Top 5 Tips for Upholstery Steam Cleaning Melbourne

If you are looking for tips on upholstery steam cleaning Melbourne, then this article is for you! If like me, you have saved your hard earned cash and invested in a beautiful lounge suite, then you will want to make sure you keep it looking its best for many years to come. Just think about it – where do you spend most of your waking hours at home? Usually on the couch, right? Your couch is one of the hardest working pieces of furniture in your home, so you need to look after it! It doesn’t matter if your furniture is fabric or leather, both need regular care and attention and the occasional help from a professional.

Our Top Tips for Upholstery Steam Cleaning Melbourne

Tip 1: Vacuum Regularly

When upholstery steam cleaning or just maintaining your couch, always start with a vacuum! Your couch can collect a lot of dust and dirt, which sits on top of the fibres making them look dull.  Dust and dirt particles can cause premature wear and tear of the fibre so try to vacuum regularly, especially if you have pets!  Pet hair can be difficult to remove by vacuuming alone, so you might want to invest in a pet hair removal glove or one of the many other rollers or gadgets sold in pet stores, for this purpose.

If you have kids, you also might need to vacuum more regularly, because if they are anything like mine, they will drop crumbs and food all over the couch and into every nook and cranny!  Leather couches also need the occasional vacuum, especially under the cushions and in the crevices.

A damp soft microfibre cloth is also handy for removing dust from leather furniture.  If you plan to clean your couch, then a pre vacuum is a vital first step.  Once you make the couch wet, the dirt and dust will add to the task if not removed beforehand.

 Tip 2: Blot spills immediately!

There you are enjoying a quite glass of wine after a long day and next thing you  know, the dog jumps up next to you and BAM!  There goes your nice glass of red, all over the couch! It is crucial to attend to the spill as soon as possible to prevent it soaking into the padding and permanently staining the fabric.

Blot the stain NEVER rub or scrub!  Rubbing the fabric with a cloth or scrubbing it with a brush can cause even more damage to the fibre.  Grab a soft dry cloth and gently blot at the stain until you have removed as much liquids as possible.

If you have your upholstery treated with a fabric protector, then the liquid from spills will “pool” on top of the fabric, giving you time to grab a cloth and gently blot up the liquid without leaving any permanent staining.  Fabric protection will buy you time but will not stop staining altogether, unless you act quickly.

Tip 3: Check the labels

Furniture manufacturers use different codes on the care labels of soft furnishings.  These codes indicate the best method of cleaning for the type of fabric or leather used. Always check the care label on your couch before applying any type of cleaning solution or liquid.  In Australia, there is a mandatory standard for the labeling of all clothing and textiles.  Information on the label must be in English and must provide information on how to care and clean the fabric as well as how to avoid damage.  This standard also applies to leather and suede. The codes most commonly used for furniture are;

• “W” – item can be washed using water and water based detergents, however do not over wet the fabric. Can use professional upholstery steam cleaning Melbourne service to clean.
• “S” – Dry solvent cleaning only – DO NOT  use water or water based detergents and do not use upholstery steam cleaning.
• “WS” – You can use either water based detergents or solvents to clean this fabric. Professional upholstery steam or dry cleaning can be used.
• “X” – Professional cleaning or vacuuming only – do not use water or solvents as they may cause damage or discolouration.

Should your furniture no longer have care labels attached, then always proceed with caution.  If you are going to attempt spot cleaning the couch yourself, then I recommend trying the product on an inconspicuous part of the couch first to check for colour fastness, etc.  As always, if in any doubt, call a professional upholstery cleaner for advice.

Tip 4: Use appropriate cleaning method for the type fabric and stain

There is never a “one size fits all” cleaning agent when it comes to general cleaning or stain removal, of your soft furnishings.  You need to determine if the stain is food, drink, protein, grease, ink, or something else.  The type of cleaning agent you use will very much depend on the type of stain.  Our tips for carpet stain removal will explain more about treating different types of stains on fabric. These tips are only for furniture with W or WS labels, always seek professional advice for S and X labeled furniture.

Sometimes spot cleaning can leave water marks and in this case you will need to clean the whole couch to remove them.  I would recommend calling in a professional upholstery steam cleaner to fix water marks. You also need to be mindful of natural fibres such as wool and cotton, which need specialty cleaning agents designed specifically for natural fibres.

If your couch is leather or suede then you will need to use specialty leather cleaning and condition products to prevent damage to the leather finish.

Tip 5: Call in the pros at least once a year for upholstery steam cleaning Melbourne

Vacuuming and spot cleaning are good for general maintenance of your furniture, however a professional clean at least once or twice a year will help stop wear and tear as well as keeping your couch clean and hygienic.  For leather couches this is especially important to stop fading and cracking of the leather.

You can hire a DIY carpet cleaning machine and clean your furniture yourself, however you do need to be careful not to over wet the couch and especially the padding.  Sometimes these machines are not powerful enough to remove a lot of the water used for cleaning.  This can result in water damaged furniture and even mould. For just a few dollars more than the cost of the machine hire and detergent, you can save yourself time and energy by using a professional upholstery steam cleaning Melbourne service.

What are your Upholstery cleaning tips?

If you have discovered any great home made cleaning solutions or come across any nifty gadgets for upholstery care, then I would love to hear about them.  Please leave a comment below! If you would like to discover some tips for spring cleaning or clever Christmas carpet cleaning tips please follow the links.

Please contact us  for all inquiries or to book in your next couch clean!