How to Freshen Furniture

A clean and fresh smelling house can give you a whole new attitude. And freshening your furniture doesn't have to be expensive or difficult, but how much you have to do depends on the circumstances of your home. If you have pets, or you are a smoker, it will take a little more work to get your furniture smelling and looking new again. Here are a few ways to try before calling in the professionals.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum
• Spray foam furniture cleaner
• Febreeze
• Liquid fabric softener
• Spray bottle
• Baking soda
• Fabric softener sheets
• Steam cleaner
• Scented wood polish

Instructions

1. Vacuum your furniture. If you have fabric furniture vacuum it well before doing anything else to it. Make sure you get all the animal hair and dust out of it.

2. Take covers off and hang them outside. Hang them on a clothesline for a few hours and let them air out. If they need to be cleaned you can clean them first with a foam type furniture cleaner and then leave them outside until they are dry. Even if you can't take covers off you can still do this with cushions, just dry them on your patios chairs or table. Place some fabric softener sheets under the cushions when you bring them back in and just leave them there. The will give off a nice fresh smell for a couple of weeks.

3. Clean with a spray foam furniture cleaner. If you can't take your furniture outside, then clean it with the foam cleaner. Follow the manufacturers directions on the can. If you still don't have a nice fresh smell you can mix one part liquid fabric softener with three parts water in a spray bottle and lightly spray the furniture. Spray your curtains too. You can also use Febreeze, this product takes away the smell instead of just covering it up and they make a few different kinds for you to choose from.

4. Dust with baking soda. If your furniture just needs some freshening and not cleaning then try this. Make sure you have a good vacuum before you do this and make sure your furniture is dry. Leave the baking soda on for about an hour and then vacuum it off. This is a case where less is best. Baking soda will cake up and cause build up on your furniture if you use too much or the furniture is damp. Use it sparingly.

5. Rent a steam cleaner. You can rent a steam cleaner at most grocery stores by the day or hour. This will clean, freshen and kill most bacteria from your furniture. Let it dry completely and spray a fine mist of Febreeze on in and it will be like new.

6. Clean with a magic eraser. This is a great product for outside plastic or pvc furniture. Just hose down and clean away, it removes almost everything. Just make sure you have a few packs of them because they don't last that long.

7. Dust with a scented dusting polish. Use a scented dusting spray on all your wood furniture. It not only looks really nice when your done but leaves a great scent in the air.

Tips & Warnings

• Before using anything that will make your furniture wet, do a spot check on an area that isn't seen, such as under a cushion or on the back. Make sure it won't fade or be ruined by wet cleaners.

• Don't use the liquid fabric softener too often or it will cause the material to get sticky and attract dirt.