Tuesday, February 24, 2015

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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14 comments:

Mindi@MyLove2Create said...

Such a great find and totally worth and hour of cleaning! Awesome!! I love the free section! Thanks for the tips!

Our Hopeful Home said...

Wow, I did not know you could get things free on Craigslist! You hit the jackpot, I would buy that loveseat in a heartbeat. It's got classic lines. Love it, and love your steam cleaning job!
xoKathleen

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

It look fabulous. Love how it turned out.

NanaDiana said...

WHAT a find!!!!! It does look like brand new. That will look really great in your new sunroom.

I use vinegar for a lot of things, too. I don't like the smell but I like the outcome. For cleaning my bathtubs, etc. I mix vinegar, water and Dawn liquid and spray it on. It gets everything SQUEAKY CLEAN.

Have a fun, frugal day- xo Diana

An Oasis in the Desert said...

Turned out great! I'm pretty sure you could clean just about anything with vinegar, Dawn, baking soda & water. Soda and vinegar make a great drain cleaner!

Kelly said...

That's a pretty settee! It really does look new. I have a chair that could use a little extra cleaning so maybe I'll try something like you did. Thanks for the suggestion.

Carla from The River said...

A great find! And amazing cleaning tips!
Thank You!

Katie Mansfield said...

What a fabulous find. Great cleaning tips.

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

Dearest Daniela,
You are such an environment conscious girl and also very frugal. Guess if you are still from the old school, like we were raised in the Old World, you don't mind the hard work as the rewards are BIG! Now it's your FREE treasure and safely cleaned.
Kudos to you for an excellent job!
Hugs and hope you don't have as much rain + rain as we get...
Mariette

Libby said...

I love it! You have such a good eye and knack for finding these hidden treasures. I love the natural approach to cleaning as well. I've passed up many upholstered items because of not knowing how to clean them. Thanks for the tips!

andi filante said...

Holy smokes, it looks great!!!

-andi

Danni@SiloHillFarm said...

Wow! You totally scored and all of your cleaning sure paid off because it's gorgeous! Thanks for the tips!

Donna@anangloinquébec said...

Okay that....is a score!!!

Lois@Living In Denim said...

What a great find! I have been searching Craigslist for a while now looking for a sofa for my home with no luck. Everything is in bad shape or very pricey.

I normally use a mixture of vinegar and water with a drop or two of liquid soap. The steam cleaner would be great to have, I may have to borrow one as my son has a steam cleaner. :-)