Cleaning Upholstered Furniture

Do you clean your upholstered furniture regularly? Don't wait until you can see the dust and dirt, add it to your weekly cleaning routine.

1. Look over the pieces carefully, if you see any spots or stains treat them immediately. Test any cleaning solution on a hidden part of the upholstery for colorfastness before trying any spot treatments.

2. For a generic spot treater, whip together two teaspoons of clear dish soap and a half a cup of water until it's nice and foamy. Use a damp white cloth to dab the mixture onto the stain. When you can see that the stain has lifted, dab the soap out with a second cloth and clean water.

3. Club Soda is a quick spot treater when you're entertaining and don't have time for a full treatment. Just dab some on and treat the spot later.

4. White shaving cream is a great spot treater. Use very little on a damp white cloth to treat all kinds of mystery stains. When the stain is gone, dab with a second cloth and clean water.

5. If you have a stain on a cushion, don't pull the cover off and throw it in the wash. This could cause damage and shrinkage. Unzip the back and put a towel in between the cushion and the fabric cover, then treat the stain.