Furniture Cleaning & Care – Tactics For Pet Owners
When you have family pets in the home, you have to expect that your furniture and carpets are going to require extra care and attention to keep them clean and free of pet hair. In addition to regular inspections and light surface cleaning of upholstery, there are some tactics you can employ to protect your furniture from pet damage in between professional deep cleanings.
Tips For Furniture Care When You Have Pets
Cover Your Furniture
Use furniture covers and throws over seats, armrests, and backs of sofas and chairs. These take the brunt of pet wear and tear and pet beds and throws are much easier to remove and launder than the actual upholstery.
Restrict Pet Access
Keep pets restricted from very light coloured or delicate furniture with covers, pet gates, or by closing doors to some rooms. Allow them full access to only some designated pet-friendly furniture.
Distract Pets
Place plush pet beds and scratching posts near upholstered furniture to encourage your pets to sleep and scratch there rather than on your furniture. The more attractive alternatives you provide, the less they will want to be on the living room sofa .
Stain Protection Sprays
Consider applying fabric protectants like Scotchgard to your upholstery to resist liquid, dirt and hair uptake. These sprays are pet safe and readlily available online, they do not last and need to be re-applied every few months. This stain protectant can be applied by a professional upholstery cleaning service.
Postitive Reinforcement Training
Train pets to stay off certain furniture with positive reinforcement training techniques. It may take patience and persistence but you can teach “off” for certain chairs and sofas.
Making some small investments of time, money and effort into these preventative measures will reward you by keeping your nicer upholstery damage free for longer between deep cleanings. Check out some durable slipcover and furniture cover options online
Odours – Target with enzymatic cleaners
Pet accidents may leave musty, ammonia odours lingering in an upholstered piece even after you’ve blotted up the initial spill and stain. Bacteria grows on the unseen soiled area and releases stinky volatile organic compounds into the air and fabric itself, you may think that your have dealt with the odour only to have it reappear on a humid day or when it is raining outside
Modern Enzymatic Solutions for Pet Odours
The most effective way to conquer embarrassingly smelly upholstery is using enzymatic pet odour removers. These non-toxic solutions contain bacteria that eat up the particles causing odour. Follow product directions to let them soak in and neutralize odours at the source.
For quick help between deeper enzymatic treatments, make up a 50/50 solution of distilled white vinegar & water and spray lightly on to the fabric using a spray bottle. This helps deodorize and removes traces of alkaline urine salts left behind. Allow all solutions to fully dry before reusing furniture.
Proper air circulation also prevents odour build up from saturating into upholstery fibres. Open windows and point portable fans on problem areas whenever possible to aid drying post cleaning and regularly freshen with air.
Ground in Dirt and Grime – Spot clean gently
General dirt, dust and grime also takes its toll on upholstery’s appearance over time. Prevent what you can from accumulating with regular vacuum grooming. But set in filth requires some spot extraction. Just take care in how you wet and clean delicate upholstery fabrics.
- Before wetting fabric, first blot up any loose surface dirt gently with a clean, absorbent white cloth. Test coloured upholstery for dye stability by blotting with a hidden white area first.
- Mix a gentle fabric cleaner (such as Bissell) in cool water at about 1 tsp per 500ml of water. Try not to use soap. Too much lather will leave residue in the fabric.
- Working just a small area at a time, sponge this solution gently onto fabric with a clean white cloth, using light strokes following the grain of the weave. Avoid vigorously scrubbing or you may abrade and damage delicate fibres.
- Blot repeatedly with more clean sections of absorbent white cloth until no more soil transfers. Take care not to oversaturate upholstery; you just want light surface dampness.
- Blot extra rinse water to remove any soap film.
- Allow to air dry fully upright before using. Use a fan to accelerate drying.
This mild cleaning technique should help remove small stains or spills or marks in between professional deeper cleanings . But be very careful about over-wetting delicate upholstery yourself at home. Doing too vigorous DIY wet cleaning risks permanent water stains, shrinkage or destruction of fibres. When fabrics are extremely soiled or stained despite your best efforts, call in the professionals that you can count on for the deep extraction cleaning needed.
Hiring Professional Upholstery Cleaning Services
Finding reliable local experts trained in advanced stain removal and cleaning is not difficult. Look at reviews for any service provider and when setting your appointment tell them the problems.
In South Manchester Deluxe Dry Upholstery Cleaning provides stain treatments, cleaning and stain protection services that are well suited to all fabric . Modern Dry or Low moisture furniture cleaning avoids damage risks and is convenient . Professional cleaning gives optimal results and is much more affordable than buying brand new replacements.
Pet mishaps can be upsetting but if you have a pet they are almost inevitable. Professional upholstery cleaning services featuring tested pet-friendly methods for hair removal, stain treatment and odour remediation should be a key part of your plan to keep your fine furnishings and your home looking great. Invest in regular professional care services and then along with your own routine maintenance practices and even light coloured upholstery can stay looking surprisingly fresh year after year, pets and all!
Deluxe Dry Upholstery Cleaning Service
Maintaining clean and spotless furniture is essential for a beautiful home and for keeping your furniture looking good for its entire lifetime. Hiring a professional upholstery cleaning service can ensure that your furniture remains in excellent condition and saves you replacing it before its time, and enhances your rooms and your home. So, take the first step towards cleaner and more enjoyable furniture and contact Deluxe Dry Upholstery Cleaning Service
Contact Deluxe Dry Upholstery Cleaning today for a free estimate and to book your appointment!
Call us at 0161 768 0208
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Our modern dry furniture cleaning process is convenient and no risk. Call us today.