General Upholstery Care Tips
General Upholstery Care Guidelines
Follow these simple guidelines to help keep your upholstered furniture looking like new.
- To avoid fading, keep upholstered furniture away from direct sunlight.
- Vacuum upholstered furniture as often as possible. Even if your upholstery does not see much use, the abrasive action of dirt and dust particles can wear the fibers of your upholstery. For high-use upholstery, it is a good idea to frequently beat the cushions and then vacuum and rotate them.
- Damp-dust arms and headrest areas with a cleaning solution to prevent body oil accumilation on the upholstery fabric (be sure to follow the manufactures recommendation as to the type of upholstery cleaning solution to use).
- Avoid placing newspapers directly on upholstery, since the ink will accumulate and is difficult to remove.
- Never cover your upholstery with dark-colored blankets, sheets,etc., the dyes can rub off onto your upholstery when dry or bleed when wet.
- Avoid the use of dyes, paints, inks and nail polish on or around your upholstery, since these substances can and will alter the color of your upholstery causing a permenant stain or discoloration.
- Never remove cushion covers for dry cleaning or machine washing, even though they have zippers.
- Periodic proffesional cleaning will keep soil accumilation from marring the beauty of your upholstery.
Emergency Spill On Upholstery
1. Act quickly before the spill spreads or dryes and becomes a stain!
For a liquid spills:
Blot lightly with paper towels to start. Increase pressure and use a fresh papertowl until no more liquid is absorbed. DO NOT RUB! If residue remains, see the CRI stain removal link offered on our website as a guide line for stain treatment.
For solid or semi-solid spills (such as food):
Gently lift the substance from the upholstery with a spoon or spatula, scraping carefully toward the center of the spill. Treat any wet residue as a liquid spill. If residue remains, see CRI stain removal link offered on our website as a guideline for stain treatment.
For dry spills (such as ashes or dry cosmetics):
Adding any liquid to a normally dry substance, such as ashes or dry cosmetics, may cause a permenant stain. Vacuum, beat the area with a ruler are similar “tool”, vacuum again, and then use the adhesive side of masking tape to remove any residue. If the residue remains, see the CRI stain removal link offered on our website as a guide line for stain treatment.
2. Check the manufacturers label for any cleaning instructions and /or look for a fabric cleaning code.
The following are the standard fabric cleaning codes used by furniture manufacturers. Use these codes to determine what type of cleaning methods are appropiate for you fabric.
W Use water-based cleaning solutions, S Use mild (water-free) cleaning solvent, WS Use water-based cleaning agent, or use mild (water-free) cleaning solvent, X CLEAN ONLY by vacuuming or light brushing
3. Always test water or a cleaning agent by applying to an inconspicious area of the fabric. Allow to dry completly, then check its effect on the fabric.
4. Apply water or a cleaning agent (as recommended in the stain removal guide) in small doses to avoid spreading the stain or causing a ring. Be patient; apply several times, blotting firmly with papertowl to soak up the liquid after each application.
5. NEVER RUB and NEVER SCRUB a fabric; rubbing and scrubbing may result in damage to the nap, loss of color, or spreading of the stain.
6. Restore the nap of the fabric by brushing gently before it dries.
7. To avoid water spotting, use a fan or hair dryer (on the coolest setting) to accelerate drying. Dry from the outer edge of the effected area towards the center.
8. If the stain persists, seek proffesional cleaning assistance.