Our Favorite Upholstery Cleaning Tips
Upholstered furniture adds a lot to the look of any home by making it cozy, warm and welcoming. However, it’s a big investment – recliners, sofas and sectionals can cost thousands of dollars. You’ll want to make sure to protect that investment by keeping your upholstered furniture clean. Here are some of our favorite upholstery cleaning tips that will keep your furniture ready to welcome family and friends all year long. Vacuum Your Upholstered Furniture Regularly Upholstered furniture should be vacuumed at least weekly, and even more often if it gets especially dirty (particularly if you have kids or pets). Be sure to vacuum under the cushions and in the creases in order to pick up all the dirt and debris – you never know what’s hiding in there! Oh, and don’t forget to vacuum the throw pillows, as well! These days, vacuum cleaners come with an assortment of attachments that are perfect for cleaning upholstered furniture, such as upholstery tools (with or without brushes) and crevice tools. Do your furniture a favor and use them on a regular basis when you vacuum. Check the Information Tag Did you know that most upholstery comes with a “manual”? That’s the little tag attached to the bottom of chairs or the back of sofas. Not only odes that tag contain information about the upholstered item (where it was manufactured, the manufacturer’s name, etc.), but it also has information about the upholstery fabric and its care. Here are some of the symbols you may see on the information tag and what they mean: WS: Use a mild detergent with steam vacuum or dry-cleaning detergent. S: Use a dry cleaner detergent only. X: Use a vacuum only. Do not use water on upholstery as it may stain. W: You can use water or a water-based solution on the upholstery. Blot, Don’t Scrub No matter how careful you are around your upholstered furniture, stains sometimes happen. When they do, make sure you blot them – don’t scrub them. Scrubbing the stains can loosen the upholstery fabric fibers, not to mention the fact that it can push the stain deeper into the fibers. Remember – blot, blot, blot! You may also be tempted to add water to the stain in an attempt to remove it, but don’t. The goal is to dry out the stain and keep the padding under the upholstery dry. Simply blot it with a dry, absorbent cloth instead. Get Your Upholstery Professionally Cleaned If your furniture is especially dingy or dirty, or you have stains that just aren’t coming out no matter what you do, it’s time to get your upholstery professional cleaned. In addition to carpet cleaning services, we offer upholstery cleaning services in the Denver metro area. We take extra care with delicate fabrics and trim, and can make your upholstered furniture look like new again. We’ll also apply a fabric protector to further protect your investment. Contact us today to get your upholstered furniture clean and ready to welcome friends and family this holiday season! Remember at A Personal Touch, we don’t cut corners, we clean them!
How can regular carpet and upholstery cleaning help you through the cold and flu season?
It snowed! We celebrate, not only for our ski areas, but because our recent temperature drop brings much-needed moisture to Colorado. Our hearts are with our neighbors in Boulder County who recently suffered catastrophic fire loss. Unfortunately, our colder temperatures also firmly place us in the heart of cold and flu season. The best ways to prevent illness Why are colds and flu so common in January and February? As you know, when it’s chilly outside, we retreat indoors, crank up our thermostats and close our windows. We hang out more with our family and friends. Our physical closeness passes around germs in enclosed spaces. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this is especially true if we: Don’t stay away from others when we are sick: Gone are the days of “powering through” a cold or sickness. Stay home when you feel rotten and don’t gift your crud to others. Also, rest and let yourself truly recover. Your immune system will thank you by staying strong. Touch our faces a lot: This one got hilarious meme treatment early in the pandemic, but frequently touching your face, nose and mouth for whatever reason (mask, itchiness, fidgeting) is a serious habit to break NOW. Forget to wash our hands often: Plain old soap and water (yup, for 20 seconds) are still the best defense against sickness. Use hand sanitizer when you cannot access a sink. Don’t cover our mouths and noses when we sneeze or cough: This is disrespectful to others and gross. Neglect other good habits: The CDC recommends getting enough sleep, exercising, eating right and ensuring our living spaces are properly cleaned and sanitized. Reduce infections at home Which brings us to our main subject. As Sir Isaac Newton discovered in 1665, what goes up must come down (AKA don’t sit under a fruit tree in the autumn). Gravity