Odour and cleanliness of your home mostly depends on the cleanliness of your carpets, curtains and upholstery fabrics. If you are wondering how to clean upholstery furniture effectively before decorating your home for holidays, this text is for you. Cleaning upholstery furniture, beds, armchairs, benches, sofas and chairs can be done effectively without great difficulties.

Water and baking soda

Upholstery furniture can be cleaned thoroughly if you have baking soda, warm water and water sprayer. The procedure looks like this: pour the hot water into the sprayer, spray the furniture, and sprinkle baking soda on top of it. If you put the baking soda into the sprayer it can clog. Sprayed furniture leave like that for at least 2-3 hours, or until it is completely dry. When dry, get your vacuum cleaner and vacuum it up thoroughly. You will be surprised with the result.

Water, ammonia, beer and shampoo

Furniture covered with synthetic upholstery clean with a mixture of water and ammonia (in one litre of water put 1 tablespoon of ammonia) and a solid brush. Leather furniture rub with a cloth dampened in beer and wipe it off with a dry cloth (this will give your leather nutrition and glow). Furniture upholstered with artificial leather (especially if it is in bright colours) should be washed with a hot water, a little hair shampoo and a soft sponge. Wipe all parts of the furniture with that solution, use clean cloth to remove soap and water and finally go over your artificial leather with a dry cloth.

Salt

Clean your velvet upholstery by sprinkling table salt on it and rubbing it until dust and lint are removed. After that, clean the entire surface with a brush. Places with harder stains brush a little longer to remove it as efficiently as possible. Vacuuming furniture after this process is mandatory.

Steamer

When it comes to upholstery cleaning, steamers are the best solution. You should vacuum your furniture first, make a mild solution with your dish detergent and water, wipe the entire upholstery surface with it (use the sponge) and after that go over it with your steamer. If your furniture is too moist after this process, vacuum it to pick up excess moisture. You should do this at least once a year in order to clean your furniture thoroughly and to remove all allergens. If you can’t afford a good steamer don’t worry, there is a possibility to hire a steam cleaner cheaply.

Vacuum

Vacuuming is the simplest way to maintain your upholstery furniture clean. Make sure that you vacuum your furniture at least once a month in order to remove surface dust and other dirt from it.

Stubborn stains on upholstered furniture are usually treated with special chemicals, and you should remember that after this process cleaned parts of the furniture should be immediately dried (with a hair dryer) in order to avoid ugly pale stains.

About the author

Marie Nieves is a student and a blogger who loves unusual trips, gadgets and creative ideas. Marie loves to share her experiences and talk about practical solutions. She is an avid lover of photography interested in interior and exterior design and regular author on Smooth Decorator. You can find Marie on Facebook or follow her on Twitter and G+.