Clean, bright, and well-maintained upholstery can add a lot of beauty and charm to our homes. Over time, however, our upholstery starts looking ugly and dull when due to neglect it starts smelling bad. We frequently spend most of our time at home, chatting, lounging, and eating on our upholstered furniture. We also pollute the surface by spilling drinks, dropping food crumbs, and causing stains on them. Our upholstery soaks in all the smells from our daily human activity. Pets, cooking, cigarette smoke, skin shedding, and sweat all add to the unpleasant smells. Many times the offensive odor turns away our guests and visitors. At last, we become active and reach out to Upholstery Cleaning Melbourne experts to get back the fresh look.
Let us now look at ways and means by which we can get rid of these unpleasant odors from our upholstery. Regular care will prevent odors from settling in and minimize the requirement to have the smell professionally removed by calling upholstery cleaning Sydney. In fact, the smell will vanish when you remove the dirt lodged in your upholstery. There are many ways to keep smells off and it starts with cleaning. These include-
Check codes in the manufacturer’s label
When you begin cleaning your upholstery first learn what it says on the label. “W” would mean using water-based cleaners only while “S” would mean using non water solvent-based cleaners. “S/W” indicates both solvent and water cleaners may be used while “X” means to avoid everything and stick only to vacuuming. It is better to read this if you wish to protect your fabric from permanent damage.
Take quick action after a spill
The moment a spilling or staining happens due to the action of a child, pet, or visitor, clean it immediately. Fast action prevents stains from spreading. Read the label carefully and do not use water if the label instructs you not to. If the covers of the cushion can be taken off, place a towel between the cover and cushion, to prevent the stain from seeping into the cushion.
Surface cleaning of dry pollutants
Upholstery that gets full of dust, food crumbs, and other dried elements may be cleaned using a natural bristled brush and vacuum. To make the dirt and dust come off, loosen them using a brush. Vacuuming also sucks out pollutants and works well with most upholstery, especially leather and microfiber upholstery. Use the special attachment of a vacuum to remove surface pollutants to allow the cleaning of stains underneath. Of course, for deep cleaning, you can always opt for upholstery cleaning Melbourne specialists.
Applying baking soda from your home kitchen
Baking soda is one of the most effective and easily available kitchen items that work wonders. It removes stains and removes smells and makes your upholstery fresh. And if you have pets and kids who are active on your upholstered sofa, this is a great way to eliminate urine odors.
Start by sprinkling baking soda on specific stained areas or all over the upholstery surface to clean and remove odors. A paste of an equal ratio of water and baking soda can work on deeper stains. Allow resting for half an hour to soak the stain. Vacuum or wipe off the dried baking soda.
If you need to use slight moisture, check the label first. You can try adding 1 part of vinegar to two parts of warm water with a drop of dish soap. Dab this or spray on the stained area and blot with a microfiber cloth gently.
Deep cleanse through wet cleaning
If your upholstery label states W, then you can safely do steam cleaning. But the negative side is that steam means heat. Heat might be risky for a few fabrics. So check the manufacturer’s instructions. For steam cleaning, get an upholstery steam cleaner and do a small pre-test on an insignificant area of your upholstery. Before steam cleaning, use a vacuum and brush to remove surface dirt. Keep your room well-ventilated by opening windows to help dry later.
Finally, read carefully the instructions for steam cleaning. Once cleaning is over, let the upholstery dry fully and follow it up with gentle vacuuming if required. Ensure drying happens well or else any trapped moisture will suck in germs, smells, and mold growth. For serious issues, you may still ring in Upholstery cleaning Sydney specialists.
You can keep your upholstery fresh smelling and hygienic by lightly spraying sanitizing spray for fabrics. And lastly, for those wishing to add your personal touch, you can spray a mixture of one cup of water, one cup of white vinegar, half teaspoon of glycerin, and a lemon or lavender essential oil to give it a beautiful fragrance.
