Having your home's furniture and drapes cleaned by a professional on a regular basis can be a good way to make all that fabric last longer, while keeping it looking its best. Like carpeting, the nap and fibre of the material that makes up upholstery and drapes can get worn down over the years; body oils, dirty fingers closing those drapes, dirt from your clothes when you sit on furniture, and pets coming into contact with those materials also makes those fabric look drab and dull. When you're ready to have these items cleaned, note a few questions you might have first, and then discuss them with professional upholstery cleaner if you still need more information.
Should furniture guard be reapplied after cleaning?
If you've had a stain guard applied to your furniture, either at the time of purchase or sometime after you brought the furniture home, it's good to have it reapplied every time you have the furniture cleaned. This isn't necessarily because the cleaning itself will damage or remove that coating, but simply because it should be reapplied regularly. Over the years, that guard can become uneven and offer less protection for your furniture, as sitting on furniture or pulling on drapes can wear way that protective layer. Cigarette smoke, air pollution, and other elements can also damage and erode that guard over time. To protect your freshly cleaned items, consider having a fresh layer of stain guard or protection applied.
What if the furniture says "dry clean only"?
A furniture or drapery manufacturer may have a recommended method of cleaning, but this may not be the only way to clean such fabrics and to restore their nap and colour. A professional cleaner will usually read the tags to determine exactly the type of fabric that makes up the upholstery or drapes, and then do a spot test to find the right method of cleaning.
If the fabric is really old, why not just replace it?
You can certainly replace drapes and have furniture reupholstered as it suits you, but homeowners are very often surprised at how a deep cleaning can improve the look of these pieces. Cleaning can restore the colour of fabrics and the texture, so that lightweight drapes may billow like they're supposed to, and heavier drapes don't just sit limply from the rod. Cleaning can also make furniture cushions and backing seem fluffier and help to restore their shape. At the very least, consider a cleaning first before you decide on replacing these items, as you may be surprised to find that they still have years of life left in them.
Share2 May 2017
Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is Harper, and I am a bit of a clean freak. In order to keep on top of both my office and my home, I have learned a lot of cleaning tips and hacks over the year. If you want to know how to get wine out of your carpet, how to stop a grease stain from setting on your couch, how to clean grout or tile work, or any other cleaning tips, this blog is dedicated to you. Over the years, I have explored everything from cleaning quickly to cleaning thoroughly to hiring professional cleaners. I hope that you enjoy reading my blog and that it helps you and your spaces to stay clean!