Guide to Cleaning Upholstery
Effective upholstery cleaning can transform your furniture, reviving its appearance and making it look as good as new. Best of all, you can do it yourself! Rug Doctor® by BISSELL® rental guide to cleaning upholstery—anything from your favorite recliner to the dog’s spot on the couch to the Thanksgiving dining room chairs. We’re here to help you tackle stubborn stains, eliminate odors, and preserve the quality of your furniture.
Follow these five steps:
Step 1: Check The Manufacturer’s Tag
Before cleaning, check the manufacturer’s tag for specific instructions. Upholstery usually has a manufacturer’s cleanability code tag. If the fabric is coded “WS” or “W,” it’s safe to clean with water. If coded “X” or “S,” that type of fabric is unsafe to clean. Once you’ve determined it’s okay to be cleaned, always test a small hidden area of fabric on the furniture you plan to clean for colorfastness. You are ready to proceed once you’ve tested that the upholstery color won’t be affected.
Remove everything from the furniture that can come off: throw pillows, blankets, remote controls, toys and everything else. Most blankets can be washed in the washing machine, and in some cases, so can pillow covers. You’ll want to double-check the tags on these to ensure you wash them correctly. Contact the manufacturer for washing instructions if you don’t see a tag.
Next, focus on the cushions. For couches where these can be removed, they should, but they can’t just be thrown in the washing machine. That’s where Rug Doctor® by BISSELL® rental machines come in handy. Rent one of our Upright Carpet Cleaners and add on the Upholstery Tool. You’ll be cleaning upholstery like a professional for a fraction of the price. Machine rentals are available for $39.99 for 24-hr or $49.99 for 48-hr*. The Upholstery Tool rental is an additional $5.99 for 24- or 48-hr rentals. *Pricing and 48-hr availability may vary by location.
Step 2: Vacuum
Use your vacuum’s attachments to remove hair and loose dirt from all surfaces. Remember to get into the crevices where crumbs (and who knows what else) always fall. Now that the dry debris is removed let’s give your couch and chairs a good, deep clean.
Step 3: Pre-Treat Stains
Before you prepare your rental upholstery cleaner, look at your furniture and assess any glaring stains on the upholstery that need a little extra attention. Tackle those stains by pretreating them with one of our specially developed spot and pre-treat solutions. We love the enzyme power of our Pet Urine Eliminator spray if you have old pet stains or odd odors. It removes tough pet stains and eliminators odors at the source. Our Oxy cleaners have the power of oxygen behind them and work great on colored stains, like spilled drinks and food. They start working as soon as they make contact with stains to remove them. Spot and Stain Removers can be purchased from the rental display where you pick up the rental machine.
Step 4: Deep Clean
After pretreating the stains, grab the Rug Doctor by BISSELL rental machine and prepare it with one of our machine formulas, like our Max Advanced for the best cleaning. Attach the upholstery tool and hose. Spray the formula onto the upholstery using a slow and steady forward and backward motion. Then, go back over the same area and suck up the stains and dirt. Do this over the whole couch and chairs to clean them. Detailed instructions for specific machines can be found under Support > Rental-Support.
Step 5: Let it Dry and Enjoy!
Once you’ve cleaned the sofa and upholstered chairs, you will need to let them dry. There are a few factors that speed up or slow down dry time, so each case is different, but we recommend waiting 4-6 hours before sitting on your couch or chairs. You can also point a fan at them to help speed up the drying time. Once your furniture is dry, enjoy your freshly cleaned upholstery!