enables all those viruses and bacteria to drift down and eventually settle into our carpets and upholstery. Some viruses, like norovirus (think nasty stomach bug) can stay in carpeting and upholstery for up to a month if not removed, according to the National Institutes for Health (NIH). Thankfully, studies show the COVID-19 virus does not typically cause infection from soft surfaces after 72 hours. According to livehealthily, the flu virus sticks around for 24 hours and the jury is out about just how long strep bacteria can survive on a surface to make you sick. Fear not. Our houses help us out and there are things we can do to reduce infections! Carpets are actually our friends. According to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), carpeting “plays the role of an air filter: carpet traps dust, pollen and other particles, taking them out of the breathing zone until they can be removed easily…” Regularly vacuuming your home, 1-2 times per week, as well as routinely cleaning and disinfecting your upholstery and carpeting can help keep your family well during the cold and flu season. Fight the flu and other bugs with steam A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning recommends steam cleaning your carpets every 18 months with a reputable high-temperature, truck-mounted steam cleaning service. One of our own employees testifies that regular carpet cleaning keeps his family healthier, “I have 5 kids and 2 dogs and now 5 grandkids. We don’t get colds and flu like other families.” But, don’t take our word for it. Recent studies like this one at the NIH report steam cleaning works to minimize germs in carpets. The NIH reports, “…our results support a previous finding that steam vapor can reduce viruses beyond the EPA standard in short contact times…” A Personal Touch can sanitize your chairs, ottomans and couches as well. Our trained technicians are knowledgeable about many different kinds of upholstery from canvas and corduroy to silk, lace and leather. They will clean your upholstery’s fragile trim and piping with care. Upon request, they can apply a special fabric protector to help extend the life of your furniture. Stay healthier during cold and flu season. Call us at 720-344-2870 for a free estimate or simply schedule an appointment.
How To Maintain Your Upholstery After It’s Cleaned
Maintaining your upholstery after it is cleaned is a simple, quick project that keeps your furniture looking great. At A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning, our professional carpet cleaners serving Denver have some thoughts on the best approach. Pick the Right Fabric Picking the right fabric for the right piece of furniture makes it easy to maintain your upholstery, and can actually help extend the piece’s lifetime. For example, upholstered furniture that sees heavy usage derives far more benefit from synthetic fibers than, say, vinyl. Also, if you have pets, you’ll want to pick fabrics that don’t have loose weaves or too much texture. Protect Your Fabric Before it ships from the manufacturer, upholstery fabric is usually treated with water and soil repellents, and an anti-mildew coating is applied. You can purchase additional fabric protectors from a store, but the best form of fabric protection is in fact prompt attention to spills. Even though the upholstery protectants will delay spills from being absorbed into the fabric right away, an immediate cleaning of the soiled area is essential. Spills should be blotted immediately and gently with a clean folded towel. If the upholstery fabric was pre-treated with a fabric protector blotting might be enough to completely remove the spill. Before you blot, check the manufacturer’s instructions to see if you need a water-based or solvent-based cleaner. Also, it’s a good idea to test the cleaning solution on an inconspicuous area before you apply it to the upholstery. In most cases, the best choice is to use a mild cleaning product applied with a soft brush. Move the brush in a circular motion to work the solvent into the fibers, and then vacuum the spill area when it’s dry. If you’re unsure how a certain fabric should be cleaned, follow the manufacturer’s care instructions or contact our local carpet cleaners in Littleton. Turn the Cushions Periodically turning over your furniture’s loose cushions is a simple way to extend your upholstered furniture’s life. Akin to a tire rotation for a car, turning the cushions promotes an even distribution of wear and tear, and helps keep your cushions from developing indentations. And while you’re turning the cushions, give them a good fluffing to help maintain their shape. Also, swap the position of your cushions so the cushion in a popular sitting place doesn’t get overused. Vacuum Another easy way to maintain your upholstery is by committing to a weekly vacuuming. This is an effective way to keep your furniture free of dust and pet hair, while also removing surface soil and preventing dirt from embedding in the fibers. Another option is to use a brush to whisk the dirt away. If you go this route, make sure you use a soft bristled brush so you don’t damage the upholstery. Trust Our Experts Along with frequent upholstery maintenance, it’s a good idea to contact our nearby carpet repair company for a professional upholstery cleaning every year or two. Don’t wait for your furniture to show visible signs of dirt and wear. The dirtier a sofa or chair gets, the harder it is to clean. Call us today at (720) 344-2870 for your free quote and consultation. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Keep Up With Your Upholstery Cleaning
