Upholstery cleaning can be quite time-consuming especially if you haven't done it in a couple of months. There are many things that you need to take into consideration while preparing for this tiresome cleaning process. One of the most important things that you need to take into consideration is the type of fabric of the upholstery. While they are many different possibilities, we have gathered a short list of the most common ones in order to help you prepare properly. Each type of fabric has its own specifics and cleaning requirements so take a good look at your furniture and carefully determine what cleaning supplies you need to buy.

Perfectly Cleaned Cotton Upholstery

Cotton upholstery is soft and easy to maintain, the only downfall may be the fact that it wears out faster than the other types of fabric in our list. Nevertheless, it is beautiful and elegant, and it will be perfect for your summer cottage or beach house. Cleaning natural fabrics such as cotton are one of the most simple things:

• Clean the pet hairs and dust, you can use a rubber glove or just vacuum the furniture.

• Make a mixture of warm water and mild dishwashing liquid.

• Gently rub and clean the upholstery using a soft cloth or sponge.

• Make sure to rinse all leftover soap from the cotton fabric.

Things that you must always remember regarding the cleaning of your cotton upholstery:

• Cotton easily absorbs smells and liquids.

• Consider using some DIY methods of cleaning - using baking soda to get rid of the nasty odours or old stains.

Cheaper Than Velvet and Way more Easier to Clean

Microfibre is amongst the most widely used fabrics and of course, it is used as upholstery material. This synthetic fabric can imitate velvet and suede as well as leather and is significantly cheaper from all tree. Microfibre may repel water but when it comes to stains it is not so invincible. Do the following:

• Vacuum your upholstery to remove all fibres and dirt.

• Grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth.

• Directly spray the upholstery or use the cloth to apply the alcohol and start cleaning the microfibre;

• After you remove all stains, get a soft, clean scrub brush and gently rub the cleaned arias. This will return the initial softness of the fibres.

When cleaning a microfibre upholstery you should never forget that:

• Microfibre is a polyester based fabric and you should use only solvent or dry-cleaning solutions when cleaning it.

• Avoid all water-based cleaning products.

• Vacuum your microfibre upholstery on a weekly basis.

Elegance and beauty in one - Linen Upholstery

One of the most popular fabrics for all household needs is linen. The linen sheets and cloths are both elegant and extremely durable, and linen upholstery can be found in almost every home. This type of fabric is strong and can be dry cleaned and hand washed. When the cleaning moment comes here is what it needs to be done:

• Vacuum the furniture to make sure there are no particles and fibres left.

• With a mixture of warm water and liquid soap, clean wipe carefully the upholstery.

• Rub the more persistent stains.

Things to bear in mind when dealing with linen upholstery:

• UV rays can weaken the fabric, so avoid the direct sunlight.

• Make sure to rinse all soap used for the cleaning because the leftover residue will damage the upholstery.

The Hardest to Clean Upholstery

If your living room looks like a prestigious London private club with gorgeous leather furniture you will need a cleaning miracle to properly take care of this pretentious upholstery. It may be durable and long lasting but it definitely needs to be taking care of regularly, otherwise leather tend to break or even crumble. Here are some easy to follow steps when the time for cleaning comes:

• Make a mixture of distilled water and a mild facial soap. The goal is to avoid any additional damage that might be caused by chemicals in the water or in a regular dishwashing soap.

• Using a soft cotton cloth, apply the mixture and gently rub.

• Rinse the cloth with water and then clean the leather until there is no leftover mixture.

• Make sure to clean thoroughly the arm and headrests.

Things you must never forget while cleaning leather upholstery:

• Do not use oils to polish it, this will damage and stain the leather.

• You must immediately wipe any spills. Leather absorbs moisture very fast and after the stain dries on it is nearly impossible to clean it out.

• Never place leather upholstery into direct sunlight and make sure to keep it far from any heaters.