Upholstery Shampoo
Is upholstery shampoo really necessary? If you want to keep your furniture look great for many years to come, it is best to take care of it using the following technique.
As with any other type of surface, dirt, grime, and dust tends to settle into the crevices of furniture over time. While you can’t prevent this from occurring, you can tend to your furniture once per month in order to keep it looking like new. There are lots of different upholstery shampoos on the market right not, though it may not be entirely necessary to purchase these products. You see, there is a way to make your own cleaner using household products that will not damage your furniture.
To make your own cleaning solution add ¼ cup dish detergent (laundry detergent works too) to one cup of warm water. Using a regular hand mixer, mix the liquid until suds form something that resembles whipped cream. Then, find a piece of your furniture that is not noticeable (usually the back of a couch or chair), and apply a bit of the mixture to a small area with a brush. Using a soft bristled brush, scrub the area carefully, and allow the area to dry thoroughly. If you find that the small patch looks a like cleaner without any damage, you can continue to clean the entire piece using this technique.
As you work your way across the piece, use a small spatula to remove any dirty or grime that the suds may knock loose. Always use a clean cloth that has just a bit of water on it to remove the suds completely. Also, make sure that you allow the entire area to dry completely before you use the furniture again. Try to keep your piece of furniture as dry as possible (do not soak it in water!) in order to avoid wrecking the cushions. If this process sounds like too much work, simply purchase an easy to use upholstery shampoo instead.
Before you begin any type of cleaning process, be sure to check the label on your furniture (if there is one). Most modern pieces will tell you exactly how to clean the furniture, so make sure to pay attention to these directions.
You should go through this process one time per month to remove any sort of dirty residue or dust. While a vacuum attachment may be able to get off most of the dust, a great upholstery shampoo will remove anything that your vacuum cannot get to.