Read the fabric care label on your piece of furniture before you begin any cleaning process
Step 1 You should be able to clean most cotton fabrics yourself, but there are always exceptions and the fabric care label will tell you if the piece needs to be professionally cleaned.
Step 2 Vacuum the upholstery to remove any dust, loose dirt, crumbs or pet hair. Regular vacuuming will extend the life of your upholstery. Remove any leftover pet hair with a sticky roller lint remover. It is important to remove every bit of loose dirt and pet hair because you want to expose the fabric surface to the cleaning agent.
Step 3 Spray a small area of your upholstery with the foam upholstery cleaner, following the product instructions. Do a test area first to ensure that the upholstery cleaner will not damage the fabric. With most upholstery sprays, you spray them on, and take a damp sponge and spread the foam evenly on the fabric. Allow it to dry completely, and then vacuum.
Step 1 Remove all loose cushions.
Step 2 Loosen dirt with a handheld dusting brush while using a vacuum brush attachment to remove the dust.
Step 3 Vacuum all surfaces of the furniture: back, sides, arms, skirt and the platform beneath the cushions.
Step 4 Vacuum both sides of the loose cushions.
Step 5 Replace cushions.
Step 6 Add 1/4 c. laundry detergent or liquid dish detergent to 1 c. warm water. Blend with an electric mixer; whip the mixture until the suds look like whipped cream (it will be dry and form peaks).
Step 7 Test for fading by dipping a cloth in the suds and rubbing a small place on the back of furniture. Let dry. If fading, shrinkage or discoloration occurs, have the job done professionally; if not, proceed to the next step.
Step 8 Pick an area on the furniture, dip cloth and rub suds on.
Step 9 Dirt will begin to appear in suds as they work. Use a scraper to scrape suds away.
Step 10 Rinse area with a damp cloth.
Step 11 Repeat steps 8 through 10 on other areas of furniture, allowing for overlap of areas during cleaning.
Step 12 Allow to dry overnight, preferably with an electric fan blowing on furniture.
Finished Leather
Step 1 Place a small amount of a gentle, moisturizing soap such as Dove on a damp cloth and bring it to a light lather.
Step 2 Rub the damp cloth on the leather without putting too much water on the leather.
Step 3 Wipe away lather with a fresh damp cloth. Don't rinse the leather in water.
Step 4 Polish leather with a dry towel.
Step 5 Treat leather with a leather conditioner after it has dried completely.
Unfinished Leather
Step 1 Use a damp cloth or sponge to rub saddle soap into the leather; work soap into a light lather.
Step 2 Wipe away lather and allow to air dry.
Step 3 Oil leather with a leather preservative such as mink oil.
Step 1 Vacuum the furniture thoroughly to remove any dust, debris or sharp items that might tear or damage the furniture.
Step 2 Dampen a white cloth with a small amount of dish soap and gently swirl it over any marks, stains or food spots. Take a clean, dry white cloth and briskly rub the newly cleaned area, circling widely into the already dry areas to blend the two together. Repeat occasionally until the furniture is completely dry.
Step 3 Remove food that is stuck to the fabric by gently rubbing until the food dissolves. Do not try to pry or pick it off as this will tear the fabric, causing permanent damage to the furniture.
Step 4 Use a baby wipe to remove ink, crayons, marker and other tough stains. Baby wipes will also clean away water rings left by washing with straight water or an incorrect detergent.
Step 5 Wet a magic eraser and ring out excess moisture to remove sticky substances like gum and candy.
Step 6 Keep your microfiber furniture clean with occasional cleansing with the fabric attachment for your steam cleaner. If you don't have a steam cleaner, you can rent one.
Step 1 Determine the kind of cleaning job you need to do. If you’re trying to get rid of a single obvious stain, you’ll have to do different things than if you’re just trying to do a general maintenance clean. Check the whole surface of the sofa. Sometimes stains trickle to places you don’t expect. Locate all the stain spots.
Step 2 Rub a suede eraser against the soft fabric. The suede eraser uses small particles that get under the surface of the suede. When you brush these particles out, the dirt is taken out as well. In a pinch, you can use a pencil eraser to remove dried stains from your suede couch.
Step 3 Sweep the suede sofa with a metal suede brush. Use circular motions and a slight amount of pressure to remove dried stains. This will also give the suede a fluffier texture and give you a more comfortable sitting surface.
Step 4 Wipe the suede sofa with a damp towel. The point is to remove any dirt or stains while adding as little moisture as possible to the fabric. The suede should dry very quickly if you use this method.
Step 5 Test your suede sofa with any fluids or chemicals you may want to use on your sofa. Apply some of the cleaner to an inconspicuous part of the furniture and wait to see if the fabric is damaged or discovered. You might consider doing this on the reverse of the hem at the bottom, where no one will ever see it.
Step 6 Apply soap or suede cleaner and follow the instructions on the bottle. There are all kinds of different preparations and each has different directions. Vinegar is also a common household chemical you can use to clean suede. Dab a bit of vinegar on the suede couch and brush the suede clean. Wipe the vinegar and the stain off with a clean towel.
Step 1 Get your cleaning solution. It's best to use a gentle, non-detergent soap.
Step 2 Mix the soap with water in a small bowl or bucket using three or four drops of soap per quart of water, or enough to make the solution bubble.
Step 3 Use a damp cloth or soft-bristled brush to apply the cleaning solution to your furniture. Apply the bubbles rather than the liquid. Rub the brush lightly up and down the dirty area.
Step 4 Rinse off the soap with a sponge or rag dampened with water.
Step 5 Use a dry cloth to dry the leather or vinyl and wipe off any excess water. Don't allow the water to sit.
Step 6 Use a vinyl/leather cleaner. Vinyl and leather are absorbent and may hold stubborn stains that are difficult to get out with just soap and water. For these, use a leather/vinyl cleaner sold at furniture and home improvement stores. Follow the mixing and application directions on the bottle. Apply it with a cloth or paper towels.