Most homeowners are well aware that spills and stains on their upholstered furniture must be cleaned immediately and thoroughly. We must do it in order to ensure that we stand the best chance of successfully removing the stain. Want to learn how to remove stains from fabric sofa? Read this!
You should clean those stains as soon as possible, but that may not always be the best option. Our upholstery cleaning company in Singapore believes that even if the stains have settled permanently and there is no way to remove them, you can still revive the upholstery.
The Cleaning Codes
Your first step in determining how to clean your upholstery is to find out its cleaning code, which should be on the tag. You can determine the cleaning solution by the cleaning code.
W: Water-based cleaner
Textiles labelled with W are mainly synthetic materials such as acetate, herculon, nylon, olefin, and polyester.
S: Solvent-based cleaner
Furniture with the S label is cotton, damask, denim, linen, rayon, velour and velour.
S/W: Water- or solvent based cleaner
Fabrics made with a blend of natural and synthetic fibers are often labeled with an S/W code. The cleaner should be selected according to the stain type. Clean oil-based stains with solvent and water-based stains with water.
X: Professional cleaning is required
A rare code usually found on delicate furniture, it recommends brushing and vacuuming only, leaving the rest to professionals.
How to remove stains from fabric sofa?
It’s important to pay attention to these codes when trying to remove old stains, otherwise, you could use the wrong cleaner and make the stain worse.
However, there are specific steps you can take to remove stains from just about any upholstered piece of furniture, regardless of the cleaning codes. The process of removing stains follows a certain method and works around the same principles.
Vacuum
First comes control. Be sure to vacuum the furniture thoroughly to remove any debris. For best results, use a hydro vacuum cleaner, like the Lura cleaning system. When removing old stains, you should always try this as you’ll never know if it will help in fading the stain.
Check for Cleaning Instructions
The next step is to determine what can and cannot be used to remove the stains. Care tags are included with most upholstered items, informing you how to best clean a stain. Nonetheless, if your furniture lacks a cleaning code, as is often the case with antiques and vintage pieces, try doing a spot test on a hidden spot of the furniture.
Steam
Steaming off the stain will help it loosen and make it more responsive to treatment if you are using a water-based cleaner. You can use a steamer or an iron to do this.
Clean
It is at this point that you hope a basic solution will suffice. To clean furniture marked with W, prepare a mixture of liquid dish soap and cool water and blot the stain using a sponge. Do not rub at the stain, as the pressure can weaken and pill the fabric. Rinse the sponge and blot out the soap mixture with water. Press the spot dry.
Alternatively, if your furniture requires a solvent-based cleaner, you can try using vinegar or vodka to blot the stains. Do it all over again until you get the result you want.
Hire an Upholstery Cleaner
If at this point the stain is not removed, then you’re dealing with a stubborn stain.
Still, don’t worry, there is one more thing you can do: call professional upholstery cleaning services in Singapore to safely and effectively handle the job.
Ocean Cleans offers effective cleaning services for all types of upholstery, as well as carpets and rugs. Our highly-trained technicians will remove old upholstery stains and restore your furniture to its former glory.
