Cleaning Upholstered Furniture

• Fabric Sofa Care

They come in different materials. Take polyester for instance. This synthetic fibre is both soft and comfortable, yet still highly durable. Proper maintenance enables it to last for long. Olefin is a material that is petroleum-based, being sourced from melted plastic pellets. This particularly makes it durable, and also resistant to wet conditions.  However, it is susceptible to fading, and one has to be keen on the temperatures of the cleaning methods used, due to the material’s vulnerability to heat. Rayon is considered to be a natural fibre upholstery since it is made from wood chip fibre. While it has resistance to mildew and moths, it easily wrinkles and scratches. Wool upholsteries have been in use for long. This natural fabric reacts well to the different dying and treatment options, which means that is a wide range of colours that one can work with. Wool is usually blended with other fabrics, in order to increase its durability and make it easier to clean. Acetate, on the other hand, has been developed as an imitation of silk. Here, the material has a higher resistance to shrinkage and pilling. Silk itself is a delicate and luxurious upholstery, ideal for formal and adult areas. Cleaning it requires a sensitive touch. The same case applies for linen, a natural fibre that should be cleaned by professionals in order to avoid cases of shrinkage.  However, stains easily form on it. Cotton also reacts well to dye and is a durable material, though it tends to get easily wrinkled. Upholsteries like acrylic are popular for outdoor furniture due to its high resistance to the problems facing most of the other fabrics. Which type of material do you have for your sofa? Their different properties makes them require different approaches when working on them. That’s a task for our qualified sofa cleaning crew.  

Maintaining Your Fabric Sofa

After the sofa cleaning, it should be left to dry naturally before sitting on it again. Opening up the windows and doors to improve air circulation will speed this up. 

Routinely vacuum the sofa, including removing the cushions and hoovering over the nooks and crannies of the unit. The attachment should have a soft brush, in order to avoid damaging the material. 

– Be wary of clothes that can transfer dyes onto the upholstery, especially when dealing with light-coloured sofa. The same case applies to newspapers and other ink-printed materials. 

– You may be the most careful person on the planet, but will still be a chance of your sofa falling victim to a spill. When this happens, the important thing is to act quickly. This will make the difference between a simple clean-up and the stain getting soaked deep into the upholstery. The first thing you should do is to soak up as much liquid as possible. This can be done with a clean and dry cloth. Focus on blotting, not rubbing the spot. However, sometimes one is unable to get to the spill in time. Perhaps the kids made a mess while you were not around, and came home in the evening to find your favourite sofa riddled with stains. Don’t fret. There are specialised products developed to work for those stubborn stains. The application of these formulations varies from one situation to the next, especially due to the differences in the types of fabric upholstery. Getting the sofa cleaning pros to handle the task for you will ensure that the right products are used.  

• Leather Sofa Cleaning

We also handle different types of leather sofas. These include full-grain leather units, where the upholstery hasn’t been treated- in fact the only process carried out during its manufacture is removing the air that is on it, and soaking it in a natural dye, thus allowing it to retain the look and texture of the actual animal hide; top grain leather where there is additional polishing to make it softer than the full-grain variation; spilt grain leather where the outermost layer of the leather gets removed; bi-cast leather which is technically like split-grain, but it has a top coating of polyurethane to make it look like top grain; bonded leather upholsteries which have been made from remains of other leather projects which are then put together using adhesive material; to nubuck leather that is exclusively made from cattle rawhide that’s then sanded for its soft and suede-like appearance- and it usually needs waterproofing treatment. Without the right products being used, the leather can easily get damaged. Remember, it’s like skin. Chemicals that are too acidic will damage it. Our personnel utilise products that have been specifically developed to work on your leather unit. The processes employed are effective in getting rid of the dirt and stains, without affecting the underlying material. In addition, we condition the leather after the cleaning. This is to remove the softening and nourishing agents that had been lost over time. This prevents the upholstery from cracking and drying out. 

Taking Care Of Your Leather Upholstered Sets

There are a couple of things you should do to keep your leather sofa in good condition. These include:

• Avoid placing it in direct sunlight, or close to heat sources. The heat will cause drying out and cracking of the leather. While it is has been treated with a leather protector, this does not mean that you put more strain on the material. How do you know if the positioning of the leather is proper? Simply place your palm on it. If it feels hot, then you should move it to a safer spot in the room. 
• Steer clear of harsh cleaning agents, due to the sensitive nature of the leather to variations in pH levels of chemicals used on it. Also avoid waxes, silicones, plus saddle sofas, since they will result in more harm to your upholstery. 
• When a spill occurs in your leather sofa, you should blot it using a dry and porous cloth. Wiping the stain is ill-advised, as it will result in it spreading further.

Cleaning Upholstered Furniture