Caring for your upholstery properly will ensure that it lasts longer, looks rejuvenated, and is odour-free. To help you best-maintain your upholstery, here are the five most common cleaning mistakes to avoid when caring for your furniture.

1. Not Reading the Manufacturer’s Instructions

If you own expensive clothing, leather goods, or upholstered furniture, it’s in your best interest to read the tags or instrution booklets that describe the proper way to clean and maintain the product. Read the instructions prior to cleaning and keep any instruction booklets stored away safely for future reference.

These guides will usually let you know which chemical substances should be used for cleaning and which ones shouldn’t. Following the manufacturer’s instructions will help keep your furniture looking fresh and new potentially years down the road.

Every textile and leather type has different means of bond cleaning and care. Failing to understand and follow the instructions can lead to costly repairs down the road.

2. Applying the Wrong Cleaning Products

There are plenty of leather and upholstery cleaning products on the market, but be sure to pick the right one for your particular needs. A wealth of choice means that there’s likely an appropriate cleaning product designed for you.

You wouldn’t want to use nubuck or suede leather cleaning products designed for your shoes to clean your sofa, so do shop around until you find just the right product. Using the wrong cleaning product can potentially damage and reduce the lifespan of your furniture.

3. Using Improper Cleaning Techniques

If you’ve read the manufacturer’s cleaning booklet and purchased the right cleaning product for your piece of furniture, all that’s left is to grab a cloth and start cleaning, right? It’s not going to be straightforward in all cases.

In fact, you’ll likely risk smearing stains and creating unwanted blots if you fail to use improper cleaning techniques. Furthermore, you risk missing a spot, which can become accentuated as time goes on and a particular spot is left neglected.

You’ll need to apply the product evenly and diligently to the upholstery if you want to do it yourself. There’s always a risk that even with the correct cleaning product and following the manufacturer’s instructions that you can make a mess of the situation. Why not let a qualified professional cleaning service do the job right the first time?

4. Neglecting to Test Your Cleaning Product First

Even if you’re sure that you’ve got the right cleaning product for your furniture, be sure to test it first. You wouldn’t paint your bedroom in a colour that you haven’t sampled first, so don’t apply potentially powerful cleaning chemicals to your expensive upholstery without testing it first.

A patch test is a great way to see if the product is able to properly clean stains, treat the upholstery, not lead to faded colours, and restore the fabric’s texture without making it crack or feel rough. Test the cleaning product on a small area in a benign place, such as under a chair or sofa or on a side that isn’t visible or important.

5. Not Calling a Professional Cleaning Service

Sure, you can research the proper cleaning solution and technique for your specific upholstered furniture pieces and apply the patch test, but this is time-consuming and can be costly if done incorrectly. Not only are you wasting your time and money going to purchase the products, but you risk deteriorating the lifespan or ruining the upholstery, which can be costly.

Consider letting an expert do the dirty work for you. Dom Care Cleaning in Brisbane and Gold Coast has qualified upholstery specialists that can bring your favourite furniture back to life and make them look just like new. Feel free to contact us and let us know how we can help!