How To Sanitize Your Own Upholstery

Upholstery can be hard to clean and sanitize especially materials such as suede and microfiber furniture. The normal wear and tear on your upholstery as well as stains and smells can really bring your home down and make it feel unclean. The good news is there are ways to get your upholstery clean, stain free, and smelling fresh!

First thing to do is to remove all throw pillows, pillow cases, and throw blankets and give them a good wash, Of course check all tags to ensure you wash them appropriately, but giving these items a good cleaning can make a huge difference alone. Washing these items gets them clean and smelling fresh and a run in the dryer can help disinfect them and fluff them up due to the heat.

For spots and stains that need treated use a mixture of part castile soap and warm water. Take a cloth and dab the spot with this mixture trying not to scrub but more dab the stain. After this, take a dry cloth to absorb any dampness that remains. If you feel like there is still a soap residue that remains, you can take a clean cloth with just warm water and dab the spot again to remove the residue.

There are many reasons your upholstery may have lingering odors whether it be pet related, accidents, or illness these things can cause a noticable odor. There are commercial cleaners that can be used for these odors as well as natural options. If you want to stay clear of commercial cleaners, baking soda is a wonderful odor eliminator for some of the toughest odors. You can sprinkle it on your upholstery or even mix it with warm water to give your upholstery a full wipe down.

When it comes to freshening your upholstery there are a lot of different options available both that you can buy premade or make yourself. Many homeowners have used traditional febreeze with great results, other have said mixing warm water with laundry beads can be a great option. If you’re looking for something more natural you can mix one part water and one part rubbing alcohol with a few drops of an essential oil of your choosing to create a great farbic freshener!

Check to see if your covers come off and how they are to be laundered and give them a good wash. A lot of the smells and spots will come off with a run through the washer. You can use the detergent of your choice and even add a scoop of an oxygen whitener.

Once the covers are back on the couch or chair, its time to give them a good vaccuum. This will get rid of any residual dust or lint as well as pet hair if there are pets in the home.

The best way to sanitize your furniture is with a steamer. The hot temperature of the steam can get rid of both odors and bacteria to keep you upholstery clean. Once this step is done, place and fluff your pillows and enjoy your newly cleaned and sanitized upholstery.