Free House Repair Tutorials - Clean your Furniture and Upholstery

Dust settles on upholstered furniture just as on hard surfaces, and should be removed regularly, about once a month, depending on environment and use, with vacuum cleaner attachments--the upholstery nozzle and crevice tool.

A brush will remove some dust if you do not have a vacuum, but will also scatter dust around. However, down-filled cushions that are not lined with down-proof ticking should be brushed as vacuum may draw out down. Reduce greasy soil in air by use of range hood when cooking; clean furnace filters reduce soil in air. Arm and headrest covers of matching or harmonizing fabric protect those areas against early build-up of soil from skin and hair.

In summer, if people will be sitting on furniture in shorts, cover with washable throws, sheets, or large pieces of terrycloth to protect from body soil. Most upholstered furniture sold today has a label or tag telling how it should be cleaned as explained under "Fabric Cleaning Code Labels". Follow those instructions for best results!

You may use one of four basic methods of cleaning to clean your furniture or upholstery -- shampoos, solvents, hot water extraction, and dry powders. Pretest on small hidden area as explained under "Testing" before starting overall cleaning.

Next Page: Fabric Cleaning Code Labels

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