How to Clean Upholstery Yourself in Simple Steps

If you're like most of us, pets, kids, and life in general can leave your upholstered furniture a little worse for wear. Removing that dirt and grime isn't actually as difficult as you might imagine. Upholstery cleaning is mostly about looking at the materials you're dealing with and the type of stain (we're looking at you, set-in ink spot), and then choosing the right product and cleaning process.

Don't stress if the whole thing feels overwhelming. With a few tips on how to clean upholstery, you can make this an afternoon DIY project and take your furniture from yuck to yay!

1. Gather Your Upholstery Cleaning Supplies

You know whether you are working with an S or a W, so it's time to grab your supplies. You won't need these for every job, but these are some of the tools and supplies that will help you get your upholstered furniture clean.

• Vacuum
• White vinegar (Good for cleaning faux leather)
• Dawn
• Baking soda
• Leather conditioner
• Dry cleaning solvent
• Bristle brush
• Small bucket or bowl
• Gloves
• Microfiber cloth
• Leather conditioner
• Spray bottle
• Wood polish
• Steamer (if steam cleaning)

2. Vacuum Your Furniture

Vacuuming your couch or chair might be all you need to get it clean if you do it right. This can pull up all the dirt, dander, and pet hair that's making your furniture look dingy. Before you start vacuuming, pull the sofa or chair away from the wall and any tables. Then you can follow these instructions.

1. Grab the couch cleaning attachment for the hose on your vacuum.
2. Pull off the cushions. If they are W, pull off the covers and throw them in the wash. Otherwise, vacuum them.
3. Start with the sides of the furniture and work from the top down. Maintain a connection with the fabric for maximum suction.
4. Once the sides and arms are dirt-free, use the same method to clean the front cushions of the couch. Use slow strokes with medium pressure.
5. Use the crevice tool to get all the crumbs and dirt out of the sides of the couch.
6. Vacuum the bottom and back of the couch.

3. Clean Upholstery Stains

After you've spent time vacuuming the couch, you begin to see your problem areas. Your loveseat might have an overall dinginess or a few places in need of a thorough spot clean. Whatever the case, you need to consider your fabric type for removing stains. Additionally, you will use different methods for specific stains like ink.

How to Clean W-Code Fabric Upholstery

If you have fabric upholstery with a W symbol, you can clean it using a water-based cleanser. To do this, grab the bristle brush, cloth, white vinegar, Dawn, and a bucket or bowl.

1. Remove any chunks by softening them with a damp cloth. Use the bristle brush to gently get them free.
2. Mix ¼ cup of vinegar, a tablespoon of Dawn, and a cup of warm water in a bowl.
3. Wet the bristle brush with the mixture and scrub the stains or your whole couch or chair.
4. Use a damp clean cloth to rinse the area by patting it. Continue until the spots are gone.
5. If your fabric needs an overall cleaning, grab your steam cleaner and follow the instructions of your cleaner to remove all the dirt from the upholstery.

How to Clean Upholstery Made of Leather

If you have leather upholstery, you need a cloth and white vinegar.

1. Create a 1:1 mixture of water to white vinegar in a bottle.
2. Spray the area that's dirty.
3. Blot the stains with a cloth.
4. When the piece is dry, use a leather conditioner to keep it supple.

How to Remove Stains From S-Code Upholstery

Upholstery with an S code needs to be professionally cleaned or cleaned with a dry cleaning solvent. If you are feeling daring, you can try this at home. Make sure to clean your upholstery in a well-ventilated area and wear protection like rubber gloves.

1. Apply the solvent to a cloth.
2. Brush the solvent over the area to lift the stain.
3. Use the bristled brush for a heavily soiled area.

If you are worried about doing this by yourself or about damaging your furniture, call a professional upholstery cleaning company.

4. Wipe Down and Polish Wood and Metal Areas

Turn your attention to any wood or metal parts of the furniture. For metal, you can take the microfiber cloth and buff the area to remove water spots from your cleaning or other dirt and dust. For wood, use wood polish to remove any stains and bring out the shine.

5. Allow Upholstery to Dry

Upholstery should dry completely within 24 hours. Of course, it is best to clean on a warm day with the windows open and a breeze circulating. If that's not possible, these steps will help you speed up the process.

1. Take a hairdryer and go over seamed or corded areas.
2. Turn up the heat by two or three degrees.
3. If you have a ceiling fan, flip the switch on the fan to counterclockwise to push the warmer air down to the floor and furniture level.
4. Keep the family off the furniture. Sitting on it before it's completely dry pushes the moisture in and makes it more difficult to dry completely.
5. Make sure curtains and drapes are open to get as much natural light and warmth as possible.

Problem-Solving Tips for Getting Upholstery Clean

Sometimes upholstery cleaning isn't as easy as it should be. Try out these tips to ensure your upholstery looks fantastic all the time:

• Use a lint roller to help remove any hair your vacuum missed before cleaning with water or solvent.
• Choose a vacuum with a HEPA filter and good suction.
• Vacuum your couch off every few weeks to avoid dirt build-up, more if you have pets.
• If you don't have a steamer, you can use the steam on your iron to freshen up your couch.
• If your couch looks dingy, wipe the whole thing down with a damp rag to freshen up the upholstery.
• If upholstery still looks dirty after cleaning, consider renting a shampooer to remove embedded stains.
• Remove and wash couch cushion covers according to the manufacturer's directions.
• Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to your cleaning remedy for W fabrics to have your upholstery smelling fresh and looking clean.

How Often Should You Clean Your Upholstery?

How often you need to clean your upholstery depends on wear and tear. If you have a furniture set that is hardly used, you maybe only need to clean it once a year. However, if you have kids and pets roaming around your home, every three months or so is a reasonable timeframe. More important than following a strict schedule is to watch for when it starts to look dirty.

Upholstery Cleaning at Home

You don't need to rent an expensive service to keep your upholstery looking on point. Instead, you can easily clean it yourself at home with a few simple tools. You can even add upholstery cleaning to your regular house cleaning schedule to keep your furniture looking fresh and new.