"I have people coming in here all the time saying, 'I have got five kids under eight years old, and I need the best fabric that you have that resists stains and spillage,'" says Steven Blanchard, owner of Blanchard's Upholstery. He has been doing upholstery work for 17 years. "Really, there is not a whole bunch you can do besides just take care of it."
There are several things one needs to keep in mind in order to keep furniture new and free from dirt. Vacuum the dirty area immediately, and then spot treat it. Treat spills and stains immediately. The longer a stain remains, the more difficult it is to remove. Do not over wet the area, and let the foam of the solution do most of the work. Do not rub or brush the spot; blot it instead until the stain is no longer there. According to homeandgardenmakeover.com, know what type of fabric the furniture is, and read the furniture tag to determine what type of cleaning solution to use and how to remove the stain. Letters are used to determine which type of cleaner will work best. For instance, W means spot clean with a water-based solution. S means use a solvent only. SW means spot clean with solvent or water-based solution. X means to vacuum only. When cleaning the area, do not over rub it or it will pill. Afterwards, rinse the fabric with a clean sponge and clean water.
"Don't let the kids eat on your furniture, and do not let them drink on it as well," says Blanchard. "If you want to take an extra step, spray the furniture with Scotch Guard, but it only works for liquid spillage, not dirt or grime."
Also, avoid placing furniture in direct sunlight because the color of the fabric will fade over time, especially darker colors.
"I always tell everybody that the sun fades everything and it does, eventually," says Blanchard. "You can put a film on your windows, but that is a very expensive way to protect furniture and it doesn't work a hundred percent of the time, so just be cautious."
According to crateandbarrel.com, it's best to rotate cushions on the couch and pillows frequently. Periodic cleaning by a professional upholstery cleaning service is highly recommended because it allows for the furniture's original luster to come through.
"Call a professional to do the job," says Blanchard. "You can screw up a piece of furniture real quick with some of these upholstery-cleaning chemicals that you can buy at the store if you don't know what you are doing. Most people don't read the bottle; they just buy it, and start spraying the furniture, and then the furniture is ruined."
