How to clean upholstery yourself

 The best way to clean upholstery yourself is to use the recommended fabric manufacturers cleaning solution and a clean paper towel. Spray the cleaning solution on the stain. Be sure to blot the stain out, with clean paper towel, rather than rubbing the stain further into the fabric. This may take some time and the cleaning process may have to be repeated in order to fully remove the stain. Some manufacturers recommend using water to rinse the cleaning solution out of the upholstery and others don't. There are a few things to consider before you begin to clean upholstery yourself. Take these steps to avoid damaging or permanently staining your furniture.

Identify your furniture fabric or covering

This has got to be the most important step to the cleaning process and what mixture to use for your furniture. The furniture should have a tag or label specifying what type of fabric or material the furniture is made of. It could be polyester, acrylic, cotton, polypropylene, linen, leather, canvas, rayon, or wool. Usually, you want to identify the fiber into a natural fiber or synthetic fiber. Most synthetic fibers have a similar way of cleaning them as do natural fibers.

Look for the cleaning code and how to clean your upholstery

            Most upholstery fabric has a cleaning code indicating the proper way to clean your furniture. The code can determine what solvent-based upholstery cleaner to use in order to break up the stain. The codes can be…

W – You can clean this material using water. You can also use a water-based shampoo or upholstery foam cleaner. Furniture with fabrics labeled with “W” are the easiest to clean. Do not over wet the furniture and use a professional cleaning service for larger, non-spot cleanable stains.

S – No Water! You’ll need to purchase a solvent-based upholstery cleaner. Spot clean only and DO     NOT USE WATER! If the fabrics appear to be piling, a metallic brush or shaver might need to be used. To prevent circling or a soil ring, clean the outside of the spill first and work your way in. For larger stains, call a furniture cleaning service to assist and to prevent overall soiling.

WS – You can use water or a solvent-based upholstery cleaner on this furniture. Steam cleaning and hot water extraction is not recommended. Cushion cases should not be removed and laundered or dry cleaned. When cleaning a spill, blot immediately and removed the liquid or solid material. Clean spots or stains from the outside, then work your way in to avoid water or soil rings. Use an upholstery cleaning service for larger more inconvenient stains and to prevent overall soiling.

X – Vacuum only or light brushing with a non-metallic, stiff bristle brush. Do not use water or solvent-based upholstery cleaner. Use an upholstery cleaning professional to prevent permanent stains and overall soiling. 

Get online and read about your furniture

Most of the time, your furniture is online, somewhere. Simply get on Google and type in your furniture manufacturers name of where you bought the couch. There should be videos and direct cleaning instructions from the manufacturer or from clients who have purchased the same furniture. I would suggest reading what cleaning instructions that have worked the best with other people experiences. Remember to not spend a ton of time on this because your stain is setting! For the quickest cleaning instructions, call your furniture manufacturer.

Cleaning Upholstery Yourself - Tips

When it comes to cleaning your furniture, there are several different ways you can approach cleaning. Again, it is important to know your cleaning code and what cleaning agents you can use on your furniture’s fabric. See the cleaning codes above for cleaning instructions and agents used for your specific cleaning code.

            Stains can come in a couple of different forms. Solid stains like food should be removed in the following way. Try to get all the food debris off the fabric that you can. After you remove the loose food, try to use a vacuum to get some of the other remaining food off the furniture. Ask your upholstery supplier if you can use a brush attachment with your vacuum. Some fabrics can use this attachment, and some do not recommend the vacuum attachment. It is important to check before using it. After removing as much loose debris as you can, apply the correct cleaning agent your code recommends. Always blot and never rub your fabric. Rubbing will cause the stain to go furniture into the cushion and might even make the stain permanent.

            Liquid stains can basically be cleaned in the same way as solid stains. Remove any liquid as soon as the spill occurs. Use the appropriate cleaning agent the instructions the furniture company and cleaning code recommends. Repeat them as necessary and remember to never rub the stain. Always blot the stain instead.

For those larger stains and to prevent overall soiling, call an upholstery cleaning professional near you and ask them to clean your furniture. This is usually the best option because upholstery cleaning pros know how to locate the furniture material type, what cleaning products to use, and the method used to clean the furniture. Yes, this is a more costly option than cleaning upholstery yourself, but it is the best way to avoid ruining your furniture further or damaging your furniture from the using the wrong cleaning agent.

Revolution Performance Fabric Cleaning Instructions

I wanted to write this blog because I think Revolution is special. Our fabric is bleach cleanable, solution dyed polypropylene. Our fiber has no dye sites; meaning the yarn does not stain. Our cleaning instructions are plain and simple. We have not found a stain that won’t come out of Revolution Fabrics. Coffee, wine, ketchup, mustard, even Sharpie marker will come out of Revolution Fabrics. We have even left stains on our fabric for a couple weeks, came back to clean them, and they looked as good as new. With Revolution, you have a little more time and a little less worry!

We do not ask you to use any volatile solvents or harsh cleaning chemicals to clean your couch. Most stains can be cleaned with 2 oz of bleach to 30 oz of water. This is best measured by a standard 32 oz spray bottle and is the best method for applying your cleaner. For more intense stains, we recommend adding Dawn Dish Soap, to the bleach and water mixture, for a little more cleaning power. All our fabrics can be cleaned with bleach and will not change the color of our fabrics; even dark colors. Read more on exact step by step details on how to clean a fabric sofa. We also have a customer support team that can help you with any questions you might have.

How to Clean Revolution Performance Fabrics

1. Remove any loose debris and blot stain.
2. Blot or spray water and bleach solution on the stain and allow solution to soak into fabric (if possible, place a clean towel between the fabric and foam cushion to absorb any excess moisture).
3. Thoroughly rinse fabric with water until clean.
4. Let fabric air dry.

How to Clean Revolution Outdoor Fabric

1.  Remove any loose debris and blot stain.
2.  Blot or spray water and bleach solution on the stain and allow the solution to soak into the fabric (if possible, place a clean towel between the fabric and foam cushion to absorb any excess moisture).
3.  Thoroughly rinse fabric with water until clean with a hose or spray bottle.
4.  Let fabric air dry.

For more detailed instructions, find our stain specific cleaning videos on YouTube or call our support team. Thank you for supporting Revolution Performance Fabrics.