Upholstery Cleaning

You probably spent a great deal of time (not to mention money) choosing just the right furniture for your home. The look and the feel of new furniture is something we wish would last for a long time. However, most people don’t just keep their furniture as pieces of art. They are well used and well-loved fixtures in our homes.

To make sure the investment is worth it, there are a few things that should be done when it comes to caring for your furniture.

One of the best ways to prevent colors from fading is to keep your furniture out of direct sunlight.

Vacuum your furniture as much as possible. Remember, dust settles on upholstery just as much as it does on a hard surface such as a floor or a shelf of knickknacks.

Avoid leaving newspapers on your furniture. Ink can accumulate and is very hard to remove.

Don’t cover your upholstery with dark-colored blankets or sheets. The dyes can rub off onto other fabric when dry or bleed when wet.

For high-use furniture, it’s a good idea to beat the cushions (often) and then vacuum and rotate them. This can help in distributing the wear. Do not remove cushion covers for dry cleaning or machine washing even if they have zippers.

Remember, all upholstery fabrics are different and can’t be cleaned the same way. Before using a store-bought spotter, check the labels on your furniture.

Furniture makers now attach tags with cleaning codes noted. “W” means it is wet-cleanable, “S” means solvent-clean, “W/S” means either wet or solvent clean and finally “X” means dry vacuum only. No type of cleaning agent whatsoever can be used on this type of fabric. Generally, cleaning should be done between 1 and 2 years depending on the furniture’s location, use and exposure to soiling. The American Furniture Manufacturers Association states that if a fabric is exposed to excessive or heavy soiling, it may be permanently stained.

The H & M Upholstery Cleaning Process

Our goal is to remove normal soiling without changing the color, texture or finish of a fabric.  

Before cleaning, our cleaning technician will ask if you have used any spotters or cleaners on it yourself or if the piece has ever been reupholstered.

Depending on the type of fabric, the technician will determine the best method of cleaning.

We use a variety of methods to get your fabric as clean as possible.  The main method is hot water extraction.  Hot water extraction or steam cleaning removes light and heavy soiling very effectively.  A fine fabric shampoo may also be used on delicate fabrics.  A combination of steam and shampoo can also be used.  Drying time for furniture is usually about two to four hours.

Fabric Protector - 3M Scotchgard or Dupont Teflon 

Applying fabric protection can increase the life of your upholstery. Most modern day upholster has a protector applied at  the factory. Most protectors last between two and four years depending on use and the type of fabric.

Fabric protector will repel soil as well as spots and spills.  It doesn't put a plastic cover on it. But it will definitely help keep your furniture looking its best.   Loose dirt should still be vacuumed up on a regular basis and spills and stains should be cleaned away as quickly as possible.