Choosing which pieces of furniture you will be bringing into your home can prove to be an extremely difficult process. Those who are lucky enough to be able to identify and afford their perfect choice will know that it is far more difficult to keep a piece of furniture in its best condition than it is to select it. One mistake can ruin an item for good, but some mistakes can be corrected with the right upkeep and cleaning techniques. On the other side of the coin, if the wrong technique is used, a simple problem can be turned into one that cannot be rectified, so take some of Jim Thornton's advice in the article below and ensure that your furniture serves you to the best of its abilities.

If you are looking to furnish and decorate your home, visit our online showroom at www.decorandfurniture.co.za

Upholstery Cleaning - Tips To Keep Your Furniture Cleaner
By: Jim Thornton

Most people struggle when deciding which type of furniture they want to purchase for their home, do they want leather furniture or upholstered furniture, what color should they choose, and what style will best suit their decor. The decision is agonizing because the hope is to hold onto your furniture for years to come. So why do you think some people only get a few short years out of their furniture before it looks worn out, while others can make it last for 20 years, and still look new. The answer is proper upholstery cleaning, furniture cleaning is an integral part of maintaining your furniture.

The problem is most people don't know the proper techniques to clean a sofa. Before you attempt to clean a sofa remember, upholstery cleaning of any kind is much more effective if the furniture is properly cared for on a daily basis. Vacuuming the furniture on a regular basis is the most important starting point in upholstery cleaning. Those fancy tools that came with your vacuum are fantastic for getting into those crevices and are the perfect tools to clean a sofa. Regular vacuuming will keep the build up of dirt and dust in your furniture to a minimum.

Another essential step in upholstery cleaning is to use a damp, almost dry cloth, to dust the arms and head areas of your sofa and chairs. One of the most difficult areas for a professional to clean on your sofa is the head and arms. The reason these areas tend to look so worn is the oils from the scalp and skin, our skin produces natural oils to keep us from getting dry and cracked, it's fantastic in the dry winter but terrible on furniture. If you look closely, at a lot of people's furniture you will notice a worn area around the head and armrests, dusting with the cloth regularly will prevent this from happening to your new furniture.

Remember when you start your furniture cleaning aside from vacuuming and dusting, you should also take your pillows and cushions outside and beat them every once and a while. This will help to loosen up any dust particles inside the cushions that your vacuum can't reach, and when you put the furniture back rotate the pillows and cushions. People are creatures of habit and we tend to have our favourite spot to sit in, the problem is if you don't rotate your cushions you will notice a prominent wear pattern on the cushions and pillows that are used most frequently.

Lastly, if you want your furniture to look beautiful for years to come, keep your food, newspaper and pets off your furniture. If you do spill some food or drink on your sofa please be careful with the upholstery cleaning. The most important thing to know about how to clean upholstery is do not over wet the fabric. Along with grease and oil, a water stain is also extremely difficult to remove from fabric. In addition, when you are furniture cleaning always blot stains don't rub them, rubbing at them will set the stain into the fabric.

In addition to regular maintenance, having your furniture professionally cleaned will ensure its beauty and longevity. Make sure that the professional you use is skilled at how to clean upholstery, it's essential that they use different techniques for different fabrics. Certain fabrics require steam cleaning for the furniture cleaning, while others require a low moisture technique, and some delicate fabrics need dry cleaning methods.

Following the tips in this article will ensure that your brand new furniture stay new looking for years to come.

By: Jim Thornton

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Jim Thornton has been cleaning carpets for many years. In that time many methods of carpet cleaning have been used but the best carpet cleaning results have been achieved using dry foam extraction. For more information go to
www.bubblesandsuds.ca