Save Money by Cleaning Your Furniture for the Future
Sloan Upholstered Chair (Photo credits: West Elm)
By keeping your furniture cleaner for longer it will not only make your home look more attractive but you will also improve the longevity of the furniture’s fabric. Whilst you may be thinking that cleaning every piece of furniture in the house may seem a rather daunting challenge, it doesn’t have to be a hassle.
For years of beautiful furniture, keep any pieces out of sunlight and away from heat sources as the strong heat of the sun can dry out wood, paint finishes, leather, and rot upholstery fibres, not to mention fade colours.
Have you ever found a horrific stain down the back of your sofa or dining room chair? Find out how to clean your furniture to look like brand now, even the old stains!
How to clean upholstered furniture 101
- First you need to loosen any dirt that is already on the upholstery, and you can do this by using a small dusting brush to brush the upholstery until it is free from any visible dirt and dust. Once you feel that all the dirt is loose, take your hoover and get as much dirt off as you can.
- Second, you can either buy your furniture cleaning solution from your local supermarket or you can make your own, all you need is a few basic ingredients. Mix one part washing detergent to four-part warm water; add a touch of fabric softener to add that delicious smell. Put all together in a mixing bowl and whisk till the texture is creamy, like a thick mousse!
- Next, dip the sponge into the mixture and rub some into an inconspicuous spot on the upholstery – somewhere were you are not likely to see it, just in case it stains. Allow the mixture to completely dry, if there is any staining that occurs then do not continue to use, perhaps try a shop bought cleaner or you may even need to think about having the furniture cleaned professionally.
- If all goes well with the tester area, then scrub the mixture into the upholstery with a clean sponge, wipe the upholstery dry with a cloth as you work, if you have a particularly bad staining then allow the mixture to sit onto the stain for several minutes before trying to scrub. Once completed allow all separate pieces to dry and replace any loose cushions.
- In order to keep on top of your furniture in the future try and maintain a healthy cleaning regime, it doesn’t have to be vigorous, however hovering upholstery even once a week will keep it looking better for longer.
Keep your leather clean
Many of us nowadays have leather sofas and because they look shiny, we often are fooled into thinking that they are clean – when in fact they are harbouring more germs than your toilet seat!
The process for cleaning leather can be quite different compared to cleaning upholstery. In an ideal world, try and stay away from water as much as possible because this could actually stain your leather! Steam cleaners, and products made with oils and waxes (like saddle soap) are a brilliant idea to clean with. Not only are you cleaning the leather but you will also be moisturising it, preventing it from drying out, cracking and from future dirt and stains.
It’s an idea to use the same preparations (hoovering) and precautions (testing a hidden area with solution) as the upholstery method above, exchanging your cleaning solution for a leather-suited option.
Tips on cleaning wooden furniture
Start off by wiping down all dust and loose dirt from the surface with a damp, clean cloth, make sure that you stroke the wood in one direction (with the grain) because you will gather more dirt this way. Once again you can either buy some wood cleaning mixture, but if you fancy making your own then give this recipe a go to give your rustic oak furniture a delicate clean!
Start by mixing equal parts boiled linseed oil and turpentine into a bucket (both of these ingredients are available at your local hardware store). Rub the oil into the wood gently and use a damp cloth to massage the oil into the wood, and work along the grain of wood. This mixture will increase both the gloss and durability of both finished and unfinished wood – once fully rubbed in allow the furniture to air dry for at least 12 hours. Keep dusting the wood regularly after this to maintain the beautiful colour of the wood, preserving it for as many years as possible.
Bio: Hannah loves spending time with friends & family, and resents the idea of housework getting on top of her so that she doesn’t feel like inviting friends round! She’s a firm believer that little and often is the key to a clean and happy home.
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Category: Family Finances, Home Renovation, Saving Money
