Upholstery cleaning is not something that your average home owner should attempt. There are many things that can go wrong when trying to clean your upholstery. It takes years of knowledge to be able to handle every type of upholstery. If you do insist on cleaning your own upholstery yourself however, there are some things that you should be aware of. Here are some details that you should look at before you proceed.
Fiber identification is important.
You need to identify every different type of material that is used in your upholstery. Every different type of material is treated differently and it is not uncommon for upholstery to be made of several different materials. The easiest way to identify the material is by burning it. Open up your cushion and cut off a small piece of the excess material. Now separate the different threads and burn each individual one. Cotton will burn slowly, leaving a gray ash. Rayon will burn quickly like a fuse. Wool will have a strong smell of burning hair. Synthetics will melt like plastic. Synthetic materials will be the easiest to clean and natural fibers will be the hardest. Much care must be taken when cleaning natural fibers to make sure that they dry quickly and evenly.
Is the dye stable?
Next you will need to test to see if the dye itself is stable. You would be surprised how many materials will bleed color. Take a clean white rag and add the cleaning solution that you intend to use to it. Rub the rag on a hidden portion of the material and then see if it bleeds. If it bleeds you will need to be careful not to over wet it and you should take care to evenly dry it. Sometimes it might not even be cleanable.
Consider fabric construction.
This is another important factor. You must examine the construction of the material and look for hidden dangers. Did the manufacturer mark the back of the material with a grease pen during assembly? Id there a thread of a different color running along the back of the material that will bleed through after cleaning? You should also consider that different materials need to be treated differently after cleaning. For example, a velvet material must be carded or brushed after cleaning to restore the texture.
As you can see, there are many things to consider when trying to clean your upholstery. It is therefore our advice that you consult a trained upholstery cleaning professional before you proceed with cleaning your furniture.
Back to top