Methods for cleaning furniture at home, proven methods
No matter how neatly the furniture is operated, sooner or later it will need to be cleaned. Turning to professionals is a good idea, but cleaning services do not always give quality guarantees, and you will have to pay a substantial amount for the service. To avoid unnecessary waste, furniture can be cleaned with your own hands.
Necessary tools
Cleaning furniture at home requires some preparation. For surface treatment, you may need the following tools:
- Whisk to remove dust;
- Clothes brush;
- Sponge;
- Cotton fabric;
- Atomizer;
- Toothbrush;
- Tweezers;
- Capacity for solution.
You will also need a vacuum cleaner or a steam generator. To clean the surfaces you will need the following:
- Acetic and saline solution - considered optimal for removing contaminants from soft upholstery;
- Soap solution - the easiest way to clean furniture from simple stains;
- Ice - with its help it is possible to remove the stuck chewing gum;
- Household chemicals (stain removers, shampoos).
The most popular means are: soda, vinegar, powder. However, do not forget that chemicals can cause unpleasant effects on the skin. In this case, allergenic products may be used when cleaning furniture. In the absence of any item in everyday life, they can be replaced by a similar one.
Basic cleaning methods
For home cleaning, several basic cleaning methods are used:
- Dry
- Wet
- Cleaning furniture with steam;
- Chemical treatment;
- Mechanical cleaning.
Before choosing methods and means, it is necessary to carefully study the material from which the cabinet or table is made.
Dry
Dry cleaning furniture is considered a less expensive way to deal with dirt. This method has several advantages:
- Preservation of appearance;
- Effectiveness against stains;
- Availability.
The use of various carpet powders and foams also applies to dry cleaning. Dust often accumulates on wooden or plastic surfaces. You can remove it with a dry cloth.
This method is used if you are not sure how to clean furniture from the flock at home. It is knocked out or treated with a dry brush.
Wet
- Cleaning with a washing vacuum cleaner - this method is more effective in terms of improving the appearance of the product. If more thorough cleaning is necessary, it is better to choose the washing model of the vacuum cleaner. They are designed to eliminate old pollution, as well as some types of stains. Cleaning furniture at home with a vacuum cleaner is as follows: a detergent solution is poured into the device. Using a nozzle, it is sprayed to the surface. After complete processing, the furniture is again vacuum cleaned. Then the process is repeated, but with pure water;
- Cleaning with steam - the most modern cleaning method that can be attributed to the wet method is cleaning the furniture with a steam generator. This unit is suitable for processing almost all surfaces in the house. It is easy to use, but remains an expensive device. For cleaning, it is necessary to pour water into it, and then treat the surface with a stream of steam supplied from the nozzle of the steam generator. Under the influence of high temperatures, fine dirt softens and breaks into small parts. Then wipe the surface with a dry cloth to remove these residues. Cleaning furniture with a Karcher steam cleaner is considered simple and quick, as it not only refreshes the surface, but also removes many stains and dirt.
For many housewives, the question is important: is it possible to clean the furniture with a steamer if it has wooden parts? Do not risk the integrity of the wood, as high steam temperatures can lead to swelling and deformation.
Steam applicationVacuum CleanerChemical
Cleanroom furniture needs to be thoroughly cleaned of bacteria. The most popular means necessary for cleaning furniture items are:
- Vanish as a bleach or shampoo for a carpet;
- Fairies to fight greasy pollution.
It’s easy to work with funds: just dilute the cap of the product in water until a thick foam is obtained. In order not to spoil the surface, the manufacturer's recommendations for proportions should be strictly observed, since the chemistry for cleaning furniture is quite toxic.
Mechanical
In some cases, the best option would be mechanical cleaning of furniture in the apartment. It involves the use of tools to clean stains and dirt.
If the upholstery is dusty, you can use the usual carpet knocking tool and vacuum cleaner. With their help, the inner filling is deeply cleansed. A vacuum cleaner is sufficient for daily cleaning. This method of dry cleaning. Using a powerful unit you can remove dust, particles of small debris and minor contaminants. If dust appears on the upholstery or crumbs accumulate, the use of a clothes brush for dry cleaning is sufficient. With its help, some spots will be quickly and without stains removed.
The choice of method depending on the type of contamination
Depending on the material, a method and means for cleaning and a means are selected. Of particular note are wooden, wicker items and upholstery.
Cleaning metal surfaces
Stainless steel furniture for cleanrooms can be treated with liquid detergent, after which it is washed with water and wiped dry. If stains occur, caustic soda can be used. But in this case, the movements should be as accurate as possible so as not to leave scratches. More complex stains can be removed with a solvent (acetone). It is especially difficult to clean furniture if it is greasy. To eliminate oily gloss, you can wipe the surface with a solution of vinegar, and then polish.
