Most people don't think about having their upholstery steam cleaned. It typically gets overlooked because the carpet appears to be in need of a cleaning more. But the reality is that upholstery, much like mattresses, contain dead skin, dust mites and other contaminants that can be hazardous to your health. An effective way to maintain a healthier home is to have those couches cleaned by a professional cleaning company.

Determining the best upholstery cleaning method

Its important to know the difference between natural and synthetic fibers. Most upohlstery is a synthetic fiber made of either polyester or nylon. Any synthetic fiber is safe to steam clean. However, there are some cases where steam cleaning is not suitable.

Natural fibers like cotton, wool, silk (which are mostly considered "fine fabrics" in the industry ) should be cleaned with a low-moisture cleaning, also known as a solvent cleaning, or foam cleaning. This type of cleaning prevents over-saturation that is unsafe for natural fibers. A pro-longed drying or over wetting can cause these types of fibers to lose color, start a browning process or lose it's form.

Heartland Steam Cleaning technicians are fully trained to clean any type of fabric. We use specially designed tools that will safely and gently clean your furniture, down to the deepest folds and crevices.

Upholstery cleaning can:

• remove food and drink stains
• remove pet hair
• remove odors from pets or pet urine
• create a healthier enviroment by removing allergens and other contaminants

How upholstery cleaning works

First, the technician will identify which type of fabric the upholstery is and determine the best method of cleaning. All cushions will be pre vaccumed, as well as underneath the cushions.

The technician will then start with a specialy designed fabric pre treatment. This treatment will help break down soils and loosen oil deposits that can be stubborn.

After the pre-treatment, the tech will scrub down the entire piece, including all cushions and pillows, with a soft brush made of horse hair. This brush has thousands of bristles that stay firm, even when wet, giving complete agitation without the harsh abrasion of synthetic brushes.

We then perform the extraction, which removes all soils, dirt, spots, and cleaning agents using a pH-balancing rinse, mixed with water. Depending on the level of soiling, type of fabric, and humidity, you can expect your upholstery to dry between 1 and 4 hours.

Upholstery Cleaning FAQ's

• How long does it take the upholstery to dry?

  Normally just a couple hours. Micro-fiber/micro-suede can take longer to dry. It depends on the level of soiling.

• Will steam cleaning damage my upholstery?

  It will not damage synthetic upholstery. Our tools are safe and will get down in the deep crevices and folds of upholstery without damaging it. Most synthetic upholstered pieces are made of polyester and are completely safe to steam clean. Cotton must be cleaned using a low moisuture foam cleaning, also known as solvent cleaning. The price on either method. Heartland Steam Cleaning has the experience and the knowledge to clean any type of fabric.

• What results should I expect?

  For synthetic you can expect great results. It normally cleans good because polyester is naturally resistant to stains. Natural fibers like cotton are very absorbent and are suseptible to staining. But don't confuse staining with cleaning. You can have very clean upholstery that has permanent discolorations.

• How often should I clean my upholstery?

  It really depends on how often the piece is used. Generally we'd say every couple years but pets and kids can take a toll on that couch!