Carpet and upholstery cleaning: Bring your living room back to life

No matter how often you dust, clean and tidy your living room, if your carpets and upholstery are tired, dirty and worn, the room will struggle to look its best. Daily life and all its wear and tear can take its toll on soft furnishings, but it’s incredible the difference a deep clean of your living room carpet and upholstery can make.

So, if you want to give your living room a fresh lease of life, cleaning your carpets and upholstery can be a great place to start.

Carpet cleaning

Giving your carpet a thorough clean will not only freshen it up and transform the look of your home, but it can also help to extend the lifespan of the carpet.

Here are our top tips for cleaning your carpet:

Carpet cleaning tips

Stains

To remove common stains from your carpet, make a paste by mixing equal parts vinegar and baking soda, with a touch of warm water. Scrub the stained areas with the mixture and a sponge until the stain disappears. Then, soak up as much moisture as you can with a clean cloth.

General cleaning

An excellent general clean can really freshen up your carpet. Mix one part laundry detergent with ten parts of warm water, and scrub with a medium-bristled brush. Leave your newly cleaned carpet to dry before vacuuming it thoroughly.

Buying a carpet cleaner

There are a whole host of carpet cleaning appliances on the market and, if you’re considering buying one, you must choose the one that best suits your needs. Factors to consider include:

• Capacity – If you’ll be using your carpet cleaner to clean a large, fully carpeted home regularly, you’ll need a cleaner with a large capacity.
• Cable length – Equally, if you’re cleaning a large space, you’ll need a longer cable.
• Attachments – There is a wide range of different attachments available for carpet cleaners, including attachments for stair carpets, car interiors, upholstery and curtains. Look for a model that comes with the attachments you need.

Upholstery cleaning

It’s a common misconception that carpet and upholstery cleaning methods are the same. Although there are similarities, they each require different cleaning methods – a carpet is made from synthetic fibres, whereas upholstery is often fabric based. The fabrics used for upholstery, such as cotton and wool, are sensitive to certain chemicals that can be used on carpets.

Upholstery cleaning tips

Always test your cleaner

First thing’s first, if you’re using a cleaning product, even if it’s just laundry detergent and water, test it on a small, discreet patch of your upholstery first to ensure it doesn’t stain or damage the fabric.

Dust

No matter how clean you keep your home, over time, upholstery can collect dust. It’s important to remove any dust regularly to prevent stains. To remove the dust, use a soft-bristle brush or a vacuum with an upholstery attachment.

Stains

Whether it’s a glass of red wine, makeup or food spills, there are plenty of opportunities for upholstery to become stained as a result of everyday wear and tear.

To remove stains, wet the edges of a clean cloth (keeping the middle dry) and dip one end into a mixture of one part vinegar to two parts laundry detergent. Carefully scrub the stain and then use the other side of the cloth to wipe off the detergent mixture. Finally, dry the cleaned area with the middle part of the cloth.

Covers

If your upholstery covers are removable, remove and wash in cool water and laundry detergent (make sure you check the manufacturer’s instructions first). Put the covers back on while they are still slightly damp to ensure they retain their original shape.

For fixed upholstery, mix laundry detergent and water and use a sponge to wipe the surface down gently.

Revive your carpets with a professional carpet cleaning service

To successfully clean your living room carpets and upholstery, you’ll need the right tools. This equipment can be costly to buy, so it’s far more cost-effective to bring in the professionals – they are also carpet and upholstery cleaning experts so you can rest assured that they’ll achieve the best possible results.

Preparing for the carpet cleaner

When you hire a professional carpet cleaner, they’ll ensure that they leave your carpet looking its very best. There are a few steps you can take in preparation for their arrival to make sure you get the most out of the service.

Vacuum

Surely you don’t need to hoover before a professional carpet cleaner comes? This might sound strange but removing as much dirt and dust from your carpet before it is professionally cleaned will mean that your cleaner can focus on the deep-down dirt that your vacuum can’t reach.

Some cleaners include this pre-clean as part of their service, so check with your chosen carpet cleaner before your appointment.

Put any fragile items out of harm’s way

If you have any fragile or valuable items on display in your living room or the room your carpet cleaner will be working in, make sure you put them safely out of harm’s way to prevent them getting damaged or broken during the clean.

Move furniture

If you want the carpet under your furniture to be cleaned, you will need to move it before your professional cleaner arrives. This is always a good idea as you never know when you might get the urge to reposition your furniture, and you don’t want to be left with exposed patches of dirty carpet!