Keeping your Sofa Looking New
The exposure to perspiration and body oils, soiling particles from the air, dirt that comes on the clothing and on your pet’s paws – these all contribute to the grime that builds up in the sofa. It takes away its appeal, and overtime the sofas look barely resembles the elegant unit that you brought back home from the store. The professional come in to get rid of the grime, and bring back the sparkle to your unit. When you outsource the task to a trained and experienced team, you get to avoid the hassle and frustration that come with DIY processes. There are plenty of service providers, and you should take time to go over reviews and the particular companies in order to gauge the expected quality of services.
Why DIY Sofa Cleaning Is More Trouble Than It’s Worth
Taking on the couch cleaning task by yourself may be biting more than you can chew. The limitations in resources available means that you will be at a disadvantage. Sure, the professionals make it look easy – but they have had intensive training, and years of experience, and not to mention the industrial-grade cleaning machinery they come with. Just what can go wrong with the DIY job?
For starters, there is the risk of damaging the sofa. A small mistake can lead to dire consequences. For instance, taking powerful acidic cleaner that gets rid of tough stains on the floors and countertops, and using it on the leather sofa, can ruin it. There are delicate fabrics like linen that shrink when one uses water on them, yet water is taken to bet the universal cleaning solvent. The different types of materials – from the natural and synthetic fabrics, to the sofas that come with leather upholsteries, each have their required cleaning measures. Applying the wrong product can do anything from bleaching out the dyes, to corroding the fibres of the material and weakening its structural integrity.
Oversights on the cleaner’s part – such as overshampooing the sofa, or drenching it in too much water, also have their ramifications. For the overshampooing, there will be residue that is left behind in the upholstery, which also occurs when the rinsing is not properly done. The residue is a dirt magnet, and will trap more grime, causing the sofa to get resoiled at a faster rate. For the overwetting, it basically causes the sofa to take too long to dry. This raises a few problems. Firstly, it is quite inconveniencing when you can’t use the furniture in your household normally simply because is it wet for days. Secondly, the longer that the sofa takes to dry, the higher the chances that mould and mildew will grow in it – opening a can of worms.
What of the workload itself? The ordinary brush and cloth combo will barely make much difference when it comes to giving the sofa a deep clean. The machinery that is rented from the local dealerships also tends to come with lower power and capacity compared to the units that the professionals use, which is usually in a bid to make the machines lighter and more portable for the DIYer. This compromise affects the effectiveness of the process, causing it to stretch out for longer, eating into your weekends and days off from work – which would have been spent relaxing and on activities that you actually enjoy. You don’t have to put yourself through this. Simply call in the professional sofa cleaners to take care of the task.
Different Modes Of Cleaning The Sofa
Sofa cleaning businesses take different approaches when providing their services. These vary based on the particular type of upholstery being worked on, the kind of soiling involved, all through to the resources that the company has, and the drying time desired. The methods include:
- Hot water extraction
Here, heated water gets pumped into the upholstery and cushions. The pressures and temperatures involved dislodge the grime from the furnishings, flushing it out to the surface, from where it is extracted. With a thorough extraction process, the bulk of the moisture content also gets removed, cutting down the drying time to a few hours. This is key in preventing fungal growth, and issues like fabric shrinkage.
- Carbonation
Here, carbonating cleaning solutions are used. They have an effervescent effect on the upholstery. The carbonating bubbles penetrate through the fibres, acting like millions of tiny propellants, and lift the grime to the surface. It is then wiped off. This approach also leaves behind a protective barrier on the surface of the material, reducing the amount of dirt build up later on. This is functioning is similar to how club soda is used to remove stains from clothes. The reduces amount of water involved, thus minimising the drying time. The bubbles do most of the heavy lifting as well, reducing the need for heavy machinery. While this method is all-natural, it does tend to leave behind pathogens and microbes within the upholstery, which would have been killed with alternative methods like the hot water extraction.
Here, the chemical shampoo that is suitable for the particular type of upholstery is used. Encapsulation occurs, where the formulation traps the grime particles and dries, after which is it vacuumed out. With this approach, the sofa can be used almost immediately after it has been cleaned. Though it is a fast method, it doesn’t deliver a deep clean.
- Foam cleaning
The cleaner applies the foam solution onto the upholstery by hand, after which a short dwelling time is allowed. The contents are then vacuumed up. The amount of foam that is used should be controlled in order to reduce the risks of moisture damage to the unit.
Here, the cleaner sprinkles a dry-cleaning powder onto the sofa. It is worked onto the upholstery, then vacuuming follows, removing the powder and grime. Since this method doesn’t involve any water, there is no drying time to factor in, and thus the persons on the facility can resume using the sofa immediately. However, it isn’t as effective in removing the deeply ingrained soiling.
What is the point of having a sofa if you are not planning to use it?