Spot Cleaning

• Spills are inevitable, especially when there are children in the house. Look at furniture labels for care instructions or keep printed instructions in a household notebook.
• Always test your cleaning method first on an inconspicuous spot. If a ring remains around the stain after cleaning, you'll need to deep clean the entire cushion or chair.
• Gently blot spills -- don't rub -- as quickly as possible with a white towel or paper towel. Don't use colored towels or printed paper towels because they may transfer dye or ink to the upholstery.
• If a large amount is spilled, remove as much as possible with clean toweling, a scraper, or spoon; blot up the rest, then treat the remaining stain.
• It's generally best to remove slipcovers to spot-clean, to make sure the upholstery underneath is not affected. Or, place a clean folded towel under the slipcover to protect the upholstery while you work on spot-cleaning the slipcover.
• Find tips below on removing pet hair.

 

• Use a clothes brush with either a bristle head or napped fabric head to collect pet hair.
• Use a clothes lint remover with a refillable sticky tape to pick up pet hair. Or look for a similar brush sold in pet stores.
• In a pinch, wrap masking tape around your hand, sticky side out, to pick up loose hair and fuzz.