When it comes to fabric and upholstered furniture, you need to know that as soon as a spill or stain happens you need to clean it off immediately. From wine stains to ink stains, there will always be a way to clean your beautiful furniture.

The first thing to remember when cleaning fabric is not to rub the stain. The more you rub the stains the harder it is to get rid of. You also need to know that before you use any chemicals to wipe the stain away you must to do a spot test. Not all fabrics are the same and there could be the possibility of corroding the material.

When cleaning the material, be sure that you are using a cloth that has not been dyed. There is a possibility that the colour of the cloth will be released onto your furniture.

Food and drink stains could be simply washed away with one part dishwashing liquid and two parts of cool water. Dab your cloth inside the mixture and tap it on the furniture until all the stains have been absorbed.

With red stains such as berries or red wine, you could use white vinegar with alcohol. The reason why alcohol is used to clean different items, including electronics is because it dries quickly without damaging important components.

Oil and grease requires different ingredients and a completely different process. This can be used if you accidentally spill oil on your clothes too. Do not attempt to wipe the grease away with water. Dust baking soda on the stain and let it absorb for about half an hour. The powder absorbs the oil from the fabric. Vacuum the baking soda away before applying a non-toxic dry solvent solution. Dab the surface until the stain has been absorbed.

Before performing any self-cleaning procedure at home take a look at the label:

W – This letter means that your upholstered furniture can be cleaned with water. You could clean this furniture with carpet cleaner solution as well. It is ideal if your family is prone to leaving stains all over the place.

S – If you see this letter on your label, it means that you have to clean the fabric with dry solvent solution only. You can’t add water to the mixture because the fabric might not react well with a wet solution.

S/W – This code means that you can use water and dry solvent solutions on furniture upholstery fabrics.

X – This letter isn’t seen as much anymore but if you ever come across it, it means that you can vacuum the material only. It’s best to take your furniture to a professional if you are uncertain what procedure to use when cleaning your furniture.