How to clean upholstered furniture
Cleaning upholstered furniture with steam cleaners are the best way to remove dirt, mites, pet hair and stains that usually sit deep in the upholstery of sofas, couches or armchairs.
Cleaning sofas with a steam cleaner
Steam cleaners use steam, which is heated to around 150 degrees, to reliably kill germs and dust mites - ideal for allergy sufferers. The steam penetrates deep into the upholstery and removes stubborn and ingrained dirt as well as unpleasant odours.use your steam cleaner with a suitable fabric cover. This distributes the steam, prevents scratches and traps dirt. After cleaning, you can put the cover in the washing machine Important: Before using the steam cleaner, always check whether your upholstered furniture is designed for it. Look at the care recommendation and do a test on a non-visible area. Otherwise fibres or the colour may come loose from the fabric.
Use a vacuum cleaner
Use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust, pet hair or everyday dirt from the sofa and armchair with a hoover or hand hoover. If you do this regularly, you can prevent many stains from forming in the first place, but if you want to remove older stains from the sofa, you should use a wet or washing vacuum cleaner. Shampoo the upholstery with cleaning agents and then vacuum away the residue with a wet vacuum cleaner. A washing vacuum cleaner even does the application and vacuuming in one step.
Cleaning upholstered furniture
You don't have to buy extra cleaning products for upholstery. You'll find plenty of good home remedies in your store cupboard. Our favourites are: baking soda or baking powder which disinfects and is strong against stains. Sprinkle it on the upholstery and work it in with a damp cloth. Leave it on overnight and then vacuum it off. Baking soda works in the same way.
Cleaning the sofa with a saucepan lid
Try cleaning the sofa with a saucepan lid. You need a bucket + washing liquid, saucepan pot lid and a microfibre cloth and gloves. Dissolve the soap in the bucket of hot water. Use about half of a normal load in the washing machine. Put on the gloves and dip the cloth in the solution. Wring it out and wrap it around the lid of the pot. Run the lid over your sofa or armchairs. Then repeat the procedure with clean water.
Dry vs. damp cleaning
Damp methods for cleaning upholstery, such as wet or washing vacuum cleaners, are best only used for stubborn stains. Hoovers are perfectly adequate for everyday cleaning of your upholstered furniture. Always follow the care instructions. You will find all the information on safe cleaners and cleaning methods on the label.
Types of stain
Do you want to clean greasy upholstery or have you spilt some wine on the sofa? Each type of stain requires a specific cleaning method.
Grease stains: Remove grease stains as soon as possible with a damp cloth and washing-up liquid.
Red wine: Sprinkle table salt on the stain and dab with a cloth moistened with distilled water. Then clean the area with a solution of distilled water at approx. 30 °C and mild detergent.Ink: Pick up fresh ink with a cotton bud. Then treat the stain with a mixture of distilled water and citric acid (1 tablespoon of citric acid to 100 ml of distilled water). In stubborn cases, you can also use decolouriser if the care instructions allow it.animal urine: Use a special cleaner that breaks down odours. The product must be sprayed onto the upholstery several times so that it can penetrate deeply.
