Homemade Upholstery Cleaners
Dirty and stained upholstery. We all hate it, right? Sadly, no matter how much you hope for it, those stains simply aren’t going to disappear without a bit of work, and this is where upholstery cleaners come into play. Armed with a few select materials and you can be kissing goodbye to those pesky stains once and for all. Let’s take a little look at what you need to make your furniture clean and stain free.
Let’s start with the natural upholstery cleaners. Did you know that majority of stains on synthetic materials can be eradicated with nothing more than a baby wipe? This is because they can be cleaned with water-based upholstery cleaners. Of course, you need to act fast if you want to get rid of it completely.
If you are dealing with something that needs to be cleaned with a detergent based cleaner then you can use nothing more than a combination of soap and water. It doesn’t always work, and it is suggested that you clean a part that is out of sight first to check that there is no discoloration, but it can still be quite effective. To make your homemade upholstery stain cleaner you will need:
½ cup of liquid dish detergent (you can also use soap flakes, but not laundry detergent)
½ cup of water
Whip both ingredients together by using a hand mixer or egg beater until it starts frothing. Dip a sponge, upholstery brush or rag into the foam, apply it on your couch surface and scrub. Don’t overdo it as too much scrubbing may damage the fabric surface and texture. Rinse with water and let it dry.
For general cleaning of larger upholstery surfaces you may use the same recipe, but mix more water.
Many people also find that vinegar and warm water work well as upholstery cleaners. However, the latter option is only recommended on synthetic based upholstery. Again, it is absolutely vital that you test it out first on a part of the furniture that is ‘out of sight’. That way you can be sure that it doesn’t carry out any discoloration of the material. You can’t just throw vinegar on the surface and hope for it to work; you will need to make a little mix. This is what you need to use:
½ cup of white vinegar
1 cup of warm water
½ tablespoon of liquid soap (optional, add to the mix if your upholstery is badly soiled)
Put all the ingredients in a plastic spray bottle and mix the solution thoroughly. Spray the solution on your upholstery. Scrub the area with the rag or cloth until it’s clean. You may repeat the process if necessary.
Natural cleaners are less toxic and help the environment, but in some cases they may be not enough to eradicate certain stains. If that happens, consider getting an upholstery cleaning product or contacting a professional cleaner.