How to Clean Upholstered Chairs Effectively at Your Home?

Upholstered chairs are widely available in various colours, styles and sizes. They are perfect choices to give your living space a glorious look, but they also require regular cleaning and maintenance. You should be well aware that regular maintenance and cleaning are crucial if you have upholstered furniture at home, or else you will eventually have to put up with tough stains that are formed along the way while using them. You should clean upholstered chairs more often than you think.

It is vital to know the type of upholstery that covers your chair before starting with any cleaning. Most furniture manufacturers add a tag that will help you with safe cleaning methods and instructions for upholstered chairs. Hence, you can check for the tag under the chair or its cushion and make the process easy by following the cleaning guidelines for each code. The codes and the corresponding ways to clean the upholstered chairs are as follows:

Upholstered Chairs Codes and Cleaning Methods

W: You can clean the fabrics on upholstered chairs with code W using water-based cleaning solvents. 

S: Fabrics that come with code S should only be cleaned using a dry cleaning or water-free solvent. Also, make sure that you clean the chair using these chemicals in a well-ventilated room, and never in any open spaces that might have open flames, such as near fireplaces and candles.

W-S: Upholstery fabrics that have code W-S should be cleaned using water-based or solvent-based products. 

X: You should clean upholstered chair fabrics with code X only by vacuuming or with the help of a professional upholstery cleaning service provider. The use of common home cleaning products could result in the shrinking and staining of the fabric. 

Make sure that you test different cleaning solutions in an unnoticeable area of the fabric of your upholstered chair to see how it reacts if the fabric does not come with tags. 

How Often Should You Clean Upholstered Chairs at Home?

You would be wondering how often you need to clean upholstered chairs at home. Weekly vacuuming of upholstered chairs is advised to keep them in good condition. However, any type of spill or stain should be cleaned as soon as they happen. You can lift any solids from the upholstery fabric using the edge of a knife or a credit card. Blot liquid spills until you cannot transfer any more liquid into the tissue paper. Avoid rubbing the stains as it will only push the stain deeper into the fabric. You should also do a seasonal cleaning even if no spills happen on the chairs. 

Steps to Clean Upholstered Chairs at Home

Begin with Vacuuming 

Always start cleaning your upholstered chairs by vacuuming. This is to avoid pushing loose dirt while you go ahead with deep-cleaning. Clean the chair using a vacuum with a hose and brush attachment to help loosen the dust and crumbs. You can also use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to collect as many allergens such as pet dander. 

Begin vacuuming from the top of the chair and cover every inch of the chair. You can then move to the back and lower sides of your chair. Do not forget to move and clean them if they are placed close to the wall. Make use of the crevice tool of the vacuum to go deep between the frame and cushions of the chairs. It will be easier to vacuum both sides of the cushions if they are removable. You can then go ahead, tilt the chairs and clean their bottom. 

Additional tip: Sprinkle your upholstered chairs with some dry baking soda, work into the fabric with a soft-bristled brush and keep it undisturbed for 1-2 hours (you can also keep it for a longer time) to absorb any odour that is there on the chairs. You can follow by vacuuming the baking soda and any other dust present on the chairs. 

Treat the Stains and Soiled Areas 

Cleaning upholstered furniture will get easier if you know what caused the stain on them, but it is not essential. Prepare and use a homemade solution that works effectively on stains such as one made using a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a gallon of warm water. You can also get a commercial upholstery cleaner to treat most types of stains, but make sure that you follow the cleaning instructions on the label properly. The arms and headrests of upholstered chairs would require more cleaning as they tend to get more soiled when compared to the other areas. 

You can mix one-fourth cup of dishwashing liquid and a cup of warm water in a medium bowl. Follow by whisking it to form lather. You can then dip a sponge into just the foam (not into the water) and scrub the soiled areas without any pressure. Rinse the sponge in another bowl of warm water and squeeze the sponge to make it just damp, and not wet. You can use a soft brush made of nylon to brush the heavily soiled areas of the chairs. 

Complete the cleaning by dipping a sponge or microfiber cloth in clean water and blotting the leftover cleaning solution from the fabric. This part is crucial because leftover detergent can attract more soil into the fabric. Then, keep the chairs completely drying away from sunlight and heat. 

A Few Additional Tips to Keep Your Upholstered Chairs Clean for Longer 

• Do not wait to treat the spills then and there. 
• Vacuum regularly to remove the dust so as to not weaken the fabric. 
• Cover the arms and headrests of upholstered chairs at home using washable and removable covers, and clean the covers seasonally. 
• Consider pretreating your new upholstered chairs using a stain protection product. 

Deep Cleaning Service for Chairs, Cushions and Sofas in Singapore

Get in touch with the Sendhelper, the best upholstered chair cleaning service provider in Singapore if you have upholstered furniture at home which you want to clean, but lack the time for it. Our professionals will make sure that your furniture looks like a brand new one after we treat it rightly. We clean all types of upholstered chairs and furniture.

All you have to do is download the Sendhelper app, and book our deep cleaning service by requesting to cover necessary tasks. Simply mention your requirements and we will customise the cleaning job to meet your preferences and needs. All these are done at attractive prices you will never find anywhere else.