Naturally Cleaning Upholstered Used Furniture

I am really into using natural cleaners at all times.

One of the main reason is that I have a chronic condition that gets worst with strong chemical smells. 

Also, natural cleaners are better for our environment, as whatever we wash down the drain goes back into the water we drink. 

On a different note, I am into buying secondhand items whenever possible (aka 99% of the times).
It's cheaper and it keeps stuff out of the landfills.

That said, most things are either washable or "wipeable".

Others items, such as used upholstered furniture, need a more creative approach.

Today I am sharing how to clean used upholstered furniture.

Let me start by saying that 

we got this loveseat for FREE off Craigslist. 

this picture was taken AFTER the deep cleaning

(the only other things I got for free in the past off of CL was a bag of small rocks...)  

Being free, I knew that this loveseat was probably in need of some TLC.

After we got this home, I inspected the loveseat.

Structurally was in perfect condition.

Not so the upholstered fabric.

Let me rephrase.

The fabric had no rips...

but it did have smaller stains and cat hair (most of it was not noticeable).

No smell, which is ALWAYS a plus!

In the morning I set out my cleaners and got to work. 

First of all I lint rolled the entire furniture by using packing tape. 

Same concept as the lint roller...just cheaper.

Then I vacuumed the loveseat with this little vacuum.

It's powerful and it has "rollers".

Now the fun part.

I used a 50/50 vinegar/water mix, and sprayed over the most noticeable stains.

I scrubbed the stains with an old towel.

Repeated until it looked clean.

I then sprayed the entire seat and back.

Don't be shy.

Spray and scrub.

Repeat as necessary.

Finally I used our shark floor steamer.

It has a plastic attachment you can used for carpet...

well, I used it on the upholstered fabric.

So I steamed the entire thing.

Several times.
For a deep cleaning.
(And scrubber with the old towel as necessary),

until I felt like it was clean.

In the end I used a clean old towel and paper towels to blot dry the loveseat.

Let it dry for several hours before sitting on it.

My husband came home later in the day and said:

It looks brand new!

It kind of is.

The bottom tag said it's only 2 years old, and they paid $500...which I am not surprised, because I have been keeping a close eye on similar items on different sites, and they all range above $350+

Not bad since I got it for free + 1 hour of cleaning time. 

I am hoping to rearrange the furniture in our sunroom soon.

Maybe I will put this against the brick wall.

Till then...

Stay Frugal,

Daniela

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