Keeping your living room clean is always a priority since it receives a lot of traffic – from welcoming guests and having activities for family reunions and college parties. Swiping the floors and cleaning the windows are easy enough but how do you clean and maintain furniture fabric or curtains? In this article, here are some tips on proper maintenance of certain types of fabric.
Leather
Any quality-leather furniture should always be given careful attention because most concerns with this type of fabric are because of neglect and inconsistent maintenance. Cleaning leather with water is enough, use a moist cloth and wipe each surface area of your leather seating. You don’t need to be afraid of wetting your leather couch; this type of fabric can withstand pure water. Cleaning it at least on a weekly basis can help maintain the quality of the leather to its proper condition. Also, make sure to take your leather furniture out of the areas exposed to sunlight. Leather does not do well when exposed to light or heat because it fades. To maintain its color, make sure to place your furniture near corners where it is cool and provides enough shade.
Carpet
Maintenance of your carpet every six months is highly recommended to make sure that the dust and allergens trapped in the paddings and fibers are removed. When removing old stains in your carpets, the vinegar and baking soda solution is highly effective and is widely used for carpet cleaning in Wollongong. Pour a good amount of vinegar that it mostly covers the stain, then pour baking soda over the stain and let it sit for a few days. After two days, there should be some residue due to the baking soda and you can clean it up using a vacuum. The stain should be non-existent because of the baking soda. The cleaning solution doesn’t pick any type of carpet because it efficiently cleans away those old stains.
Upholstery Fabric
Dust and dirt can really damage upholstery fabric so it is advisable to vacuum regularly with an upholstery attachment. Make sure that dust doesn’t pile up and collect. But if stains are your problem, use white distilled vinegar when spot-cleaning. Vinegar is effective in removing surface stains and then use a soap solution to give the stained area an intense cleaning.
Draperies
Some of the common problems with draperies are the conditions it is exposed to. Like leather, direct sunlight can discolor the fabric. Other factors should also be considered when the color of the fabric starts to fade. It may be because of moisture, exposure to light and heat and age. Also if not properly dry-cleaned or laundered, it can cause shrinking as well especially to loosely woven fabrics. To be able to protect your curtains from the sun, use blinds or shades to lessen the effect of the rays. Aside from the sun, dust and grimes are the usual culprits that are doing the damage on your curtains. To prevent the dirt from accumulating in your curtains, give them a gentle shake every night to dislodge the dust that may have piled up during the day. And before you wash them (if washable), vacuum the curtains first so there are no dust particles getting stuck when wet.
Author Bio
Sean Si is the Marketing guy of Electrodry Carpet Cleaning. He is the go-to guy when it comes to the latest home improvement tips. When he’s not busy, he writes about healthy home and life, and spends quality time with his family and friends.
I’ve always been leery of buying leather because of the kids. It’s nice to see there are some ways to care for it and keep it looking nice.
Toughcookiemommy recently posted…Inspire Your Children To Solve Problems In Creative Ways! #Wishenpoof @KidzVuz #Partner
It’s so hard to have nice things with kids… but possible <3
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
We have a leather couch which has been fairly simple to care for. The problem in our house is the cat. Even if she’s not intentionally scratching furniture, she scratches it when she walks across it.
Jaime recently posted…Where I run: DC #runningview #runDC
Oh no!
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
This is so helpful! We have a leather couch and I have been terrified of cleaning it! Good to know I can use water on it. I usually only dap a little bit at a time out of fear of ruining the material!
Carla recently posted…Centreville with linky #WW
So glad you know now! 🙂
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
These are some really great tips. I think I will try the vinegar and baking soda on a couple of stains on my carpet!
Michele recently posted…Book Review-Pokergeist-Michael Phillip Cash
Love that secret!
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
This is a great post. I am going to bookmark this one. I always have to look all over the internet now I have it in one post.
Amber NElson recently posted…4 Good Reasons to Host a Foreign Exchange Student
Perfect!
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
Thanks for the tips. I’m going to look into the drapes maintenance. It makes so much sense what you mentioned above, and this is very helpful to me due to my bad allergies.
sacha recently posted…Hold on to your now / wordless wednesday
I love drapes… but proper care is key! My hubby has terrible allergies!
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
Great tips! We just got new drapes, totally bookmarking this!
Ooohh! Fancy!
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
These are awesome tips. We have a leather sofa and it’s been with us for years. I just clean it with a damp cloth.
Ourfamilyworld recently posted…Must Have Back To School Accessories for Kids of All Ages
Great way to clean it and keep it safe!
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
These are very helpful tips to keep in mind as summer turns to fall season and we need to clean house and put things away. We are probably going to change our carpets in the fall as they outlived their attractiveness.
Carpet is so hard, isn’t it!?
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
These are very helpful tips to keep in mind as summer turns to fall season and we need to clean house and put things away. We are probably going to change our carpets in the fall as they outlived their attractiveness.
Elizabeth
PS… why is my name not appearing on my posts on your blog? Odd!
It came back 😉
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…#52WeeksA4A week 32 Music
There are so any different types of fabrics in the living room that need different cleaning strategies and maintenance. The fabric that I don’t like the most of all is leather. I use few products for cleaning it and waxing it in order to stay clean and shiny. The carpets are also pretty difficult as I have two dogs and a kid. There are so many different stains to clean. Thanks for the tips! It is always nice to get some new ideas for doing your house work better! Greets!
🙂
You have some great tips that I will have to try to make my cleaning routine a little easier. Thanks for sharing!
I hope it helps!
These are awesome tips. We have a leather sofa and it’s been with us for years. I just clean it with a damp cloth.
Just little TLC goes a long way!
There are so any different types of fabrics in the living room that need different cleaning strategies and maintenance. The fabric that I don’t like the most of all is leather.
Leather is hard to clean, for sure!
This is great! I never know how to effectively clean my furniture, since you can’t just stick a couch in a washing machine! It’s great to know that that upholstery can be vacuumed or treated with vinegar if needed. I’ll definitely be keeping that in mind the next time my kids spill something on the couch. Thanks for the info!
Just little TLC goes a long way!
Leather cannot be cleaned with usual cleaners like vinegar or baking soda. For cleaning leather I use rubbing alcohol most of the time and mix a little of dishsoap if there is any sticky stain on it. Kind of works.
Great info! Thanks!
You have a nice tip for the curtains as well. Using blinds can decrease the light exposure and improve longevity.
Great tips! It’s much better to maintain your fabrics than to have a big mess on your hands – dust adding up on draperies and stains accumulating on your carpet will only make the clean-up take that much longer. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips Chelley. I agree that vinegar and baking soda is a super way to clean your carpets! I have used both plain white vinegar and apple cider vinegar with equal success. It’s safe, natural, and effective. Have a great weekend.
Another masterpiece …..
I always use your techniques and found a great response. I like your presentation and the way you simplify a complex thing. And most importantly, keep helping all the online community members, like the way you do now. God bless you…