Every one or two years: on average, that’s how often you should have your upholstery cleaned by the professional carpet cleaners at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning in Englewood. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Your lifestyle, the number of occupants in your home, and resident allergy sufferers are important factors. The key is to weigh these criteria and find the ideal frequency. Frequency Of Use Furniture that’s used frequently is a hot bed for dirt and dust accrual. Where exactly this occurs depends on the type of furniture, but with a white, cotton towel you can conduct an easy check of seat cushions, armrests, etc. Just rub the towel on the furniture’s surface, and if stays clean, you still have some time before your next upholstery cleaning. However, if the towel is smudged with dirt, you should make an appointment with our local upholstery cleaners. Of course, an opposing scenario is possible in which furniture that’s rarely used acquires a sheen of dust over time. Furniture of this sort could also be susceptible to assorted insects and their droppings, so it’s just as important to have these items professionally cleaned too. Allergy Sufferers This one’s pretty straightforward. If you and/or others in your home suffer from allergies, you should have your furniture’s upholstery cleaned at least once a year, and maybe more depending on the severity of the allergies and the weather/pollen count. Common allergens like dust, pollen, and dander don’t take long to build up within upholstered furniture, and when they do you’ll have an unhappy allergy sufferer on your hands. Avoid this problem by keeping your upholstery clean, especially during the warmer months. Lifestyle This is the biggest determiner of how often you should have your furniture upholstery cleaned. Here’s a list of common variables. The more of these you check off, the more often you should consider a professional cleaning. Do kids live in the home? Do you have pets? Do you spend a lot of time outside: gardening, cycling, hiking, etc.? Do you have a “hands-on” job like construction worker, auto mechanic, contractor, carpenter, or exterminator? Are people always coming and going in your house, i.e. neighborhood kids, clients of your at-home business? In a place like Denver, where many people live an active lifestyle and are frequently outdoors, the need for upholstery cleaning is more pressing than in a city like, say, Albany. So right off the bat, you can probably check off one or two things on the list above. From there, it’s just a matter of assessing your lifestyle and confirming how many more items apply. But wherever you fall on the list, there’s a very good chance you’ll need your furniture upholstery cleaned more than just once every two years. We’ll Help You Assess and Protect With so many variables involved on the subject of upholstery cleaning near Denver, homeowners can benefit from speaking with A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. We’ll help you assess your needs and then develop a plan designed to protect your upholstery, and the health of the people who use it. Call us today at 720.344.2870 or use our online contact form to request your free estimate. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
The Dos and Don’ts of Upholstery Cleaning
When you work with a Littleton company like A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning, you get the kind of top-flight expertise that only comes with decades of experience. Keeping your upholstery spotless is one goal of our cleaning company serving Englewood, and our expert team adheres to a specific set of dos and don’ts. Do: Vacuum Frequently Don’t wait until crumbs, dust, dirt, and other particulate is heavily entrenched in your couch, loveseat, or easy chair. Instead, vacuum frequently – daily, if necessary – and ensure that your furniture’s arms, cushions, and crevices are crud-free. Left unaddressed, these materials can cause discoloration and foul odors, yet another reason to keep your vacuum handy. You can also count on our local furniture cleaners to apply the latest, eco-friendliest protective polishes and stain preventers. Do: Spot-Treat and Clean Stains Immediately All of us have spilled