How to Care for Your Upholstery: Important Tips From Pros

Coming home after a long day at work and kicking your feet up on the couch to unwind is the most comforting thing ever. Although upholstered furniture adds comfort and beauty to your home's décor, cleaning the upholstery can be a challenging task. No matter how cautious you are with your furniture, stains and filth will inevitably get on it. When it comes to your upholstery, all the time spent on it might result in dark spots or even dirt particles becoming lodged within its fabric over time, especially if you disregard simple cleaning methods.


Your upholstered furniture will eventually become dusty and old, even with regular use. The important thing is that by performing routine maintenance and preventative care, you can increase the longevity of the upholstery and make use of those your furniture. Because you can't simply throw upholstery in the washing machine as you can with clothes, cleaning upholstery can seem incredibly complicated. Since upholstered furniture is made to survive for a long period of time, learning effective cleaning techniques is a must.

We have created this helpful guide with advice from the experts for those of you who may be searching for the best approach to clean upholstery. These methods can help you keep your upholstered furniture clean and well maintained and smelling good for a very long time.

  • Fluff up your cushions regularly - Since they are made up of soft material, your pillows are frequently flattened out from being sat on, bounced on, and the like. The upholstery also loses shape when the material does. To ensure that they maintain their original shape and continue to be comfortable over time, make a conscious effort to fluff them up on a regular basis by patting, poking, and lightly slapping them. The results are excellent and it only ends up taking a few minutes. The amount of fluffing required varies depending on the cushion too, so fluff more for the really soft ones and less for the tougher ones.
  • Set a vacuuming routine - It is important to vacuum upholstered furniture at least once a week to prevent debris, dust particles, and other dirt from becoming embedded in the fabric. If your furniture is leather-upholstered, you should use a fresh, soft cloth to dust it once a week. Additionally, it's crucial to regularly check for and fix any loose trimmings, buttons, or stitches. To clean crevices and small spaces, use the crevice tool that is included with your vacuum.
  • Check the care label - A care label should be sewn into the seam or fastened to the bottom of every piece of upholstered furniture. Every piece of upholstered furniture should have a label with the following symbols: "W" for water-based cleaners, "S" for solvent-based cleaners alone, "W, S" for either of the two, and "X" for strictly only using a vacuum. If you comply with these instructions, you won't mistakenly destroy your upholstery by using the incorrect upholstery cleaning agent. To be sure a cleaning product is not hurting your furniture or ruining it, test a small area of it on your furniture before using it all over.
  • Immediately clean up spills - Accidents will come into play, and whenever they do, you need to act quickly to prevent any liquid from seeping into the cushions and causing irreparable harm. It's essential to clean up spills on upholstered furniture right away. Rather than rubbing the area, dab it with a washcloth. This will aid in preventing more damage and expediting the cleanup of the incident. Avoid using aggressive cleaning products or chemicals on your couch since they could ruin the fabric and cause discoloration. You may be able to prevent stains by responding swiftly to spills.
  • Keep out of the direct sunlight - Even while occasional sun exposure is safe, make sure to keep your favorite upholstered pieces out of the direct sun by drawing the blinds or positioning them elsewhere. If your upholstery is comprised of delicate materials, leather, or leatherette, keep in mind that continuous exposure to direct sunlight will deteriorate it. The condition and lifespan of your upholstery are both negatively impacted by UV radiation in the sunshine.
  • Turn the cushions - Rotating the cushions on a regular basis is one of the simplest ways to increase the lifespan of your upholstered furniture. The weight will be better distributed and cushions won't flatten if you flip and move them once a month. Your cushions will last longer while keeping their shape, and your upholstery will age evenly. In order to maintain throw pillows fluffy, they should also periodically be turned and moved.
  • Invest in stain-resistance products - Inquire about the type of upholstery you have, its fabric, and the stain guards that are most appropriate for it from the seller of your furniture as well as from specialized cleaners of upholstery. Professional stain protection puts a smooth extra layer between your upholstery and anything that could possibly damage it, making cleaning your upholstery easier. These stain guards will also help lessen UV-induced sun damage on the surface.
  • Put an end to pet and smoke odors - Preventing pets from sitting on the furniture and refraining from smoking indoors are the greatest ways to stop pet and smoke scents from penetrating the upholstery. While it can be challenging to remove pet and smoke odors from upholstery, there are some things you can do to restore the fresh scent of your furniture.
  • Call a Professional Upholstery Cleaner - Cleaning your upholstery is really important. Deep cleaning your upholstered furniture once a year will bring back its visual appeal and comfort. Plus, it is essential for increasing the lifespan of your upholstery. Don't waste time attempting to learn how to clean a couch if you don't already know how.  Your upholstered furniture will receive a deep cleaning from professional upholstery cleaners once a year, something that vacuuming by itself cannot accomplish.



At Soquel Carpet Cleaning, we can offer you the most affordable, all-inclusive upholstery cleaning and care options. Our crew uses some of the best upholstery cleaning and care techniques to offer our clients an exceptional level of cleaning. We handle each special upholstery material with the utmost quality of care, using methods that are specifically designed for it and cleaning solutions that are made only for it. Simply give us a call at (831) 244-8730, and we will be happy to do the job for you.

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