Furniture stains are normal and are part and parcel of everyone’s home, more so if you have children, cats or dogs, or entertain often. Be it a stain on your couch or a watermark on the wooden table, or even grease stains on your dining chairs, they all give the furniture a discarded look. The good news is, that those unpleasant marks are removable if one learns how to do it, and doesn’t give up.
Here we will see how to remove stains from different kinds of furnishing: fabric, leather and wood. A person will be able to learn how to clean his or her furniture through the use of specific cleaning approaches or even over the counter products and here are some guidelines:
Common Advice for Erasing Furniture Stains
Before diving into specific cleaning methods, here are some universal tips to keep in mind when dealing with stains:
Act Quickly: This is a general rule of life but especially true for stains: the sooner it is treated, the better. New blotches are a lot easier to remove as compared to those stains that have already penetrated through the fabric fibers.
Blot, Don’t Rub: If you experience a case of spilling food or any other substance, first, damp the area with a piece of cloth or a piece of news paper to remove as much liquid as is possible. Further to this, friction and pressure applied by rubbing may extend the compound or dirty moisture in paper, fabric or any other material.
Test in an Inconspicuous Area: Always, you should first use the cleaning solution on a hidden part of the furniture so that you can determine if it is going to leave any color change or even ruin the furniture.
Use Cold Water: Most stains should be washed using cold water because hot water can actually cause the stain to become permanent. But, in some cases, the grease or oil based stains even then might need warm water to soften the oil.
How to Clean Stains on Sofa and other Upholstered Furniture
Furniture which is made of upholstery materials like sofas, armchairs, etc are usually easy to get stained with food, beverages, sweat, and isolate. That is why it is essential to know which types of stains and which cleaning technique should be used when cleaning carpets.
Fabric Upholstery
Food and Beverage Stains: For such products like; coffee, juice or wine then you should take your time to dab the affected area gently with a clean piece of cloth. Next, prepare a mild dish soap which is washed with cold water.
Apply by blotting the area where the stain is with sponge or cloth applying from outside area in order to avoid the spreading of the stain. It has to be blotted with a clean cloth in order to soak the extra amount of water.
Grease and Oil Stains: Sometimes, even if you get oil stains on the fabric, just a little dish soap will do the trick. Rub a little dish soap over the stained area and leave it there for 5-10 minutes.
As such, wipe the area softly with a piece of cloth and cold water. Do this again, if needed, and allow the fabric to dry out in the air.
Ink Stains: Hemline can stick on the clothes when wet but the good news is that rubbing alcohol will do the trick. Rubbing alcohol can be used for other types of ink – dampen a cotton ball or cloth with rubbing alcohol, and gently blot the ink stain.
Do not wipe because it shall spread the ink all over the clothes. After that, take cold water and dab the area to rinse, then allow it to dry.
Leather Upholstery
Leather furniture is a good option if it comes to furniture as it’s both long-lasting and elegant; however, you have to be very careful while dealing with stains.
Water Stains: They can be removed through dampening a cloth with distilled water and wiping all the area round the stain gently. This aids in making the stain form part of the leather just to prevent premature wearing off of the leather.
Subsequently, wash with plain water and using a soft cloth pat the surface dry and apply a leather conditioner to ensure the material remains soft.
Ink Stains: Another recommendation is using rubbing alcohol to remove ink stains from leather with a help of a cotton swab. Pat the stain with a clean cloth and should avoid wetting the leather too much. When the stain is removed, clean the spot with a dry cloth having some water and let the area dry.
Grease Stains: Inflammation on leather should be cleaned using cornstarch or baking soda for grease stain blotting. Leave it for some time-I would recommend as long as several hours-and then use a soft brush to remove it. If the stain remains, you may repeat the process or use the leather cleaner.
Ways of Eradicating Stains from Wooden Furniture
For one, wood used in the construction of furniture is very sensitive to water, heat and general wear and tear. Here’s how to remove common stains from wood surfaces:
Water Stains: Stains or rings on wooden surfaces like tables, chairs or shelves may be eliminated using an essential item found in every home in America-teethpaste.
It’s recommended to use non-gel toothpaste and apply it on the stain using a small amount of cloth and rub it. When the stain has been removed clean the area with a wet cloth and then apply furniture oil to polish.
Heat Marks: Indeed, the heat marks that one often gets on wooden furniture by placing hot items such as dishes, cups, jugs, etc on wooden surfaces can simply be erased by use of heat or moisture.
Cover the stained area with fresh cloth then iron with a warm temperature avoid hot iron apply it in intervals of few seconds. The heat will evaporate some moisture out of the wood which will help reduce the visibility of the mark. It should be reapplied as necessary, again, but one should be careful not to scorch the finish.
Ink and Dye Stains: For ink or dye stains, method that is recommended is baking soda solution; one part baking soda with one part of water to make a paste.
Press the paste into the stain and mozzie it using a soft neutral-colored cloth. After that rinse the part where you have cleaned with water and wipe it dry with a cloth.
How to Erase Stains on Glasses and Metallic Furniture
Though such a furniture is easy to clean and probably more hygienically friendly than wooden furniture, they also get stained simply through finger prints or water marks, or even tarnish.
Glass Furniture
Water Spots: stains on glass are best washed out with warm water and vinegar mixed in equal potion. It is applied on the glass, left to work for some time and rinsed with clean water and a free from lint material.
For more difficult stains, mix baking soda and water to form a paste and wash the fabric gently, using this paste.
Metal Furniture
Rust and Tarnish: Stains that appear rusty colored on metal furniture can be cleaned out with lemon and baking soda.
Rub the above mixture on the rust stain, allow it to dry for sometime, 10 to 15 minutes then use soft brush or cloth to clean the rust stain. Afresh washing with water shall be done and later leave to dry to reduce chances of future rusting.
Fingerprints and Smudges: Treating stainless steel or chrome furniture with a diluted solution of water and dish washing soap can help wipe out fingerprints and smudge marks from the furniture. Rinse the solution with a soft cloth and wash the surface dry for an actual glare free finish.
Preventing Future Stains
Of course, it is important to know how you get rid of stains, but it is all the more important to prevent them. Here are a few tips to protect your furniture from future stains:
Use Coasters and Placemats: Avoid staining on wooden surfaces by placing glasses on coasters at all times, and hot dishes on mats.
Fabric Protectors: Putting up to use furniture protectant spray on the seats to guarantee that they are shielded from staining.
Regular Maintenance: Spills often accumulate dust, which, if not washed away, form strong stains on the furniture which is very difficult to remove.
Conclusion
It is annoying to realize that some spills or scorch have made some part of the furniture ugly, but do not fret for we have noticed several techniques that can help get rid of them.
If proper procedures are followed or in other words, if appropriate cleaning techniques are employed, most of the stains of all kinds are likely to be wiped out successfully and thus, the intended pieces of furniture be looked after in the most effective manner.
Whether you are cleaning fabric sofa or a leather chair or wooden table, the knowledge of cleaning all surfaces will help you in eradicating all stains.
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