something at some point in our lives, and some of these substances have been acidic furniture-damagers like wine and coffee. It’s important to spot-clean these spills right when they happen in order to avoid permanent damage to your furniture. An off-the-shelf cleaning product should be enough to stem the tide (depending on what was spilled, and how much) until our team reaches your house and can assess the issue first-hand. For large stains and/or stains made by a highly acidic or toxic product, we’ll address the problem with professional-grade cleaning solutions and high-powered stain removal equipment. Don’t: Saturate Upholstery With Water It’s natural for a homeowner to want to attack a stain or spill with water, especially when the spill is made of something notorious for causing long-term damage. However, using too much water can lead to its own set of problems. When excess water soaks furniture, the moisture seeping into the upholstery often causes ripples and/or buckling in the fabric, which can be hard to remedy. In fact, extreme cases might necessitate replacing the item with a new piece of furniture. If the spill affects your furniture and the surrounding carpet, it’s equally important not to soak the carpet. Too much water can cause wicking, which happens when moisture penetrates deep into the carpet and then rises back to the top, carrying with it any deep-rooted soil and spill residue. But the “wick” is akin to an iceberg, with the surface-visible residue connected to unseen detritus nestled deeper in the carpet. Carpet wicking, as well as upholstery ripples and buckling is best avoided by using a gentle, low-water approach to cleaning. Don’t: Ignore Fading Colors Sunlight, usage, and airborne/product-based chemicals all contribute to furniture losing its color. Fading begins gradually, but soon you’ll see that one area of your couch isn’t as “colorful” as another. Although this is a natural byproduct of furniture ownership, it doesn’t mean your only recourse is to let the fading continue. Our local cleaning company has the expertise to restore the original colors to your furniture and upholstery. At the very least, we recommend consulting us anytime you think it’s time to replace a faded piece of furniture with something new. Trust Our Experts To Keep Your Upholstery Clean For professional upholstery cleaning near Englewood, trust A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. With our help, your furniture will remain clean, vibrant, and stain-free for years to come. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
How Do You Clean a Fabric Sofa?
Fabric sofas are comfortable and stylish, but they can be difficult to clean. And since plastic covers likely aren’t an option for you, here are some fabric sofa cleaning tips straight from the professional carpet cleaners at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. Tip #1: Check The Cleaning Tag For many people, a piece of furniture’s cleaning tag barely registers on our radar until something bad happens. In this case, check your fabric sofa’s tag and you’ll see a series of useful letters. Here’s what they mean: W – The sofa’s material can be cleaned using water S – Water is prohibited. Instead, a special solvent-based cleaner must be used. WS – Water or a solvent-based cleaner are both ok for cleaning the sofa X – Vacuum only It’s important to follow the cleaning tag’s instructions to the letter. As innocent as water seems, using it on a fabric that expressly recommends a solvent-based cleaner could actually lead to a stain on the sofa. Yes, strange as it may seem, even water can stain certain fabrics/materials. Cleaning a Fabric Sofa Marked “W” or “WS” Here’s a good framework to follow when cleaning a sofa with tags confirming it’s W or WS-approved. Note that you’ll need three light-colored microfiber cloths to complete all of the following steps. Vacuum your couch and rid it of any dirt/debris that your cleaning might accidentally rub into the fabric Mix two cups of distilled water with 1tbsp of dishwashing liquid and 1tbsp of vinegar Dampen a microfiber cloth in this cleaning solution. Make sure that this cloth is light-colored so there’s no risk of it bleeding into your sofa fabric Using your cloth, gently blot (no rubbing or scrubbing) the stained area(s). Rubbing/scrubbing can cause fiber damage. Wet a second microfiber cloth with distilled water only, and blot the stain once more in order to remove any excess soap Use your third, 100% dry microfiber cloth to blot the area one last time Point a fan at the cleaned area and wait until the fabric dries completely Another Option: Steam Cleaning If your fabric sofa is W or WS-approved, steam-cleaning could be an alternative to the “dab and blot” scenario. Consult the manufacturer’s instruction booklet (if you don’t have the hard copy, you can probably find an online version) to confirm that steam cleaning is ok. Some fabric sofas are amenable to water and solvents, but aren’t designed to withstand heat. For extra peace of mind, steam-clean a small, out-of-the-way segment of sofa and see whether the cleaner causes any damage. