How to Clean Upholstery

Remember the first couch you ever acquired all by yourself? I’m not talking about the one from the garage that your parents sent with you when you moved away from home for the first time. I’m not even talkin’ that seventies floral print one that you acquired from your <insert crazy relative here>. No. That stuff was quality. I’m talkin’ that torn-up, mouse–urine laden, red faux crushed-velvet sofa that you went out and commandeered all by your little lonesome. Remember? It’s the one you picked up off the curb at 3:00 a.m. after eight beers down at the Corner Bar. Or maybe you even paid a little something for it. Maybe it actually came from dropping a fifteen-dollar bill at the local consignment shop. Wherever it came from and whatever it looked like, chances are it came with a little more than you bargained for. Chances are the upholstery stains alone added 8.4 pounds of self-procured comfort. Chances are . . . you’re still sitting on that couch, and it’s time to do something about it.

Here’s the deal: my first couch was no gem either. In fact, it’s entirely possible that I might have “borrowed” it from the student lounge on the 12th floor of the dormitory I lived in. It’s also possible that my burning pride over my new acquisition was the only reason I could actually bring myself to sit on the stain-ridden thing. If I hadn’t finally noticed that all of my friends (except Nils) kept choosing to sit on the counter instead of my stained couch, it probably wouldn’t have been long until Nils was all I had left. And so, with a quick phone call for some grandmotherly wisdom and a little research, I picked up some pretty good furniture cleaning tips. So, sit back (carefully) and learn a thing or two on how to clean upholstery naturally.

Furniture Upholstery Cleaning
rubber scraper and metal spoonStart your upholstery cleaning by getting rid of the big chunks. First, if there are any dry crusty chunks on or around the upholstery stains you are cleaning, carefully scrape them off using the edge of a spoon. If you are lucky enough to get to the stain quickly and whatever goo got spilled on it is still wet, use the edge of a rubber spatula to get as much of it off as you can. Be extra care not to rub it in.

Next, so that those dried chunks don’t get ground in later, grab the vacuum and go over the entire piece of furniture. Don’t be afraid to pull out a little of that OCD we all carry around with us because you want to get it all. Most vacuum cleaners come with a dusting brush attachment that connects to the hose. If you have it, use it. If you don’t, do what you can with what you’ve got or get yourself an old-school dusting brush. Any hardware store will have one. If you are dealing with a stain that’s still wet, skip this step and go to the next one. If your stain is on a removable cushion, remove that cushion before cleaning it.

It’s now time to make your very own natural upholstery cleaner. And I gotta tell ya; this truly is the fun part. Simple, too. First grab a ¼ cup measuring cup and fill it with your favorite natural/biodegradable dish detergent and pour it into a mixing bowl with 1 cup of warm water. Next—here comes the fun part—use a handheld or electric mixer to beat the soap and water into a nice thick meringue-like foam.
See Original Article Here