Upholstery cleaning is a very important thing to do while you are doing your routine house cleaning. Upholsteries often have to go through a lot of staining and tears due to regular use. Want to know how to clean upholstery with a steam cleaner?
However, most of the time we overlook cleaning the upholsteries whether on the sofa, beds, or chairs. This leads to the accumulation of more stains, dirt, bacteria, etc., on them.
What is Upholstery Cleaning?
Upholstery cleaning, as the name highly suggests, is the process of cleaning upholstered furniture. The materials that are used as upholstery are different from other fabrics. They are thick yet soft and have padding and webbing. They are many times created of fabrics, which could be cotton, nylon, and so on.
Most importantly, people avoid cleaning them deeply because they have to take them off the furniture and reinstall them as well. Upholstery cleaning increases the lifespan of the material and also increases the hygiene in your house. After cleaning, the odor and air quality increase while the house gets a better, cleaner aesthetic appearance.
Here’s a complete guide on how to Clean Upholstery with a Steam Cleaner:
How to clean upholstery with a steam cleaner- Steps to follow
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Talking of upholstery cleaning, steam cleaners have a big importance and they are quite useful to be utilized. It can be used to clean delicate upholstery and fabric furniture and to sanitize mattresses, fabrics, etc. It cleans stains, grease, bacteria, and odor better than any other application cleaning tool.
Upholstery cleaning using a steam cleaner can become a lot easier if you follow a few steps on how to Clean Upholstery with Steam Cleaner:
1. Preparation
It is necessary to pre-prepare everything while using a steam cleaner on the upholstery to avoid any more mess. You will need a vacuum cleaner, microfiber cloth, brush, cleaning solution, steamer, soap, and vinegar.
● Vacuum and clean the upholstery
The first step in the entire process is to vacuum clean the upholstery to clean dirt, pet hair, dust, waste particles, etc. These should be removed because they may mess up the whole furniture.
This happens during the steam cleaning process by mixing up with water and getting collected on the sides. Use a good vacuum cleaner with a nozzle that can clean the edges and curves of the furniture well.
● Pre-treat the spots
It is important to pre-treat the spots by using cleaning sprays that can break down the heavy stains. You can use a good stain remover spray or liquid according to the stain type(oil-based stain, soil/mud type, food stain, ink stain, etc.) Wait for a while after you have sprayed on the spots, and then dab with a soft cloth.
● Shampooing the fabric
Use a good shampoo and apply it on the surface of the upholstery. Use water and give it a nice scrub using a brush. All of the shampoos will get removed during the steam cleaning process. Use shampoo that is soft on your fabric, and make sure that your fabric can handle it.
2. Upholstery Cleaning
Now once you have finished gathering all the required items and your preparations are complete. You can move to the second stage of Upholstery cleaning.
● Choose the right steam cleaner
Though there are various good products in the market, choosing the best one according to your suitability is important.
- You may choose upholstery steam cleaners which are specially made for cleaning upholstery.
- Fabric steam cleaners can be a good choice if you have delicate fabric.
- Handheld steam cleaners are very easy to use and come with different types of nozzles and heads.
Always choose smaller and lighter ones because, with upholstery, you need to reach small nooks and corners. There are agencies that provide cleaning services and steam cleaners on rent. You may also choose those to save some money.
● Get the Steam Cleaner ready
This is the easiest part of the process. All you need to do is add water and cleaner to the machine. You get the option to choose between various cleaners available in the market according to your fabric and also your cleaner.
In most of the machines, you need to take out a container and fill it with water and cleaner. But do not add too much water and it is cleaner to it.
● Begin with the cushions
Always begin with cushions. If your cushions are detachable, then take them out and start cleaning them first. Steam clean one side of the pillow at one time. You should not do all sides at once.
● Clean the rest with Steam Cleaner
Clean the rest of the parts after you are done with the cushions. Start by doing small sections so that the entire furniture gets time to dry up. Repeat the steam cleaning process in small sections till you are done with the entire. In case of a very dirty area, you can repeat the process a few times.
● Let the upholstery dry
Once you are done cleaning the entire fabric, let the whole furniture dry under an open window, fan, or blow dryer. But the time duration of drying will vary from furniture to furniture. You may get panicked if there is slight discoloration, however, it is completely normal.
3. Removal of Persistent Stains
After you have finished cleaning the upholstery, it is time to remove all the stubborn stains from the upholstery.
● Use water and soap to remove discoloration
After the fabric has dried up completely, you can use some soap and water and scrub it into the fabric using a pad or a sponge. Do not scrub the upholstery too hard. It may cause tears in the fabric.
● Use vinegar
Vinegar is a great stain remover. Instead of soap and water, you can also try using vinegar. Use a microfiber cloth and scrub vinegar in the stains but not too hard.
● Use a powerful cleaner
In case the stain is too hard and none of these methods work, you can use a strong cleaner available on the market. But always make sure that you select the cleaner according to your fabric.
Best Ways to Clean Upholstery to Keep It Looking Spotless
If you want to keep your upholstery clean and hygienic, you just steam clean it at least once or twice a year. You can use a vacuum cleaner whenever needed so as to reduce the number of dry waste particles on the surface. Small stains can be cleaned by using a microfiber cloth and some soft cleaner. This way, you can maintain the cleanliness of your upholstery.
Upholstered furniture gives a good aesthetic look to the entire house. Thus, it is important to keep them clean. Clean upholstery gives a fresh and hygienic mood to the space. Thus, you must consider cleaning your upholstery. And now that you know the steps to clean them, what’s stopping you from doing this!!
FAQ’s
Q.1) Where does the dirt go when you steam clean?
Ans. Actually, they do not go anywhere. Steam cleaning only breaks down the dust, dirt, and stains. They can be removed by dusting after the steam cleaning process is completed.
Q.2) Is steam cleaning good for upholstery?
Ans. Yes! Steam cleaning is good for upholstery because not only it cleans stains and dust. However, it also sanitizes the surface and the fabric, making it bacteria-free.