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding what setting your steam cleaner should be set at. You should also: Steam-clean your couch on a nice day so that you can open the windows and expedite the drying process Vacuum the sofa first and remove all dirt/debris If your steam cleaner uses microfiber cloths to assist with debris pickup, make sure to change these out as you clean. This will optimize the amount of dirt the cleaner grabs. When you’re finished, position a fan on the affected area until 100% dry The Preferred Professional Carpet Cleaners In Englewood Whether you have furniture, carpet, or drapes that require professional care, A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning answers the call. Along with our expertise in upholstery cleaning, we offer decades of experience with pet cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, and much more. Contact us today for a free quote. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Tips for Sanitizing Used Furniture
Lots of people enjoy shopping for used furniture at estate sales and flea markets. After all, there are some great deals to be had. However, before you enjoy your latest find, you’ll want to sanitize it so that it’s free of any odors, bacteria, or allergens which could harm you or your family. Clean First – Then Bring Inside One of the most overlooked upholstery cleaning tips pertaining to used furniture is, “clean first – then bring inside”. We understand the excitement that comes from finding the perfect used couch or easy chair that finally ties your den together. However, temper your excitement long enough to keep the new furniture outside of your house until it’s cleaned. If you move it in too soon, you risk exposing your home environment to whatever might be lurking in the cushions, armrests, etc. If it’s nice outside, the experienced team at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning in Littleton recommends cleaning used furniture outdoors. After all, sunlight is good for killing certain germs. If the weather isn’t great, do your clean-up in the garage or a shed. You definitely want to avoid having the used furniture get wet before you clean it, since moisture exacerbates many bacteria and potential allergen issues. Disinfect Before addressing stains and odors, the first step when sanitizing used furniture is to disinfect the item. Addressing other issues before disinfecting leaves you open to the possibility that something harmful may be lingering while you’re preoccupied with a spot or a smell. The level at which you should disinfect your used furniture depends on the age of the item and whether anyone in your home has a lowered immune system, i.e. a baby or an elderly person. In this latter instance, you should consider contacting our upholstery cleaners serving Denver to ensure that your used furniture is 100% germ-free. If everyone in your household is healthy, there are specific used furniture cleaning products that we can recommend. Or, if the item is small and easy to clean, you could create your own blend of warm water and vinegar, and use it as a disinfectant. Deodorize Once your used furniture is thoroughly disinfected, you can move on odor removal. Not surprisingly, a musty or moldy scent is the most common odor associated with used furniture. These smells originate from moisture in wood or fabric. Sometimes the moisture is trapped in cracks and pockets, and other times it’s leftover from a time when the furniture accidentally got wet. Either way, for these types of smells we recommend covering the affected area with baking soda, letting it sit for an hour or two, and then cleaning it up. Where odor removal gets pricklier, and where you’ll want to enlist the services of A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning, are when the odor is due to pet urine, spilled paint, and other more noxious substances. Stain Removal Minor stains can be removed with a combination of soap and water, or vinegar and water. Difficult stains may require stain removal products used by A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. In all cases, be sure to test the mixture/product in an out-of-the-way spot to ensure it doesn’t damage the furniture. Should you find yourself struggling to remove especially entrenched stains, don’t hesitate to contact our cleaning experts. Trust a Professional Cleaner In addition to providing furniture sanitization, our local cleaning company offers solutions for carpet repair, bed bug eradication, and tile/grout cleaning. Visit our cleaning services page to learn more about our expertise. Call us today at 720.344.2870 or use our online contact form to request your free estimate. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”