Don’t Make These Mistakes When Cleaning Upholstery

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a woman wiping a couch with a cloth

Don’t Make These Mistakes When Cleaning Upholstery

By : Kate Windle
Upholstered furniture and fixtures in homes enhance the aesthetic appeal and comfort of rooms. Upholsteries of home décor/utility items are made of paddings, webbing, and elastic springs with leather or fabric covers. To maintain the integrity, appearance and longevity of upholstered items, cleaning them regularly and correctly is essential.

Homeowners can take the assistance of professionals offering upholstery cleaning services. Tenants can hire end of lease cleaning experts in Sydney to get upholstered items sanitised, especially if required to get their bond back in full.

For general upkeep, you can vacuum upholstered items and clean them using the right products and tools. But while sanitising any upholstery, you need to be careful to avoid discolouration or irreversible damage. Outlined below are common mistakes non-specialists make when cleaning upholstery. Have a look.

Trying to Shift/Move Heavy Upholstered Furniture


While trying to clean the back, underneath and sides of bulky furniture alone, you can sustain serious sprains, scratches, muscle pulls, and other musculoskeletal injuries.

What’s more, you risk toppling furniture, a serious health hazard that causes an estimated 2600 Australians to seek medical treatment in hospitals every year.

Therefore, if you need to move or shift heavy upholstered furniture while cleaning, make sure you have other family members’ help, use property techniques like professional end of lease cleaners in Sydney and have the right moving equipment.

Not Reading Instructions on Items’ Care Guide


Expensive upholstery furniture like couches, lounge chairs, bean bags etc., usually have warranties that you can void by not following instructions in their care guides. The warranty terms may include using company recommended cleaning kits, vacuuming only, no rubbing and more.

Additionally, renters should discuss with landlords whether the upholstery in the property can be DIY cleaned or hiring professional end of lease cleaners in Sydney is required to avoid nulling the warranty and getting a complete bond refund.

Not Paying Attention to Cleaning Codes


Upholsteries, especially fabric ones, have labels that state the cleaning codes that indicate which type of cleaners should be used. While cleaning fabric upholstery, you must pay attention to these codes, or else you can damage the surface.

Here are some commonly found codes on labels and their meaning.

  • W stands for water-based cleaner, and upholstery with this code is the easiest to clean.

  • S means the upholstery should only be cleaned with solvent. Use a dry cleaner or a water-based solvent.

  • W/S doesn’t mean you should mix dry cleaning and water-based solvent to clean the upholstery. This code means you can sanitise the surfaces with either of the cleaners. Before cleaning such upholsteries, performing a test is essential.

  • X code is mentioned on upholsteries that should only be cleaned by light brushing or vacuuming as the materials shouldn’t be cleaned with water-based cleaners or solvents.


  • Note: For tenants with upholstered items in their homes that don’t have codes, it is best to take the assistance of end of lease cleaners in Sydney rather than trying to clean the items themselves.

    Rubbing Stains While Cleaning


    While cleaning upholstery never rub stains with hand, paper towel or cloth, as it can make the contaminants embed deeper into the material.
    What’s more, rubbing can lead to stains bleeding, especially when the upholstery material is made with natural or synthetic fibres. Instead of rubbing, dab it to collect moisture, grease and tinge. Remove a stain as soon as it is caused, or you see it by following these steps.

  • Dab the spot with a dry microfiber cloth/paper towel until it stops coming off

  • Wet with a suitable cleaner and lightly press with a cloth

  • Spray water, dab to remove residues of cleaner

  • Repeat the process until the stain disappears

  • Not Brushing Upholstery before Vacuuming


    High-performance vacuum cleaners can suck dirt, dust, and debris from fibres, nooks, and crannies of upholstered items. However, if you are not brushing before vacuuming, you are making a huge mistake.

    Brushing can speed up the cleaning process and make it effective as the contaminants are agitated and forced to come on the surface. To coax pollutants, use a soft-bristled but firm set of napping brushes.

    Using Products before Testing


    Don’t make the rookie mistake of using a cleaning product globally on an upholstery surface without testing the product first. Professional end of lease cleaners in Sydney always test products on an inconspicuous spot to ensure the cleaner doesn’t discolour, damage, or burn the upholstery materials.

    This step is necessary to protect your upholstered items’ integrity, appearance, and shelf life and prevent you from spending money on repairs.

    Endnote


    Upholstered items are common in most homes in Sydney as they add appeal, increase aesthetic value, and provide comfort. Many such fixtures and furniture need regular maintenance and cleaning.

    Therefore, you should seek the assistance of professional end of lease cleaners in Sydney for upholstery cleaning. Additionally, while cleaning yourself, make sure to avoid making the mistakes mentioned above to maintain the upholsteries’ integrity and increase their shelf-life.