FABRIC CARE
HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUR FABRIC SOFA
If you are looking for something comfortable and contemporary for your home, you can’t go wrong with a fabric sofa. However, while many people admire them for their beauty, they are often said to lack durability, especially when compared to leather’s hardwearing qualities. However, with the right approach and level of care, fabric upholstery can be kept in top condition.
Please be aware that dye from none colour fast clothing and garments can transfer onto leather/fabric and is usually more noticeable on light leather/fabric colours such as whites, creams and ivory. We also recommend to always check your labels on your clothing and garments for further information.
This guide has been written to help you maintain your fabric sofa. We’ve included many great tips about the best way to clean and maintain your upholstery, so read on to find out more.
CLEAN YOUR FABRIC SOFA REGULARLY
If you are looking for something comfortable and contemporary for your home, you can’t go wrong with a fabric sofa. However, while many people admire them for their beauty, they are often said to lack durability, especially when compared to leather’s hardwearing qualities. However, with the right approach and level of care, fabric upholstery can be kept in top condition.
Please be aware that dye from none colour fast clothing and garments can transfer onto leather/fabric and is usually more noticeable on light leather/fabric colours such as whites, creams and ivory. We also recommend to always check your labels on your clothing and garments for further information.
This guide has been written to help you maintain your fabric sofa. We’ve included many great tips about the best way to clean and maintain your upholstery, so read on to find out more.
CLEAN YOUR FABRIC SOFA REGULARLY
To ensure that your sofa is always in tip-top condition, it’s best to clean it regularly. This is because the fibres in your upholstery tend to collect dirt particles and keep them hidden below the surface level.
Below, we’ve set out three easy steps that you should follow regularly to make sure your sofa remains dust and dirt free. We advise that you clean your upholstery every fortnight to keep it spotless.
Vacuum your sofa’s upholstery to draw out all the loose dust and dirt from both under and above the surface. Use a soft brush attachment and gentle movements for this task to avoid scratching or marking the material. This is especially important for delicate fabrics like velvet.
When you’re giving your sofa a quick clean, you should take care of any grime or light marks with a damp cloth. However, once or twice every month, you should use a fabric-friendly cleaning product to perform a much deeper cleanse — we recommend the Mild Fabric Foam Cleaner that is included in Furniture by Lauren fabric cleaning kit for the task. Apply some with a small amount of water (without soaking the material) and leave it to work.
Leave your sofa to dry naturally before sitting on it again. This will prevent creases forming, which usually means you must start over. In the warmer months, you should open your home’s windows and doors to improve air flow and speed up the drying process.
SUNLIGHT CAN DAMAGE YOUR SOFA
When your upholstery is left out in the sun, it can fade, bleach, and lose its natural qualities. In addition, heat from radiators, pipes, and fireplaces can cause the material to become dried out and warped. Take this into account when you are looking for the best spot for your sofa, as somewhere without too much sunlight and away from heat sources will cause the least damage in the long-run.
DRESS YOUR CUSHIONS REGULARLY TO KEEP THEIR SHAPE
Alongside a regular cleaning regime, it’s important to service your sofa’s cushions so they keep their natural shape and provide the optimal level of comfort and support. All you need to do is plump your seat, arm, and back cushioning after each long period of use, perhaps at the end of each day. This is an essential task if your sofa is filled with feathers, fibres, or a combination of both, as they do not have the same resilience as foam and won’t return to their original form.
While you’re plumping your cushions, don’t pass up the opportunity to do the same to your scatter cushions so that they maintain their shape too.
HOW TO PREVENT STAINS RUINING YOUR SOFA
Unfortunately, even if you are the most careful person in the world, there is a good chance that your sofa will eventually fall victim to a nasty accident. The golden rule to keep in mind when this happens is to react quickly; a fast turnaround can be the difference between a quick mop-up and a stain getting its claws into your lovely upholstery.
Your priority should be removing as much liquid as possible before it has the chance to soak into the fibres of the fabric, which will minimise the chances of a stain forming. To do so, grab some kitchen roll or a dry cloth and begin to blot up the surface liquid. Then, use a fresh, damp cloth to dab at any marks that have appeared. If you’re quick, you can often avoid a stain altogether or at the very least reduce any surface blemishes.
If you don’t get to the spill in time, then fear not, as there are ways of cleaning the mark off your upholstery. We recommend that you use one of the stain removers from Furniture by Lauren fabric care kit, which has a number of specialist products that can tackle common and more difficult stains. For instance, there is the Fresh Stain Remover, which can be used almost immediately after you’ve blotted up excess liquid to get rid of any blemish. Another is the Old and Resistant Stain Remover, which can be used to remove stubborn stains that have proved resistant for a while. There is also the Grease and Oil Stain Remover, which can take care of oily food and drink spillages.
The reason that we recommend these products over the ones that can be purchased in supermarkets is because store-bought stain removers may contain chemicals that will damage your fabric. The products in the kit have been specially designed not to harm your upholstery. However, when a stain proves too difficult to remove yourself, we would always advise that you seek the help of a professional cleaner, who will be able to use specialist deep cleaning equipment that won’t spoil your fabric.