Home and Garden, Tidy Home Do you clean your upholstered furniture on a regular basis? Don’t wait until you can see the dust and dirt.  If you add these tips to your cleaning routines,  your upholstered furnishings will look and smell great — and last longer too! When you furniture needs a deeper clean  you can rent a Rug Doctor machine, or better yet buy one and follow these instructions on How to Clean Upholstered Furniture Rug Doctor machines and cleaning products are safe for many fabrics, even delicate fibers. HOWEVER, you risk damage to fabrics not intended for water extraction method cleaning. Do not use or place the Rug Doctor machine or cleaning products on: Silk, Haitian cotton, velour, brushed corduroy, leather, non-colorfast fabrics or upholstery fabric with cleaning codes S or X. Do not use Rug Doctor machines or attachments on mattresses or mattress toppers made with memory foam, foam or goose down. Some stains require professional treatment. Use cool water when cleaning wool, wool blends or delicate fibers.

1. Prepare surface for cleaning by thoroughly vacuuming or brushing. Set up the machine, directing your attention to the hose connections at the rear. 2. First, pull free the top portion of the large vacuum hose at the back of the machine. Then connect the top portion of the machine vacuum hose to the vacuum hose of the Hand Tool. Next, slide down the sleeve of the brass “quick coupler” on the machine and pull out the small solution hose. Slide down the coupler sleeve again to insert the metal end of Hand Tool solution hose. Release the brass sleeve to secure. Tug gently on the hose to make certain the connection is complete. 3. Remove the UPPER (white) tank. Mix Rug Doctor Upholstery Cleaner with water in a clean bucket according to the label directions and pour into the LOWER tank. 4. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Rug Doctor Anti-Foam to UPPER tank, then slip tank back in place and seal tank and clear dome securely by replacing restraining wire. 5. Plug in the power cord and position the machine.

Refer to the label on top of machine and turn the machine ON for upholstery/hand tool cleaning. On some machines you may also need to turn on an additional switch for Vacuum ON.best leather clean for ipad smart cover 6. Test for colorfastness by first cleaning a small, hidden area, then rub the test area with a white towel. best vacuum cleaner new zealandIf no color appears, continue cleaning. best vacuum cleaner for ceramic tile floorsA little color on the towel means there’s some chance of color running, but you probably can still clean safely. best way to remove duct tape from glass

Dry cushions on sheets or towels laid out on the floor. 7. Working at a slow, steady pace, begin cleaning by squeezing the hand tool lever as you pull the tool over fabric. best way to clean sticky wooden chairsIMPORTANT: Do NOT depress the button on machine handle while using the hand tool.best vacuum cleaner for carpet tiles 8. As you clean, with the vacuum on, squirt or vacuum small amounts of Rug Doctor Anti-Foam into the small (vacuum) opening of the hand tool every few minutes to minimize suds build-up inside the vacuum hose. If foam builds up around the hand tool, pull a little bit faster or vacuum excess solution by passing over area a second time without squeezing lever. 9. When cleaning is complete, empty any remaining solution by holding the hand tool over a sink and depressing lever until tank is empty.

10. With all switches OFF, disconnect the Hand Tool hoses and securely reconnect the machine vacuum and solution hoses before returning to rental location. NOTE: For velvet upholstery, fluff up damp pile with a soft brush or towel to keep from matting. If you learn How to Clean Upholstered Furniture it is possible to keep your upholstery looking its best for a long time. Remember, it pays to be consistent. Rug Doctor machines can be rented from your local supermarket or home improvement store for less than the cost of a professional cleaning service. Do you have any tips for cleaning upholstered furniture? Tips on How to Keep Your Carpet Looking it’s Best More Rug Doctor Cleaning Tips Disclosure: As you know, all opinions and thoughts shared on the site are my own.  I was not paid to write this post, but do have a working relationship with Rug Doctor.  As part of that relationship, Rug Doctor sponsored my trip to BlogHer ’12 in New York City. Categories: Home and Garden, Tidy Home Tags: cleaning, cleaning upholstery, Dyson, household tips, housekeeping, Rug Doctor

If you have a couch that has been in storage for a long period of time, it may have become affected by mildew. In some conditions, mildew can develop even when the furniture is in use. Here are some steps that should be followed to ensure that it is efficiently cleaned to leave it looking good, smelling fresh, and ready for use. In order to ensure that you are aware of the full extent of the mildew damage, you must start by examining it. Check every surface of the furniture even if the mildew only appears to affect a certain section, remembering to check the underside as well. Where possible, remove any slip covers to check whether the mildew is growing on the surface beneath. In addition to sight, pay attention to any aromas produced from the material, especially where there doesn’t appear to be any mildew on the surface. If your couch's label is still attached, you can use this opportunity to check whether it outlines any chemicals that should not be used in cleaning.

Move the piece of furniture outside, if possible, to work on it to avoid leaving any mildew spores floating around your home. This will also give the mildew the opportunity to dry out, which will make it easier to remove. Avoid working in direct sunlight to prevent any patterns and/or colors from fading. When you are only able to work inside, ensure that the room is properly ventilated using windows and extractor fans. Prevent cross contamination by sealing the door of the room so that spores cannot travel around your home. After donning a protective mask and rubber glove, you should start by dry wiping the couch. Use a cloth when dealing with leather furniture and a scrubbing brush on other materials. Gently wipe or brush away from you in a downward motion to avoid coming into contact with any spores. Discard the rag when the process is complete to avoid contaminating anything else. When you need to clean a leather couch, combine half a cup of water with half a cup of rubbing alcohol.

Dampen a clean cloth with this mixture and wipe the area affected by the mildew. Regularly rinse the cloth being used as well. Then, leave the area to dry and check whether any marks remain after you're through. If you're not in the clear, repeat the process and follow up by wiping the relevant area with clean water. For other types of materials, combine half a bucket of water with a quarter cup of laundry detergent and a quarter cup of rubbing alcohol. Avoid the use of bleach as this can affect the color of the couch. Dampen a clean sponge in the solution and wipe the surface using a blotting motion. Continue with this process until the mildew can no longer be detected. Rinse by using the same process with clean water and a clean cloth. Allow the surface to dry thoroughly to prevent more mildew growth. In the event that the mildew growth is severe and repetition of this cleaning process doesn't help you in eliminating the problem, reupholstery may be one last option before you have to resort to replacing the couch altogether.