How to Clean Upholstery With a Steam Cleaner

Keep your upholstered furniture looking fresh by vacuuming it regularly with the upholstery tool attached to the hose. Prevent the fabric from fading (or at least delay this) by keeping your furniture out of direct sunlight -- close blinds, shades or curtains when the sun shines most directly through windows closest to the upholstery. And remove stains by blotting them with a dry cleaning solvent. Before steam cleaning upholstery, read the piece's cleaning code label to determine whether or not it is safe to do so. Then rent or buy an upholstery steam cleaner (also called an extractor) and follow the directions below.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum cleaner with upholstery attachment
• Steam cleaner with furniture cleaning attachment
• Cleaning solution to use with the steam cleaner

Instructions

1. Rent a steam cleaner or purchase one; buy upholstery steam cleaner solution.

2. Vacuum the upholstery on the furniture you wish to steam clean; use the upholstery attachment to most effectively suck up loose debris.

3. Test the upholstery steam cleaner solution in an inconspicuous place to ensure the color won't be steamed out or drastically altered.

4. Attempt to remove any stains with a stain removal or dry cleaning solution. Follow the directions that come with the product you choose for the best results, and allow the stain remover to dry before you begin steam cleaning.

5. Remove cushions and, if necessary, arm covers.

6. Gently apply the steaming water and cleaning solution in straight lines across the upholstery one section at a time.

7. Use the cleaning extension on the steam cleaner to suck up as much water as possible. The dirt will come out with the water.

8. Clean one side of each cushion (then allow it to dry) before cleaning the other side. If the cushions are permanently attached to the furniture, clean them last.

9. Allow the furniture to dry completely before repeating the steam-cleaning process or replacing the cushions.

Tips & Warnings

• Arm covers may shrink when steam cleaned and, therefore, may not fit properly.

References

• Personal Experience
• Home Cleaning Tips: Furniture Steam Cleaning

Resources

• Rug Doctor Steam Cleaners
• McCulloch Heavy Duty Steam Cleaner at Home Depot