5 Tips To Help You Maintain Your Upholstered Furniture


They say there’s more than one way to skin a cat, well there’s also more than one way to clean a couch. Maintaining your upholstered furniture can be an uphill battle, especially if you have children or pets, and the more of those who live there, the bigger the challenge.

But let’s not blame the (mostly) defenseless for all of your upholstery woes, you might also shoulder some of that blame for not keeping up with a proper maintenance schedule to clean and beautify your furniture. Many consumers are diligent about having their carpets cleaned on a regular basis, but when was the last time you called in professional upholstery cleaning Fairfax to give your furniture the same care and attention?

It’s likely been far too long, if at all, since you’ve had your upholstery cleaned by an expert at the task. Short of doing that (and really, you should at least once a year, like your carpets), here are five ways to keep your upholstery looking, smelling, and feeling its best.

1. Routine Maintenance

The quicker you develop a regular cleaning schedule for your upholstered furniture, the better. So pick one day a week to go over all of your upholstery with your preferred cleaning product. Regular upkeep will make it easier to keep the fabric in great shape, help to lift stains, and keep its luster for a lot longer.

2. Spot Cleaning

You may have a preferred store-bought cleanser that you like to use for those occasional accidents. But there’s one option that you may not have thought about and that’s common hairspray. It’s an excellent way to erase those works of art that kids might create on your sofa upholstery with markers or pens.

You don’t even need to have kids for this to be a great idea. Those of us who like to work in the living room may have that errant pen go rogue and mark up the couch cushion by mistake. Well now, just spray the area and blot, never wipe. You’ll see it disappear almost immediately.

3. Homemade Remedy

Maybe you’re not so keen on going with a store-bought cleanser and would rather use something home made. No problem, there are a multitude of options out there, some of which incorporate a little liquid detergent, some white vinegar, and warm water. Those components should do the trick nicely or do a quick online search for other alternatives.

4. Fabric and Upholstery Protectant

Giving your upholstery a coating of Scotchgard or a similar fabric protectant is one of your best options for maintaining your upholstery. This is a technologically advanced solution that, when sprayed on the fibers of your furniture upholstery, provides a stain resistant barrier that will keep your material from absorbing liquids and other substances and damaging it in the end.

5. Slipcovers

When all else fails, you can purchase form-fitting slipcovers that you can fit over your arm rests and seat cushions to keep them from getting damaged and looking worn out. These aren’t the plastic slipcovers that you probably had to sit on at your aunt Susan’s house when you were a kid, today’s slipcovers look a lot more modern and stylish.