How to care for fabric upholstery
Discover how to care for upholstery and fabric to keep it looking fresh, chic and clean. Follow our top cleaning tips and your sofa will love you forever.
100% Pre-washed Italian Linen
We adore natural linen for creating a sophisticated, sustainable and relaxed look. It feels timeless and effortless due to its tactile feel and textured appearance. Further, its a much loved sustainable and natural material made from flax. Due to its naturalness, it is upholstery that will crease, and this adds to both its character and charm, and shouldn't be thought of as a flaw. But how do you care for your linen fabric sofa and help its upholstery to age well? Cleaning a linen sofa or chair is mostly about daily care as the best way to maintain its beauty. Read on.
Vacuum your linen sofa regularly
How to clean linen slipcovers? To prevent crumbs and dust from damaging the fabric, be sure to vacuum your sofa regularly. Vacuuming also prevents smaller particles embedding themselves between the weave. Lift any unfixed cushions and vacuum underneath and along all seams. This will help to keep your furniture looking smart and to prevent any long-term damage. Plus, use either a furniture brush or clothes brush to remove pet hair and any smaller surface dirt.
Don’t rub stains or spills
How to clean a linen sofa safely? If something spills on your furniture, use a clean, damp cloth to soak up the liquid. Don’t scrub the cloth and grind the stain into the fabric as this will make it much harder to clean – not to mention damaging the surface of the fabric. For the best results gently dab and lift the stains. Darker linens are more heavily dyed, so please bear this in mind for any spot cleaning as the dye may lift, leaving a lighter patch.
Use a mild soap or detergent
How to remove stains from linen upholstery? For slightly more stubborn stains and spills, a mild detergent can be used, but again, remember not to scrub the stain, rather try to lift it. Never use a scourer as this will damage the surface of the linen. Use either a flannel or the soft side of a sponge – both should be white or very light in colour.
Further, bicarbonate of soda is also a good option to help lift hard-to-remove stains from the fabric. Sprinkle onto the stain and then vacuum off, before using a clean damp cloth to gently dab the stain.
Keep your linen away from direct sunlight
When it comes to sunlight, what's the best practice for linen fabric sofa upholstery care? Linen furniture is not suited to places in direct sunlight as the fabric can become sun-damaged. If you are going to put your linen sofa in a conservatory, then be sure to fit blinds or curtains to the windows to prevent direct exposure to sunlight. If your living room is naturally bathed in sunlight, we would recommend choosing lighter coloured linen to prevent any obvious fading.
Machine wash linen fabric at 30 degrees or less
Can you wash linen couch covers? We strongly recommend dry cleaning or having sofa covers professionally cleaned. However, some removable cover sofas can be taken off and washed in the washing machine. Linen covers should be washed at 30 degrees or less, and on a slow spin cycle so as not to shrink the material. When the wash has finished, remove the covers from the machine immediately to avoid creasing as much as possible. Hang the covers out to dry over a clothes horse and be sure not to use pegs or clips that pinch and mark the fabric.
For any stubborn creases, use a warm iron or steamer to remove them. When the cover is almost dry, put it straight back on the sofa to keep the shape (do not put in a tumble dryer). If you have more than one piece, be sure to wash all the covers to maintain the colour consistency.
