Upholstery Cleaning & Protection

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Upholstery cleaning should be carried out on lounge suites every 6-12 months, depending on the use the seats get. If there are small children in a home, the seats would need to be steam cleaned more often, and this is where the use of a fabric protection is very handy.

Upholstery Fabric Protection

Upholstery protection is a great way to help against staining, from things such as soft drinks, red or orange cordial, grease, blood, oil and even sweat from our bodies. The sweat from our bodies is one of the hardest marks to remove from upholstery fabric seats. To remove it, a cleaning solution that can break down the enzymes has to be applied then a deep steam clean done.

Lounge Suite

When buying a lounge suite, the best thing to do is have a fabric protection applied. It will be the best way to prevent staining and will also help in releasing the soiling when having it steam cleaned. It will also help in prolonging the life of upholstered seats.

Fabric protections that are used today are water based, so they have to be applied when the fabric is wet. The best time to do this is after a steam clean. Or if the lounge suite is new, a light steam clean can be done then the protection applied.

The protection will last for between 12-18 months if applied correctly. An even application is important using a low pressure spraying system. The fabric is then gently brushed to help the product soak into the fibres. It is best not to touch the seats for a few hours so the product has time to dry out. Once it has all dried, the seats can be used as normal.

Handling Spills on the Upholstery

If a spill occurs on the upholstery after the protection has been applied, it is best to use a damp cloth to blot up the spill. It has to be done straight away for the protection to work correctly. The idea of these products is to give you a window of opportunity to remove the spill. If the spill is left on the fabric until the next day, it will eventually seep through the protective coating and stain the fabric.

Many people feel because they have had their lounge suite cleaned and protected that they can just leave any spills or mark until the next clean. This is not the case, as spills must be blotted up immediately. The protection will help in releasing dirt and marks from the fabric when having a company do an upholstery cleaning service, but spills must be wiped up straight away.

If seats are left for too long between cleans, the fabric protection will just wear off and will no longer give protection to the upholstery. After a steam clean, a professional upholstery cleaning company can do a test on the fabric to see if the protection is still working. If it is not working, the protection can be reapplied again.

How long will the fabric protection last? This will depend on the amount of use the sofa gets. With a family of about 5, the protection should be re-applied after each steam clean. If it’s just two adults using the seats, it may be good for 2 years or more. When we sit down on seats and move around, there is friction between the fabric and our clothes. This frictions is what will eventually rub of the protective coating.