Ever watch a movie with your family or friends and wonder how they got the couch so dirty? There are people who would say it’s all about luck. But what if I told you that luck has nothing to do with it, but the choices you make when getting ready to sit on your favorite piece of furnishing?
A few tips to keep your couch spot-free are as follows:
- Clean off any spills or messes before they have a chance to settle onto the fabric, especially if it is food
- If possible, use a coaster for drinks and prevent rings from forming on the surface of the couch
- Be sure that everyone in your household is aware of how dirty their shoes can get and do not let them walk in with those shoes on this will also reduce the amount of dirt being brought into your home
- Vacuum – Cleaning your furniture with a soft brush attachment is an easy way to remove dust and hair from the surface without damaging what you’re sitting on
- Use a damp cloth on grease stains, dried fruit and other sticky messes
- Blot up any spilled liquids instead of wiping them away with a dry cloth to help keep the fabric from absorbing more of your stain, also you can use patio furniture covers for longer life.
- A new product from Resolve is also supposed to be able to remove many common stains from furniture. Whether it works or not, I haven’t tried it yet but it’s nice to know we have choices when accidents happen
- Test for colorfastness in an unnoticeable area before using anything on your couch. This way you will be more confident in knowing your couch is going to stay nice and not get ruined
- If it doesn’t come off, don’t scrub – Scrubbing can rub the stain further into the fibers and make the problem worse
- Don’t mix up your solvents – Using cleaning products that both contain oil and water (such as Windex) on a grease or oil-based stain will cause it to spread
- When all else fails, call in professional help – Some stains may require special care in order for them to come out of your fabric; we can guarantee we’ll have something that works for any situation.
FAQs:
Q: How do we get the stains out?
A: We always try and use a pre-spray first to penetrate the stain and then hit it with an extraction tool. If that doesn’t work, we can always try other chemicals, but you never want to apply too many harsh chemicals as it could damage your fabric; another reason for calling us right away
Q: Can we try that home remedy everyone has heard about?
A: Sure, go ahead if you are willing to risk damaging your furniture (We recommend you don’t)
Q: What is colorfastness?
A: The resistance of dyed textile materials (including natural fibers like cotton or wool but not including nylon or synthetic fibers such as polyester or acrylic) to fading and running when subjected to light and normal wear.
Q: What do you mean by extraction tool?
A: This is a piece of equipment with small, hard rubber-like bristles on the end of a rotating brush. When agitated it helps agitate the stain within the material. It works great for our Bissell Big Green Machine (it’s also fun to say, especially if your name is Big Green)
Conclusion:
Through the years we have learned a lot about removing stains from furniture, but sometimes there’s just nothing that can be done. If you have found that to be the case for your sofa or chair, then it may be time for a new piece of furnishing.
Remember to always check colorfastness! Some newer fabrics are made with synthetics and not as much dye is used in the process; if the stain isn’t removed correctly, it could cause damage to your fabric. You also want to make sure you don’t accidently create any rings on your furniture, which will make cleaning even harder over time.
It’s possible to have nice clean furniture without worrying about how you are going to get stains out. Follow the tips on this article and you’ll be able to keep your couch looking great for many years!