Refreshing Upholstery: From Spotted to Sparkling

This needlepoint chair was brought to me for refreshing.

Here’s how I brightened up the dull upholstery with a technique you can use on your furniture at home.

CAVEAT: I am not a professional upholstery cleaner and this was not a valuable antique! If you have furniture of significant value, stick to the professionals for cleaning. This technique is useful for a quick refresh of day-to-day use furniture.

Step One: Vacuum

Assuming the upholstery is in good shape, the first item on the agenda is to give it a good vacuuming. Use the upholstery fitting for your hose if you have one to distribute the suction pressure. If there’s a spot that might be damaged by suction, you can lay a pillowcase over it so the vacuum will “tug” more on the pillowcase than the underlying upholstery.

This seat already looked ten times better with the surface dust removed.

Step Two: Cleanse

First, I tested the upholstery with a damp paper towel to make sure the dyes were colorfast. You don’t want to dampen everything and have the colors run. Then I put an extra gentle fabric cleanser into a spray bottle that atomizes to a nice mist. I used Soak®, which is good for hand-cleaning quilts and knitted items, but there are many options on the market. Avoid products with harsh chemical cleaners.

Step Three: Dab Dab Dab

Lightly mist the surface of the upholstery. You don’t want to soak the upholstery (and, thus, the stuffing underneath) or you risk mold or mildew setting in. Then take a soft cloth and gently dab at the surface to remove dirt and moisture. DON’T RUB! Rubbing stretches the fabric weave and also can result in pilling. Next, repeat the wet/dab process with clean water to rinse any soap residue. You may have to “lather, rinse, repeat” several times on spots or stains.