Proper cleaning is among the best way to extend and maximize the life of your upholstery. Your investment on the upholstery of your house would mean nothing if you would let trivial things like stains and odor cause premature damages. Here are a few cleaning tips that would help assure the preservation of your upholstery.

Taking off the stains doesn’t have to be painful, you just have to consider several things such as the fabric of the upholstery, the substance that has caused the stain and the duration by which the stain has stayed in the upholstery. If you are quite unsure with the type of fabric used in your upholstery, try to check on the manual or ask the manufacturer. Taking the extra mile could mean between saving your precious piece of furniture or deciding to totally discard it. After you identify this, we suggest that you sample the cleaning material with an inconspicuous part of the upholstery. This way, any damaging effects such as discoloration may be prevented from affecting the whole surface of the upholstery.

That being said, the next thing you would want to attend to is the type of stains that are found in your upholstery. Here are some of the most common types of stains and the technique to be used in removing them:

Mould- Combine ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide and a quarter teaspoon of color safe bleach. Using a clean cloth, lightly rub the mould stain with this mixture. After which, you can wash the stain with warm water then leave to dry.

Coffee- Removing coffee stain is fairly easy to do. Just combine dish detergent, water and vinegar and voila!- you now have an effective stain removing agent to work with. Try not to smudge hard as this might destroy the upholstery. But if this technique doesn’t work, try to treat the material with a dry-cleaning solvent.

Grease- Immediate reaction is crucial in treating grease stain on the upholstery. Sprinkle salt, cornstarch or talcum powder on the spot where the grease is found. Rub it well and leave until the grease is absorbed. Then, brush the grease and powder off the upholstery then wipe with a damp cloth.

Crayon mark- If you have children at home, you would normally see crayon marks on walls, furniture and upholsteries. If you cannot make your child stop the habit, the only thing you can do is to perfect the art of removing crayon mark stains. This process may work for you-

If the fabric of your upholstery is water safe, you can try using non-gel toothpaste. Rub this gently on the surface of the upholstery. After which, wipe it with damp cloth or try using this solution: dissolve 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid in a ½ cup of warm water. Beat this mixture with a mixer and use the suds to clean off the crayon markings. Don’t work on a large area at once, try focusing on a small are at a time. Avoid overlapping so as to eliminate spotting. Then, rinse the surface of the upholstery by spilling small amounts of water or by using a damp cloth to wipe off the soap-water solution.

Finally, you have to consider the length of time the stain has remained trapped in the fabric or the upholstery material. Usually, removal of the stain from the upholstery is a lot harder the longer it has remained buried into the material. However, even the most obstinate types of stains could be removed after a few weeks or months of contaminating the upholstery.