Natural material processing
Furniture made from environmentally friendly materials requires a delicate approach in the choice of means. To clean wicker chairs and tables, you need a vacuum cleaner and a brush. To remove dirt in the most inaccessible places, it is recommended to use tweezers or a toothbrush. Using them, you can easily remove stuck grains of dirt and dust. After washing with water, it must be dried naturally or with a hairdryer or fan.
To clean wooden cabinets and tables, you can use a dry cotton cloth to remove dust. If the facades are painted, a vacuum cleaner for cleaning furniture with a special brush head is suitable. If the apartment has lacquered furniture, how to clean it at home? On sale there are special polishes for such products. To clean oil-soaked wood furniture, it is recommended to prepare a solution of turpentine and flax oil. The resulting product is applied to a napkin, which wipes the facades.
One of the most unpretentious materials for the manufacture of upholstered furniture is leather. Professional cleaning of leather furniture from stains is carried out using wet wipes. If this is not enough, you can prepare the product from the eggs. Protein processes the surface, and then wiped it with a dry cloth. Remove ink stains with alcohol.
Cleaning the sofa upholstery
If the fabric of the sofa is suitable for cleaning with a cleaning agent, you can use the following types of household chemicals:
- Laundry detergent can be used to clean removable covers;
- Vanish shampoo for carpets and sofas allows not only updating the color, but also getting rid of old spots;
- Vanish gel with antibacterial effect has the same properties. Its advantage is its ability to eliminate odors and destroy bacteria in the upholstery;
- To quickly remove complex stains, Vanish Spray is recommended. He is good at fighting stains of juice, tea, chocolate, ice cream, wine, herbs and cosmetics.
A furniture steam cleaner is effective for cleaning and updating upholstery. It eliminates even old spots and protects against the growth of harmful bacteria. If there are no ready-made powders at hand, you can use folk recipes.
Shampoo VanishSpray VanishGel VanishStain Removal Methods
Each stain requires careful cleansing, otherwise it may increase. There are popular methods of eliminating pollution:
- If there is greasy contamination, before you clean the furniture from stains, its surface must be covered with salt and left to absorb for some time. After wiped with a damp cloth and dried;
- If coffee is spilled onto the upholstery, it must be moistened with water and rubbed with laundry soap. Then the stain is left for exposure to chemistry. Residues of foam and dirt are removed with a brush;
- Juices can leave difficult traces. To eliminate impurities, you need to mix ammonia with vinegar, and apply the resulting product to a stain and leave to dry;
- Before you clean the traces of the candles on the furniture, you need to cover them with thick paper. Then iron the place. If after the first time the result does not appear, the procedure can be repeated several times;
- Blood stains can be removed with cold water. But before processing, wet the contaminated area with a dry cloth;
- To remove traces of coffee, tea or alcohol, you can use household soap;
- Beer stains can be removed with a mixture of ammonia and vinegar. It is enough to apply the product and leave it to dry completely;
- During transportation, many parts are fixed using tape. After installation, there is a problem how to remove traces of adhesive tape on furniture. The best tool is a stationery eraser. If it was not at hand, you can use oil. However, in this case it is important to consider the material from which it is made. On untreated wood, such experiments cannot be carried out;
- When deciding how to clean double-sided tape from the surface, do not forget that alcohol will help in this case. This product is softer than gasoline.
Grease stainCoffeeJuiceBloodBeer spotFor the application of solutions, it is best to use a spray gun. With its help, the product is applied more evenly and does not create additional stains.
Common mistakes
When cleaning furniture at home, even experienced housewives can make some mistakes. Furniture for clean rooms cannot be a springboard for stuffing cones. Therefore, to avoid them, you should follow some rules:
- When stains are removed from leather headsets, it is necessary to pat them and not rub them. Otherwise, pollution spreads over a large area. This is especially true for food stains, ink and various drinks;
- Before you clean furniture at home, you should carefully study the composition of the product, so as not to leave indelible traces or damage the surface;
- When working with plastic furniture, do not use abrasive products and hard sponges, as they can damage the perfect smoothness of the material. Cleaning furniture at home with soda is effective, but can seriously spoil the appearance of glossy facades. Also, solutions with chlorine cannot be used, since it can discolor surfaces;
- Before you clean the traces of adhesive tape on furniture, do not use a knife or scissors, as the facade can be scratched as a result of such exposure;
- If there is a problem, how to clean the furniture, if there were stickers on it, you should try to treat it with medical alcohol. The eraser is also effective, with the help of which the dirt is simply erased;
- Before working with cleaning solutions, you need to take care of the cleanliness of the floor, and cover it around the sofa with newspapers or plastic wrap. This is especially important when it is necessary to process furniture for cleanrooms;
- Before applying any substance, its effect should be checked on an inconspicuous area of the upholstery. Otherwise, spots may occur, which will be extremely difficult to cope with.
If you strictly follow the cleaning rules, you can forget about the services of third-party organizations and provide reliable care for your furniture yourself.