Pros and cons of self-cleaning Upholstery

Not everyone who encounters serious stains on upholstery or textiles orders Upholstery cleaning at home. It is easier for people to try to cope with pollution on their own, to apply universal house cleaning chemicals. The reason for this approach is the belief of customers that chemical cleaning services are less affordable than regular home cleaning. When choosing between two methods for removing stains, people are guided by the following advantages:

Economic benefit.  It is cheaper to try to remove dirt and stains yourself than to order a professional upholstery cleaning ballarat, the price of which reaches 5-6 thousand rubles. In this case, the cost can increase if additional chemicals are required to treat sensitive tissue. But in fact, such cleaning can save a lot of money, as it will keep sofas, armchairs and chairs fresh and original for a long time.

Rapidity.  In an hour, the master can completely process a two or three-seated sofa. During this time, you can completely tidy up one room on your own. It is much faster to handle the room and furniture with your own hands.

Availability. Each housewife has at hand all the necessary set for cleaning furniture – brushes, rags, a vacuum cleaner. In the nearest store you can buy universal detergents that are designed to remove dirt from any surface.

Convenience. To call a cleaning company, you need to set aside your own time. The owner of the furniture will have to follow their work, delve into the process of dry cleaning. It is much more convenient to take the whole procedure into your own hands and not depend on strangers when cleaning.

But in some cases, dry cleaning of Upholstery and carpets is an irreplaceable procedure. Some stains not only impair the appearance of furniture, but are also a source of unpleasant odors. Other textiles accumulate many microscopic particles and become a constant source of dustiness in the room. Even furniture made of leather and natural materials can become such, if you do not dry-clean the Home Furniture for a long time.

Therefore, self-cleaning have its drawbacks:

• Lack of effect. It won’t be easy to remove stains without the use of special cleaning tools and professional solvents. Most often, the owners of fabric sofas, carpets and armchairs do not achieve the desired effect. As a result, stains remain on the outer shell of interior items, or, even worse, it is not possible to remove extraneous odors.
• Damage to tissue. Most store-bought household cleaners contain oxygen bleach. If the temperature or concentration is not correct, it can discolor or damage the fabric. If you keep such a composition in a state applied to furniture for too long, it can cause tissue burns. Therefore, you should not use universal remedies without any experience.
• Additional expenses. If in the process of self-cleaning you incorrectly applied the detergent and left damage on the textiles, this may lead to additional repairs or processing of the material. In order not to doubt the correctness of your actions and not to spend even more, it is better to turn to professionals.

Cleaning the sofa from dirt and odors

The sofa is the main piece of furniture in the living room, which is always the first to catch the eye of guests. Sometimes you have to quickly remove a stain from your couch at home, and dry cleaning can take too much time and money. For such cases, universal tips for cleaning furniture with the help of available tools are suitable. We have compiled a small instruction for each individual type of stain.

• Blood. It is important to clean such a problem area immediately; otherwise there is a high risk of leaving blood particles on the tissue. Ice water and laundry soap will be enough to remove. Instead of water, you can wipe the stain with a piece of ice for more convenience.
• Tea and coffee. If the cloth allows, it is necessary to moisten the place where drinks are spilled with warm water. After that, rub the stain thoroughly with laundry soap and remove the remaining product with a sponge. If the tea was dyed and the coffee was instant, then the stain should easily go away.
•  Wine. Another type of stain that needs to be removed as quickly as possible. Be sure to absorb excess liquid so that the problem area does not increase in size. After that, sprinkle with salt and after 5-10 minutes wipe off with a sponge and soapy water.
•  Cosmetics and greasy stains. Difficult to remove, even if immediate action is taken. Sprinkle salt over the stain and let it sit for 20 minutes. When excess grease is “drawn out” of the fabric, use the foam from the detergent to wipe the stain. Then remove the residue with a wet sponge and dry the surface.
•  Ink. Most often, ink is removed with solvents. It is better to use a non-concentrated alcohol, such as a solution of ammonia. Make sure that in addition to ink, the textiles themselves do not begin to lose color.
•  Wax. Take thick paper and cover the wax spot. Then iron it with a hot iron or use a steam generator. After 3-5 such operations with new paper, the wax will completely disappear from the upholstery.
•  Glue. Much depends on the type of glue. Most often, you can use common solvents: acetone, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, glycerin. If there is a spot of quick fix glue on the fabric, then in the store you can find a special tool “Antiklei”, which will clean the problem area.

Chewing gum. You can try standard methods – freeze or heat the gum, and then remove with a scraper. This method is dangerous in that it can damage the structure of textiles or pile. Solvents are best, but they are not suitable for leather and leatherette.

Smell of urine. To get rid of persistent unpleasant odors, use iodine tincture, vinegar with citric acid, potassium permanganate solution, or a weak ammonia concentrate. Urine odor cannot always be removed immediately, so any elimination procedure must be repeated several times. After using tincture of iodine and ammonia, you will most likely have to carry out self-dry cleaning again.

Use any of these methods only if absolutely necessary. Solvents and physical manipulation can ruin the upholstery of the sofa; disrupt the natural structure of fabric or pile. To be sure to quickly remove dirt, contact a cleaning service to a dry cleaner.