Cleaning the house can be an exhausting process. You want to get into all those nooks and crannies, and you especially want your furniture to be cleaned and polished. But there are a lot of mistakes that you could make when cleaning your furniture. For best possible results, here are some things to avoid when cleaning your furniture.

Not Cleaning

One of the mistakes that is frequently made is simply not cleaning your furniture. Germs, dirt, grime, dust and food crumbs can build up on your furniture over time, which will make the furniture look dingy and dirty. If you have a linen couch, drinks could spill and stain the fabric. Pets can also ruin furniture by urinating or shedding on the cushions. Cleaning up from a pet may seem like a hassle, but it’s better than living with furniture covered in pet smells. The way to avoid this mistake is simple: regularly clean your furniture. To get your furniture the cleanest, you might have to buy some special furniture cleaning chemicals or other upholstery cleaning devices to get rid of stains.

Treating All Furniture The Same

All furniture is the same right? Wrong. Just because you sit in chairs and on your couch does not mean you should treat cleaning them the same way. Leather couches should not be cleaned with the same “all-purpose cleaner” you use to clean your countertops. Wood furniture requires special care that can vary slightly depending on the wood used. Make sure that when you use wood cleaner, you are only using it on wood furniture. Using wood cleaner on fake wood furniture can actually do more harm than good as it can leave a sticky substance and attract more dirt. Because furniture differs, it is best to have different cleaning strategies to clean them.

Missing A Spot

Another common mistake is that people don’t always clean all surfaces of their furniture. This could be only wiping areas where there are spills, or only dusting the visible parts of the couch. Furniture has many spots that can hold food crumbs and dirt, so it’s important to try and clean all parts of the furniture. For example, when cleaning a couch, pull out the cushions and vacuum them. Vacuum underneath them as well. Wipe or dust the sides of your couch. Be thorough in your cleaning to avoid missing spots and causing further damage to your furniture in the future.

Ignoring Furniture in Storage

Putting your extra couch or chair in the attic might seem like a good idea since it clears up the living space of your house, but it could potentially deteriorate the furniture. Because the attic is not regulated like the rest of your house, the humidity or extreme temperatures can cause the furniture to accumulate dust and possibly damage. If you need to keep your furniture in storage, check on it every few months. Otherwise, it might be a good idea to give that furniture to a new home.

House Plants

House plants are a beautiful accessory to your home, but they can also cause damage to your furniture if they’re placed too close or on top of furniture. If your plant leaks, it can damage the wood of a shelf or table it is placed on, even your floors. It could also stain your couch if your plant is next to the couch and you accidentally spill on it. The best way to prevent this is to make sure your plant is out of the reach of small children so that it can’t be knocked over, and that it has a leak proof dish that it sits on. When you clean your furniture, make sure and check your houseplant to make sure it is not leaking.

Overcleaning Furniture

Another mistake people make is overcleaning furniture, which can damage it. When you clean, don’t use the cleaning chemicals every time as that could cause a buildup over time, leading to surfaces becoming stickier. This, in turn, attracts more dirt and grime, making it harder to clean the next time. Plus, if you scrub too much, you could wear off the shine or the upholstery of the furniture, which would also ruin it. Instead of using cleaners every time, try using a damp microfiber cloth to dust. Gentle cleaning will help your furniture last far longer.

Spraying Cleaner Directly on Surface

In addition to overcleaning with chemicals, another common mistake that people make is spraying their cleaner of choice directly onto the surface of the furniture. This can cause streaks and buildup that are unsightly and take more effort to clean in the future. Instead of spraying the cleaner directly on the surface, try spraying a small amount onto a microfiber cloth instead. The smaller amount helps directly clean what needs to be cleaned and causes much less buildup.

Using Only Water to Clean Certain Surfaces

Water is very easy to come by, so it might seem like it’s the perfect solution to clean up every stain, but you could end up causing more damage by using water on certain surfaces. For example, if you try to saturate your couch with water to remove multiple stains, it could cause mildew damage to your couch. On a smaller level, using water causes damage to a couch by potentially spreading the stain further. Instead of using water, try blotting the stain, or using a little rubbing alcohol to rub it out. However, water can still be very helpful in cleaning, especially as a diluting agent. For example, vinegar is a common household product that is known for its ability to get stains out, but it can be too strong by itself, which is why diluting it with water can make a more effective cleaning agent. Water can be helpful with cleaning, but it is also a substance to be cautious with.

Cleaning furniture may seem like an exhausting task, but it will not only make your furniture last longer, it will make the rest of your house look good as well. Avoid these mistakes and your furniture will be in good condition for years to come.

If you get overwhelmed by cleaning, why not let us take some of the load off? Contact us to schedule an appointment for recurring residential cleaning!