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How To Clean Upholstered Chairs? Top Full Guide 2022

Today, Focal Upright will talk about the best ways to clean upholstered dining chairs. Many of these chairs are not made from leather or fabric but rather a combination of vinyl and foam covered in cloth. This makes them more challenging to maintain because they can rip easily if you use too much force when cleaning, so it’s important to know what type of material your chair is made out of before you start scrubbing!

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How To Clean Upholstered Chairs?

What Needs To Prepare:

  • Vacuum cleaner + upholstery attachment
  • White vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Laundry detergent liquid
  • Microfibre cloths
  • Hand towel
  • Use paper towels
  • Optional soft-bristled toothbrush

Take the above items and make sure you have enough space for cleaning (a front porch or patio is ideal). Follow the steps below to clean your fabric for dining room chairs efficiently.

Cleaning Upholstered Chairs

Step 1: Vacuum Upholstery

Vacuum Upholstery

There may be places where dirt and dust collect, depending on how the chair is designed. This is the only way to get rid of built-up dirt and dust. Use an upholstery attachment to vacuum fabric chairs effectively. If you don’t have one, the best alternative is a clean, gently brush attachment.

Switch to the narrow-head attachment after vacuuming the chair’s back and seat. This will remove dirt and dust from corners, crevices, and areas where the material meets metal or wood. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove dirt and dust from tight spaces. Make sure you vacuum all surfaces of fully upholstered chairs, such as armchairs.

Step 2: Spot Clean Upholstery Stains

Spot Clean Upholstery Stains

After you have removed any loose dirt, you can use these spot-cleaning methods. Make sure to check the label for the specific fabric. Do not rub upholstery as it can cause dirt to get deeper into the fabric.

Spot Cleaning Velvet Upholstery

Collins suggests that velvet be treated with a teaspoon of baking soda to get rid of any remaining staining. If your fabric has a guard treatment, you can gently wipe it down with a damp cloth to remove any dirt and particles. You can then use warm water and a microfiber cloth to clean the fabric. If you need something more powerful, you can use a clear or white household soap. It would help if you always let the fabric air dry, as heat can cause damage.

Spot Cleaning Linen Upholstery

You can begin by gently rubbing the stain with a teaspoon. Collins suggests that you then grab a damp, clean cloth and rub it lightly to lift it. Depending on the size and depth of the stain, it may take some patience to gently dab at it. It would be best never to rub the stain with a clean towel as it will only cause the stain to be absorbed further into the linen. To remove stubborn stains or spillages on linen, you will most likely need to use mild soap or detergent. Use a clean cloth to rub the stain. It will eventually lift.

Bake Soda Can Be Used To Spot Clean Upholstery

To refresh fabric upholstery, we swear by baking soda or bicarbonate. To remove stain from linen, ‘Bicarbonate soda’ is another option. Sprinkle some on the stain and let it sit for a while. Then, scour it with a broom until it is gone. Collins advises that the sofa be allowed to dry after the stain is removed.

Spot Cleaning Upholstery Using Baby Wipes

Baby Wipes can be used to quickly clean upholstery. However, it is important to test them first in a small area to ensure that they don’t cause damage. These wipes are great for cleaning leather, cotton, and polyester upholstery. They contain a mild mixture of soap and water that is very moisturizing. A travel pack can be kept in your living room furniture to quickly remove any spillages. For spot cleaning rugs, baby wipes work well. You can quickly remove coffee drips or other spillages by acting fast.

Spot Cleaning Using Upholstery Wipes

Are you out of baby wipes? To ensure you always have emergency treatment for upholstering stains, make sure to stock up on upholstery wipes. Use a soft cloth to clean your upholstery.

Use Rubbing Alcohol To Remove Stains From Children’s Car Seats

Ocean Free has a quick and excellent tip. According to a survey, 44% of parents clean their child’s car seats twice a year. Wiping the car seat regularly with hand sanitizer and clean cloth will prevent germs, viruses, and bacteria from spreading. Use a microfibre cloth to rub a little bit of the sanitizer over the stained area. You will see the stain lifting as you clean the area.

DIY Spot Removers to Remove Upholstery Stains

You can remove a spot faster if you act quickly. You might be able to blot the spot with a microfiber towel if you notice it immediately, according to Kenny Schultz, MyClean’s cleaning service. There are many DIY upholstery cleaning techniques that you can use if water is not harmful to your upholstery. To reduce the chance of stain spreading, vacuum the area first. These are some tips to get stains out of upholstered furniture.

Club soda is a good choice for general upholstery stain removal. Use a clean, dry cloth to apply the club soda. You can also use a little vinegar, which should be left to cool for around 15 minutes before rinsing it off with clear water. Or you can use mild dish soap and water.

Grease and oil stains: Sprinkle salt on the area, sit for a while, then use soap and water to clean it. You can also use rubbing alcohol in place of salt.

Coffee stains: Use a mixture of water and vinegar to clean the coffee stains.

Staining crayons: Apply a little bit of non-gel toothpaste to the area, and then rinse with clean water.

Stains of blood: First, use hydrogen peroxide and then water to clean them.

Salt is a good choice for red wine stains. Blot with hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, and then rinse with water.

Step 3: Deep Clean Your Upholstery

Deep Clean Your Upholstery

Vacuuming? Done. Do you need stain spot treatments? That’s it. Now, let’s get to the sudsing!

