LEATHER TABLE TOPS AND UPHOLSTERY should be oiled thoroughly once or twice a year to keep them from drying out and powdering or cracking. Use castor oil, neats foot oil, white Vaseline (for light colored leathers), or a good commercial leather conditioner. Do not use linseed oil or mineral oil. If you select neat's foot oil (obtainable at shoe repair shops) remember that it leaves a dull rather than a glossy finish. Apply the oil with a clean soft cloth when the leather is clean and perfectly dry. Rub it in with your fingers or the palm of your hand until no trace of the oil remains, or it will soil clothing. Artificial leather can be wiped clean with a damp cloth or one dipped into suds made with soap or detergent.
ROUTINE CARE OF UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE includes regular dusting with the upholstery attachment of your vacuum cleaner or with a stiff brush, and the prompt treatment of spots. Remove the cushions and dust them first. Put them outdoors afterwards for a good airing in a well-shaded place to avoid sun fading, or place them near an open window. Then dust the furniture thoroughly, getting into all the crevices. Dimes, nickels, and quarters, or lost silverware, are often found during the process sometimes even scissors and knives so probe carefully. In removing stains, especially those of unknown origin, always test the fabric first where it won't show, to make certain that no damage will be done. Directions for taking out various marks are given in the chapter Spots and Stains (see also Index).
UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE CAN BE CLEANED at home without a great deal of trouble. On materials damaged by water, notably pile fabrics like velvet, use a standard dry cleaning fluid. On materials not harmed by water, use good upholstery shampoo or stiff soap lather. The foam type of commercial cleaner is the most effective of the various kinds on the market. The Bissell upholstery kit includes such a cleaner in a pressurized can, from which it emerges ready to go to work.
FOR BEST RESULTS upholstered furniture should be cleaned before it is obviously soiled. Dark patches caused by hair oils, perspiration, etc., may alter the fabric chemically so that light or dark areas are left even when it is clean. Light cleaning before soilage is apparent will minimize this hazard and keep the material looking bright and new. It will also prolong its life.
A HOMEMADE UPHOLSTERY SHAMPOO: To prepare this, dissolve six teaspoonfuls of white soap flakes in one pint of boiling water and add two teaspoonfuls of ammonia or borax. Let mixture cool until it has jelled, then beat it to a stiff lather with an eggbeater.
Dull looking furniture can be cleaned using the vacuum cleaner brush or hand brush and clean them with the unseed oil mixed with turpentine and hot water. Use saddle soap to clean leather furniture, and oil the leather tabletops and upholstery once or twice a year. Use the good commercial leather condition to maintain the glossy look. Upholstered furniture can be cleaned using the vacuum cleaner or stiff brush. Use a standard dry cleaning fluid. For the best result clean the upholstered furniture before it is obviously soiled. You can use the homemade shampoo to clean the upholstery as per direction. These tips will help you better in cleaning your furniture.
Steam cleaners are machines that clean surfaces using steam or hot water. Steam cleaners are usually used to kill allergens, dust mites, bacteria, mold, fungus etc on the surface being cleaned. Steam cleaners are used in hospitals, hotels, bakeries, restaurants, pharmacies, etc. Household steam cleaners are used to cleanse kitchens, bathrooms, carpets etc. Steam cleaners can be used to clean almost any surface like floors, curtains, furniture, and almost any surface which is heat resistant. There are two types of steam cleaners, traditional steam cleaners and vapor steam cleaners.
A traditional steam cleaner uses hot water to clean the surface. The traditional steam cleaner consists of a boiler, a collecting tank, a hose and brushes. Hot water is sprayed under pressure on the surface being cleaned. Then rotating brushes scrub the surface and the dirty water is suction extracted into the container. Some traditional steam cleaners also use cleaning agents to clean, while most rely on steam and brushes to do the job. Cleaning agents help to remove spots and grime on the surface. The use of traditional steam cleaners is usually restricted to floors only.
A vapor steam cleaner consists of a water container with a heater attachment (collectively known as boiler), a hose and a nozzle. Water is boiled in the container under pressure to produce super heated steam or dry steam. Dry steam is a steam which is heated to more than 100 degrees Celsius. This dry steam is then passed through a hose to the nozzle and onto the surface being cleaned under pressure. This loosens the dirt and grime on the surface being cleaned. Then a vacuum cleaner is used to clean the surface.
The steam generated in a vapor steam cleaner has very low moisture content, usually up to 5 percent. So when a surface is cleaned by steam it becomes dry within few minutes. They generally do not have continuous water supply hence are more convenient to use. Vapor steam cleaners can be used to clean any heat resistant surface like vehicle interiors, windows, bathrooms, etc with proper attachments. Vapor steam cleaners are generally used by people suffering from allergies or who do not want cleaning by chemicals.
There are specialized steam cleaners for carpets called carpet cleaners. They do not use steam but use hot water to clean the carpet. After wetting the carpet, the area is scrubbed with brushes and then the dirty water is sucked back into the receptacle. The carpet is left to dry. Switching on the Air Conditioner in a room dries the carpet quickly as it removes humidity from the air. Once the carpet is dry, it should be vacuumed to clean it thoroughly.
Steam cleaners can have an independent water container or continuous water supply. Continuous water supply is more convenient as the tank need not be refilled repeatedly. The dirty water is expelled after cleaning.
There are many models available in the market. The cost ranges from $100 for residential models to $2000 for commercial models. Before buying the buyer should look for boiler capacity, the attachments, mobility, warranty, user manual, demo CDs etc.
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