Cleaning your furniture is necessary, yet, challenging. This article will provide information for the following upholstery types: Leather, Wood, Suede, Microfiber, Cloth (cotton, linen) Wicker, Silk and Tweed. This is very general only. If you are not sure what products are safe to use for your furniture, consult a professional. You should also always follow specific instructions on furniture tags and test all cleaning methods on hidden areas before applying them fully.
- Leather: Determine if your leather is made with a protective, laminate, shiny, top coat. If so, it has a kind of a plastic feel to it. If not, your leather cannot tolerate water and needs to be professionally cleaned with leather-specific products. If so, vacuum the furniture with a soft brush attachment. Use a blend of cool water and facial soap (like one you would use on your face) and a soft, well-rung, rag to gently wipe the fabric clean. Dry thoroughly with another soft rag. Buff with a new, soft, dry rag.
- Wood: Again, most new wood furniture has a laminate coat that can tolerate much more than raw, stained or treated wood. Find out what kind of wood you have and use the recommended products for that specific wood type. For general spot cleaning, using a lightly damp rag with a mild facial soap will be fine.
- Suede: Like leather, suede requires caution. It can be vacuumed with a brush to remove debris, but too much moisture will ruin it. Using rubber gloves, you can remove pet hair with your hand by using long, firm strokes to lift the hair from the fibers. For stains or other problems, consult a professional.
- Microfiber: Microfiber is sometimes microsuede and will not tolerate water. Since this is a relatively new upholstery type, you should have a cleaning code on your microfiber that tells you if you can use water, a solvent, either, or none. You must know before you continue. Water will ruin microsuede. Both kinds can be vacuumed and brushed to remove pet hair and other debris.
- Cloth (cotton, linen): Vacuum furniture with a soft brush and remove pet hair using rubber gloves and firm, one way hand strokes. Use soap and a mild detergent. Test an inconspicuous area to make sure it doesn’t fade with soapy water. If it does, stop using soap and continue with cold water only. If not, gently spot clean. Dab, don’t rub.
- Wicker: Use soap and water to thoroughly wash wicker furniture. Set in sun to dry, or wipe dry. Make sure wicker does not retain moisture.
- Silk: Vacuum gently then use a soft cloth and Woolite or other mild detergent to spot clean. Always test a small, hidden area first to make sure the detergent is not too harsh. For heavy stains, consult a professional.
- Tweed: Most tweed can be vacuumed gently and spot cleaned with water and a mild detergent. Removing covers to wash or dry clean will distort them.
