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Shampooing Fabric Covered Furniture by Mark Dunne

Upholstery should be vacuumed at least once a week to keep it bright and fresh looking, but once a year it should be shampooed, or in rare instances, professionally dry cleaned.

The cleaning methods are similar between the items, but do not start on either piece of furniture without first identifying what the fabric content is and whether or not it is washable and color fast. The manufacturer often attaches a label, usually sewn to the underside of the cushions or stapled to the frame of the couch or chair, that will usually say what the fabric is made of and how it should be cleaned. If there is no label, or if the label does not say how it is to be cleaned, then consult a fabric cleaning chart for help in making an educated guess for selecting a suitable cleaning method.

Allow yourself several hours to shampoo a chair. It may take a full day or more for a couch. Do not expect to do the whole job at once because the constant wringing and rubbing involved cleaning a large piece of furniture can be an arm-wearying process. And if you tire out before the work is complete, the cleaned area may stand out in glaring contrast to the rest of the fabric. So, to prevent both fatigue and unsightly contrasts, clean one panel, or view angle, at a time.

Before shampooing your furniture, remove and vacuum the loose cushions and pillows. Then vacuum the chair or couch itself, using the upholstery brush and the crevice tool in seams and around the cording and the buttons where dust tends to collect. DO NOT remove zippered cushion covers or slip covers for washing separately in the washing machine. Although they are designed for easy removal, these covers should be cleaned in place. If they are washed in the washing machine, they may tend to shrink or stretch out of alignment.

The basic tool for shampooing is a supply of clean white terryclothtoweling. This is absorbent enough to retain cleaning solutions and abrasive enough to remove dirt without damaging delicate fabrics.

Most washable fabrics can be cleaned with a weak solution of warm water and a mild non-alkaline detergent. One such solution can be made by mixing 1 tablespoon of white powdered laundry detergent and 1 teaspoon of household ammonia or white vinegar into 1 gallon of lukewarm water. The addition of ammonia or white vinegar can enhance the detergents brightening effect.

Heavily soiled areas such as armrests and the headrest may require the heavier abrasion of a nylon or natural bristle scrub brush to remove gummy deposits of body oils and dust. Whichever tool is used, avoid over-wetting. In fact, the detergent based cleaning solutions should be whipped into dry foam and applied with toweling or brushes that are moistened, but not wet.

This can be accomplished by pouring a small amount of your liquid detergent mixture into a bucket. Now, using an ordinary kitchen hand-held egg beater or an electric hand mixer, whip the ingredients into stiff foam. There should be little or no liquid at the bottom of the bucket when you are finished whipping. Alternately, you can use an electric blender to create the foam.

Test the cleaning solution on an inconspicuous part of the upholstery, such as a hem or seam allowance on the underside of the furniture to make sure that it is compatible with the fabric or with the dyes.

Wiping Out Light Soil

Fold a clean white terrycloth towel into a convenient working size and dip it lightly into the foam. Wring out the towel thoroughly until no more moisture can be squeezed out. Wipe one complete panel of the upholstery with firm, parallel strokes, either horizontally or vertically overlapping the strokes slightly. Occasionally dip the towel into the foam to replenish it, each time wringing out the towel until no more moisture can be squeezed out. As soon as the working surface of the towel appears dirty, re-fold it to expose a clean section to work with. As the foam begins to dissolve in the bucket, whip it again

Now repeat the entire process going over the panel in the opposite direction. Remove the foam by wiping the entire panel with a clean terry towel moistened in fresh water and wrung dry until no more moisture can be squeezed out. Work in parallel strokes to the original direction. Rinse the towel clean and each time wring it dry.

Brushing Out Heavy Soil

Immerse a soft bristled nylon scrub brush in boiling water for few seconds to soften the bristles. Blot the brush dry with a clean terrycloth towel. Dip the brush into the foam and shake most of the foam back into the bucket. Using light pressure, scrub the upholstery in a circular pattern working on only one square foot at a time. Repeat the scrubbing on adjacent areas and as you work, overlap the areas slightly. Replenish the brush with foam as necessary and when the bristles begin to stiffen submerge them in boiling water again. If the foam begins to dissolve, rewhip it. Remove the foam with a clean terrycloth towel moistened in fresh water.

Restoring the Nap

When the fabric has dried completely, run your hand back and forth on the fabric to determine the direction of the nap. Using a clean dry terrycloth towel, raise the nap by wiping the fabric in the opposite direction that the nap wants to lay. For best results, you can flatten your hand with your fingers extended and stretch the towel across your palm, holding the ends tight with your free hand. Work in smooth, overlapping strokes until the original appearance of the nap is restored.

Some napped fabrics such as plush, can also be restored with light vacuuming. Run the upholstery attachment over the fabric in overlapping strokes, working in one direction only.

And now you can enjoy the new look of your clean furniture.

Mark Dunne is a successful freelance writer providing advice on your a number of topics like
Concrete Articles and Drywall Plaster if you have time drop by his site for some tips and information. http://www.diystuff.com

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