Do’s and Don’ts for routine care of your upholstered furniture

• DO vacuum or gently brush upholstery regularly. Use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner to vacuum the surface of the furniture to remove and loose dirt. It’s also important to vacuum underneath the cushions as well.
• DO flip your cushions regularly to distribute the wear and to reduce soiling.
• DO Always test any cleaning agent in an inconspicuous area first to see if the color bleeds or the fabric shrinks.
• DON’T over-wet your upholstery.
• DO Blot up spills, rather than rub or wipe, and DO use a clean white cloth to avoid dye transfer.
• DO Follow the manufacturer’s directions, as well as the instructions for your cleaning agents.
• DO Call us, your carpet and upholstery cleaning pros, when in doubt about fabric type, if you don’t know what was spilled, or for spots you cannot resolve.
• DO understand the cleaning codes on your textiles:

What if there aren’t any codes?

Vintage and second-hand pieces often never had or no longer have the tags which provide cleaning codes, or maybe you took them off, not realizing they contained anything more than the usual disclaimers or quality statements. You may be able to find the codes on the manufacturer’s website if the furniture is a recent purchase (or at least contemporary.) Failing that and particularly in the case of vintage pieces, don’t take chances – consult a professional. Incorrect cleaning can stain, shrink and just plain ruin your fine fabrics.

This is one of a series of articles written and published  on behalf of Stone and Tile PRO Partners.