Fabrics in your home – how will you clean yours?

From carpets to soft furnishings, the fabrics in your house will be the main culprits when it comes to stains and odors. You will find that as soft, absorbent surfaces, they attract dirt like nothing else in the home, except perhaps children’s clothes! Unfortunately, you cannot put your sofa in the washing machine (unless it has a removable cover) so how will you be cleaning such things? There are plenty of options for both upholstery and carpets, and they can be either home solutions or professional efforts. Their effectiveness varies, but so does the cost of it all, which of course will have a great bearing over which option you decide on. In a sense it comes down to how often you want to be cleaning such fabrics, as the costs and effort involved often have a fair impact on the regularity of such things… all will be revealed.

First off, home shampooing will work for both carpets and upholstery, you just need to find the right product. Do not use carpet cleaner on your armchair or vice versa without consulting someone who knows what they are talking about, with relevance to the materials used in your carpet and furniture. The shampoo usually comes in a spray which you then scrub into the fabric. The shampoo attracts the dirt from the fibers, and dries, leaving you able to wipe or vacuum it away. This method is pretty effective, but it is recommended that you try out the product on a small patch of the fabric before covering the whole of it, just in case there are any problems with the chemicals involved in relation to your fabrics. Always read the care label on both the upholstery and the shampoo, to ensure that your fabrics are compatible. Shampoo can leave a little residue in the carpet, which may attract more dirt, more quickly, which is obviously the opposite of what you want, so have a look into how to avoid this, and perhaps seek professional advice from Bayswatercarpet cleaner.

Dry cleaning carpets is an extremely effective solution for soiling or overall cleaning, and there will be specialists out there who can turn their attention to your upholstery as well. The dry compound is mixed with a little solution (so not completely dry after all!) and this creates a chemical reaction that again attracts the dirt from the fibers. You will find that dry cleaning is an excellent way in which to get your fabrics looking amazing, though it can be extremely expensive and will need the help of a professional, due to how specialist the process is.

Hot water extraction, or steam cleaning is only good for carpets, and the delicate fabrics in upholstery would find it too vigorous. This process uses almost boiling water, and pumps it in then sucks it out of the pile. The process is almost simultaneous, so that the carpet is left clean, having had the dirt boiled and blasted out of it! This technique must be performed by a professional as well, and with only the best equipment, as a faulty extractor will result in a sodden carpet, which would be a breeding ground for mould and damp.

If your upholstery still smells after cleaning, try placing a bowl of vinegar with hot water in the offending room over night, or sprinkle baking powder over the furniture. These two products are great at absorbing smells and will leave the room smelling great. Simply vacuum up the baking soda afterwards!