion of the chair (including pillow zippers) wet, as they will rust. The other most important thing to consider is what kind of fabric your chair is made of.
Synthetic fibers (polyester, etc) are fairly easy to clean without ruining the color or the fabric. If, however, your cushions use more than 50% cotton or especially if they use a fabric called Haitian cotton, I would bite the bullet and have them professionally cleaned (these fabrics require special chemicals to clean and are just too easy to ruin if you don't know what you're doing).
Finally, avoid using vinegar or anything acidic as these will definitely
damage the fiber (always test any cleaner on a non-visible area of the chair
before starting).
AD
Baby Wipes Clean Upholstery?
You would be amazed with what baby wipes do. My sister-in-law has a cleaning
business and doesn't use anything abrasive. She told me that she uses baby wipes
to clean furniture. When I had my own child, and a whole new category of spills,
I tried her suggestion out. I was amazed with how well it worked. There isn't
too much water and soap, but enough to get stains and dirt out.
Ashley
Spray Upholstery Cleaner Worked Great
I cleaned a couch with spray upholstery cleaner and it came out beautiful! It
had been in a house with animals, so it smelled like dogs and cats, but after I
cleaned it, it smelled good and looks like new! I did, however, follow the
recommendation on the can and test a small spot on the back of the couch first
to make sure it would not damage the upholstery! I think it cost me about $5.
Paula
Know Your Fabric
I too thought I could steam clean my sofa. Fortunately, I still had the
information from the manufacturer on the fabric content (mine is 51% rayon, 49%
polyester), and called to see what they recommended. If I had steam cleaned it,
the fabric would've shrunk horribly and my wonderful sofa would've been ruined.
I checked the info I received with a reputable cleaner I know, and it was
confirmed. So if she still has the fabric information, it's best to find out
what the contents are. I'm going to have my sofa "foam" or "dry-cleaned" and by
spending around $65, I will save a $1500 investment.
Sue
Gold Mine Discovered at Wal-Mart
I have found a gold mine! Get some "Tuff Stuff" at Wal-Mart, grocery, auto
store etc. Try it on an inconspicuous spot for color fastness, then clean away!
My husband has a recliner that is over 12 years old, sits in it every day and it
got horrendously dirty. I had a couple professionals try to clean it, but to no
avail. Dad told me about this stuff. I bought it, used it and that chair is as
clean as the day it was bought! Use it on pet stains, clothing stains etc. It's
fantastic stuff!
Sue
Dry Clean with Dryel
We had great success cleaning my husband's "no water" recliner with Dryel dry
cleaning cloths. It was faster, easier and less smelly than the upholstery
cleaner we used on the water-cleanable recliner. It took 2 of the cloths (it was
really filthy!), for a cost of about $5--and it looks, feels, and smells great!
Tom
