Furniture comes in different upholstery fabrics, from velvet to leather. Some fabrics can be hard to clean, leaving your sofa with stains and marks. Dry cleaning is one of the best ways to solve these problems. However, a professional cleaning fee may not be a part of your budget. Therefore, you need to do the cleaning on your own. Fortunately, you can dry clean your sofa at home with the help of dry-cleaning solvents.
This article will guide you on how you can dry clean your sofa at home.
1. Look for a tag on your furniture. This label indicates which upholstery fabric is used to cover your piece. Along with this, you will find a care instruction. This tells you which cleaning products best suit the material.
Some tags say “dry cleaning only,” while others include specific codes. Code “WS” indicates that you can use both a dry-cleaning agent or a steam vacuum for the material. Code “S” means that you can only use a dry-cleaning solvent. Other codes like W, O, or X denotes that you cannot dry clean your sofa.
Suppose that dry cleaning is suitable for your furniture; you can now proceed to the next steps.
2. Buy a dry-cleaning agent. You can purchase a dry-cleaning solvent from your local hardware store. Otherwise, you can buy it online. Keep in mind that “dry cleaning” does not mean that the fabric will stay dry in the process. Dry cleaning solvents are liquids that do not include water in the formula.
3. Ventilate the area. Dry-cleaning solvents have a strong scent. Hence, it would help if you opened the doors and windows to let the odour out and let the clean air in. You can also turn on a fan towards the window.
4. Spot test the dry cleaner. Doing this step will let you know whether or not the solvent can discolour the fabric. To spot-test, put a few amounts of the dry cleaner to a rag. Then, rub it to a small, hidden part of the sofa. Leave this on for a few minutes, depending on the guidelines of the specific cleaner you used. Afterwards, check the area for any discolouration. If there’s none, you can proceed to the next step.
5. Apply the cleaner to the rest of the furniture. Do this by putting the solvent on a clean, white rag. Then, you can start blotting it against the upholstery fabric. You don’t need to rub the cloth; press it against the areas, and the solvent will do its job. Your sofa may have a few stains you would want to focus on, so keep these in mind while cleaning. Allow the cleaner to dry and re-apply as needed.
6. Finish off by removing the cleaner. To do this, dampen another clean cloth with water. Then, press it over the areas you cleaned earlier. Wash and blot the cloth again as needed. Finally, let the sofa air dry.
We hope this easy short guide by Yorkshire Fabric Shop has helped you to dry clean your sofa but don't forget to ask for professional cleaning advice.