How to Regularly Clean Your Upholstery, From Random Spills to Pet Hair

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Junior just spilled his grape soda on the couch, and now you’re scrambling to clean up the mess. Don’t worry, though! Upholstery cleaning is inexpensive, but it is often a neglected part of general home maintenance. It is something you should be cleaning with regularity—not just when there is a big spill and an impossible stain. 

Why You Should Clean Upholstery Regularly

Every day, you and your family come in from outside and go immediately to the furniture. Sometimes it’s snowing or raining—or your kid just got home from a sweaty soccer game. Over time, germs, dirt, and sweat will build on your upholstery. Many people do not get their upholstery cleaned nearly enough, if at all. So that’s why you should clean upholstery at least once a year. It will contribute not only to the health of your home but its beauty as well.

Clean Random Spills Immediately

If it isn’t time for your yearly upholstery cleaning and there is a spill, you will, naturally, try to clean something yourself before calling in the cleaning professionals. The best method is preemptive—always ask the carpet store employee or furniture maker how to best clean the product before you buy it. Often you will find that you get information that is helpful but might not have been disclosed. Armed with this, you can purchase furniture that will stay cleaner longer. This also protects you from warranty problems, because some manufacturers even have specific cleaners that you can’t use without discrediting any warranty or claim.

How to Remove Pet Hair

Pet hair is a recurring problem for many homeowners. Here are three simple tricks to rid your home of unwanted hair and dander:

1. Clean With a Dryer Sheet

Rake up unwanted hair with a dryer sheet. This will eliminate fur and improve the smell of your furniture.

2. Dab With Tape

Wrap tape around your hand and gently dab fur-covered areas.

3. Wipe Fur With a Damp Cloth

A wet cloth will attract hair and help you remove fur.

Professional Upholstery Cleaning Services

Often, you will not be able to get a stain out. Your detergents and cleaning products might not have worked, but that does not mean that a professional cleaning service won’t be able to do it for you. These companies are trained to know what chemicals work for what spills and they have the proper arsenal to deal with any situation. The most important part of any home maintenance is making it easy on yourself. Most companies allow you to schedule a yearly service. This way you know that the first week of every April (or whenever you choose), you will get a call from your cleaning service wanting to schedule an appointment. It will be easy, inexpensive, and will slide into your routine with ease. Most importantly, it will add to the life of your furniture and protect you and your family from the accumulation of germs.

Find an Upholstery Cleaning Contractor

Furniture upholstery can present unique challenges, and though most professional cleaning companies handle furniture, carpets, rugs, drapes, and curtains, you may want to take the extra step in finding and choosing a contractor for your upholstery.

And that’s precisely what HomeAdvisor offers. Each and every contractor in our database is put through a rigorous ten-step screening process. We also give you access to our quality-controlled ratings and reviews so you can see what other homeowners thought about the upholstery cleaning companies in your area. The average upholstery cleaning project costs $120 to $220 and takes about four hours to complete.

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