Sofa, armchairs and other soft furnishing are a big investment for every homeowner and require certain maintenance if you want them to be hygienic and look good, even after years of use. Regular vacuuming and professional upholstery cleaning are a must to prevent the fabric from wear. But there are some other tricks that will help you prolong your furniture’s life and keep it looking as good as new for a very long time.
Here are 5 easy cleaning hacks that will save you time, money, and efforts.
Bring Back Upholstery Colours with Scrubbing Brush
If you notice that your sofa’s colour has started to look faded, don’t reach out for furniture catalogue yet! Sometimes the reason the upholstery looks dull is dust, accumulated deep into the fabric’s fibres. Next time you are about to clean your sofa, take a few minutes and brush the fabric well. This will help loosen the fibres and when you run a vacuum, you will extract the deeply settled dust. After you are done the upholstery’s colour will look brighter and fresher.
Are you a fan of cleaning hacks? Check these 10 amazing uses of toothpaste!
Fluff the Cushions to Save Their Shape
At some point, sofa cushions start looking deformed. We sit and lean on them day after day, so it is natural they start losing their shape. There are two things you can do to avoid this and protect the sofa from wear. Every now and then, take all the removable cushions of your sofa out and fluff them thoroughly. This will prevent the filling from flattening and the fabric from stretching. You can also flip the cushions if they are two-sided to avoid uneven wear and deformation.
Read also: 3 Methods for a Clean Mattress at Home
Get Rid of Pet Hair Using Tape
Even the most expensive home vacuum cleaners aren’t able to extract all of the pet hair from the upholstery. Especially, when you are dealing with short, thick kinds of fur. However, the only thing you need to pull out pet hair from the fabric is paper tape. Wrap the tape around your hand like a glove, with the adhesive side out. Tap the upholstery gently and you will be amazed how much hairs you will collect. You can use this trick to remove easily food crumbles and grit.
Lift Grease Stains with Salt
Grease stain is always bad news. If you let it sit, there’s a big chance it will become a permanent spot. The best thing to do, when dealing with a grease stain on your upholstery, is to lift the grease with salt. Cover the spill with a paper towel to extract the excessive oil. After that, sprinkle a generous amount of salt directly onto the stain. Let it sit like this for 30 minutes and vacuum. Salt will absorb most if not all of the grease. After this procedure treat the upholstery with appropriate stain removal product
Learn how to use salt for cleaning at home.
Use Baking Soda to Remove Bad Odours
Baking soda has the amazing property to absorb bad smells. Sprinkle generous amounts of ordinary baking soda directly onto the upholstery and leave it like this for 30 minutes. Use the vacuum to clean the sofa after that. Baking soda works better than most commercial deodorising products. You can apply this trick to carpets and clothes as well.
These small tricks will help you keep your sofa or armchair in good shape. However, consider deep cleaning at least once a year to prolong the life of your soft furniture. Hire only certified upholstery cleaners to ensure optimal results.
