The Cleaners

Garment care tips

Upholstery and Furniture Covers

The holidays are here, which usually means gatherings and parties. It can also mean that there will be spills and timely decisions to make!

Question
If you have a spill on upholstery or furniture covers, what can be done to safely improve or remove the stain, and what should not be done?

Answers
First, understand that liquid spills may penetrate the cover and deep into the padding itself. Second, it’s nearly impossible to remove the whole spill by just caring for top layer. Furthermore, it can be very tricky to remove stains that "sit" on the top surface, such as chocolate, without spreading the stain or causing a ring.

Do:

• Discern if the stain is water-based or oil-based.
• Blot the stain with a dry white cloth until you’ve absorbed all that you can.
• Use a moist sponge or cloth on water-based stains, if you must, but first place a dry cloth inside the cushion and do not rub the fabric.

Don’t:

• Use water, club soda, wet sponges, or white wine to remove red wine — as this may spread the stain and make further removal impossible.
• Don’t use water or club soda on oily stains.

In most cases, cushions and covers are best cleaned professionally, so call your drycleaner as soon as possible and don’t let the spill ruin your festive occasion!

This tip is © The Clothing Doctor and used with permission. May not be reproduced in any form without permission.