How to Clean Upholstered Seats in Kitchen Chairs

Use oxygen bleach to brighten a dingy upholstered chair.

Maintaining upholstered kitchen chairs correctly keeps money in your pocket and you from spending hours shopping for replacements. Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and spills lead to permanent stains when not cleaned correctly. Coffee, milk and oil-based stains are common enemies to upholstered furniture, and each requires a separate battle plan. It is possible to clean and maintain your upholstered kitchen chairs without expensive tools or cleaners.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• Liquid dish soap
• Nylon scrub brush
• Towels
• Wet/dry vac
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup oxygen bleach
• Kitchen sponge

Instructions

Coffee Stains

1. Create a mixture of 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap. Stir the ingredients until they are well-incorporated.

2. Dip a nylon scrub brush into the mixture. Work the vinegar and dish soap solution into the coffee stain. Allow the mixture to remain for 10 minutes.

3. Rinse away the white vinegar solution with warm water. Blot at the upholstered chair with a towel to remove the excess water.

Milk Stains

1. Dab at the spill to remove as much milk as possible before it soaks into the upholstery and padding underneath.

2. Create a mixture of 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap and 2 cups hot water. Dump the mixture directly onto the stain. Flooding the upholstered chair with the soapy water helps dilute the milk before it curdles and emits a sour odor.

3. Remove as much of the liquid as possible with a wet/dry vac or blot at it with a dry towel. Once you’ve removed the majority of the soapy water and milk, sprinkle the upholstered chair with 1 cup baking soda.

4. Allow the baking soda to remain overnight. Vacuum off the upholstered chair to remove the baking soda and any liquids and odors it absorbed during the night.

Oil Based Stains

1. Blot at the stain with a dry towel to remove any excess liquid. Do not rub any oil-based stain, including cooking oil, cheese or butter, to prevent working it deeper into the upholstery.

2. Create a mixture of 1/4 cup oxygen bleach powder and 1/2 gallon warm water. Stir the ingredients until the oxygen bleach is completely dissolved.

3. Dampen a kitchen sponge with the oxygen bleach solution and dab at the stain. Continue to blot at the stain until it is completely removed.

4. Rinse the upholstered chair with plain water to remove any oxygen bleach residue and cover the chair with a dry towel. Press down on the towel to remove the excess water.

References

• Mrs. Clean: Upholstery Cleaning and Stain Removal Tips
• Stain-Removal-101: Remove Milk Stains-Milk Stain Removal
• University of Illinois Extension: Stain Solutions