Our home’s upholstery is something that we come into contact with every single day. Yet for many of us, upholstery cleaning is something we never think to do.
Why is that?
One reason may be simple ignorance—we avoid upholstery cleaning because we don’t know what it is. Here at Always Clean LLC, we take upholstery cleaning seriously. If you’re not certain what upholstery cleaning entails or if it’s right for you, we’ve got all the answers you need. Read on.
What Is Upholstery?
Upholstery is the fabric and padding that covers your furniture—sofas, love seats, arm chairs, ottomans, stools, and more are all covered with upholstery fabric.
What Is Upholstery Cleaning? How Does It Work?
Upholstery cleaning (as you might expect) is the process of cleaning the fabric that upholsters your furniture. But the process is more difficult than it might sound at first.
For one thing, upholstery is often made up of relatively delicate natural fabrics like cotton. For another, most furniture doesn’t let you just remove the upholstery to run it through the washing machine. Upholstery cleaning requires special equipment and know-how.
First, upholstery is inspected to make note of any tears or other damage. Then, the fabric is vacuumed, conditioned, rinsed, and vacuum dried. Another method is with hot-water extraction, also known as “steam cleaning.”
Again, this all occurs with specialized equipment—don’t try a DIY job with a shampoo bottle and a regular vacuum cleaner. You’ll be sorry you did.
What Are the Benefits of Upholstery Cleaning?
The benefits of upholstery cleaning are similar to those of routine carpet cleaning and other routine chores like air duct cleaning: improved indoor air quality, removal of allergens, dust, dirt, grime, and more.
In short, keeping things clean is the right (and healthy) thing to do.
How Often Should You Have Your Upholstery Cleaned?
The answer to this question depends on a few variables. Do you have kids? Do you have pets? Do you work outside, or frequently track in dirt and grime?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, you should probably have the upholstery in your main living areas cleaned at least twice per year. If not, once a year or every 18 months should do it.
Here’s an easy test to see if you’re past due for a cleaning: Take a clean white cloth, moisten it with a little tap water, and rub it vigorously along your sofa or chair’s arms and back. If you can see dirt coming off of the upholstery with the rag, it’s time for a clean.
Upholstery Cleaning Services
Like we said before, upholstery cleaning is best left to the professionals. While you can rent cleaning machines from many hardware or appliance rental stores, we don’t recommend it. Professionals have access to better equipment and more experience using it.
If you’re in Connecticut, Always Clean LLC offers dependable professional upholstery cleaning services across the shoreline and New Haven County, including Essex and Wallingford.
Get in touch to learn more or make an appointment!