How To Clean The Upholstery Using Laundry Detergent

A deeper cleaning with an eco-friendly laundry detergent cleaning product is recommended to clean and refresh the upholstery of your chairs. Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent with 1 liter of water. Stir well. Deep cleaning upholstered chairs are essential. To avoid saturation, use a microfibre cloth that has been soaked in water and thoroughly wrung.

It would help if you wiped the upholstery from the top down, including the corners, edges, and crevices. Be aware that the fabric you use is more likely to get soiled while deep cleaning the upholstered chairs. Therefore, it must be washed or changed at regular intervals.

How To Clean The Upholstery Using Vinegar

Mix 2 cups of water and white vinegar together. Pour the solution into a spray bottle. Shake vigorously to combine all ingredients. Use this homemade upholstery stain removal agent to dampen a clean microfibre cloth and gently rub. To ensure that the stains/discolorations are lifted, inspect the fabric.

Mix a mild detergent like Dawn with warm water. Next, blot the area with a clean cloth. To remove soapy residue, rinse the area with clean water. Allow airing to dry.

How To Clean Upholstery In Your Washing Machine

If your upholstery covers can be removed and the label states that they can be washed in the washer, vacuum first. Then follow the care instructions precisely. It would be best if you did not wash them too hot as this can cause shrinkage. This will make it difficult to get them back on your furniture. If in doubt, use a gentle, excellent wash and do not tumble dry.

Top tip: After the washing machine is finished, gently pull the fabric into shape. After drying the fabric, place it on a radiator until it is almost dry. Then, you can gently re-cover the upholstery covers once they are slightly damp. This will allow you to stretch any creases.

Do not put the pillows with damp covers on the armchair or sofa yet. Instead, place them somewhere that they can air dry and then replace them.

Step 4: Rinse Off The Cleaning Solution

Rinse Off The Cleaning Solution

You can not rinse your fabric chair with running water. However, the detergent must be thoroughly rinsed off to avoid any detergent residues. You don’t want a strong detergent smell near your fabric chairs.

Use a damp towel to wipe the upholstery clean of any cleaning solution. You can rinse the towel once in a while and then continue to wipe the fabric until you no longer feel any soapy residue.

Step 5: Dry your Upholstered Chairs

Dry your Upholstered Chairs

It is crucial to know how to dry upholstered chairs correctly after cleaning them. Many homeowners make the error of drying them in the sun or using a hairdryer to speed up the process. High heat (especially when it is wet) can cause damage to the fabric, while direct sunlight can cause fading.

These are some of the best ways to dry your fabric chairs after they have been cleaned:

To dry the material, use paper towels and then place the chairs in a running ceiling fan for overnight drying.

Place the chairs outdoors and allow them to dry in a shaded area. You might reconsider this option if it is windy. Unsettled dirt and debris can make your upholstered chairs look even worse than they were before.

Keep them there. Open all windows and doors to the room while the ceiling fan is running at high speed. The room should be ventilated to speed up drying.

This simple guide will help you clean upholstered chairs without any special tools. Anyone can get rid of fabric chair stains and revitalize the upholstery without a steam cleaner by simply using our tried and tested cleaning method above!

How To Remove Odor Out Of Furniture Fabric

Baking soda can be used to clean upholstery. It can also help eliminate odors. Upholstery is a major source of household smells, from cigarette smoke, dog odors, and last night’s curry. Sprinkle baking soda on your sofa/chair/headboard once a month and let it sit for 15 minutes. To get the bicarb to stick to flat surfaces, you can dampen your upholstery lightly with water.

Next, vacuum the upholstery using one of these methods. For stronger cleaning, you can add dry carpet cleaner powder to the mixture. Let it sit for a half-hour, or overnight, before vacuuming thoroughly. Although it may appear clean from the outside, it could still have a host of unpleasant odors. Sprinkle baking soda or bicarbonate soda on the surface, and let it sit overnight to absorb any lingering smells. It should be vacuumed out in the morning.

Tips For Upholstery Cleaning

Spot test the cleaner. Upholstery can be made from many different types of fabric. Before applying cleaner to the entire surface, it is a good idea to test a small area.

Use only a little cleaner as you can. Upholstered surfaces are difficult to clean with too much cleaner. Begin with a small amount of cleaner and then add more as necessary.

Be sure to protect other surfaces. During this test, my floor received a thorough cleaning! It was scrubbed, scrubbed, and rinsed several times to get rid of excess upholstery cleaner. You can make your life easier by covering the areas that you don’t want to clean with a towel or sheet.

If possible, remove the fabric-covered area. The wooden base can be removed from my chair seats. It was easier to clean the whole seat by taking the chairs apart. I was also able to clean the wood parts of the chairs separately.

Use different cleaning tools. You can use a scrub brush, cotton cloth, or microfiber cloth to increase the cleaning power. Use a gentle circular motion to apply the solution. Avoid rubbing too hard, as the upholstery could become brittle.

Allow the fabric cleaner to rest for a while before you begin scrubbing. Allow the cleaner to sit on the fabric for between 5-10 minutes before you start cleaning.

Vacuum first… then last! Before you start cleaning, remove any dirt or debris from the upholstery using a vacuum. To fluff the fabric or underlying foam, vacuum the surface until it is dry. A shop vacuum is my preferred method of vacuuming, but any vacuum that has a hose attachment can be used.

Conclusion

You now know how to clean upholstered chairs and should be able to avoid the frustration of trying to get rid of stubborn dirt and stains. We hope you found this article helpful, but if not, we encourage you to reach out for additional support. For more information on furniture care or any other question about your home’s décor, feel free to contact us anytime!

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