Wisdom From the Professionals A collection of Articles

How to clean and maintain upholstery
By Carl Sahlberg
http://www.procyonstore.com

Maintaining your upholstery and fine furniture is quick, easy and needs only to be done approximately once a month. You invest a lot of money in the furniture in your home, and it only makes sense that a little time every month be used to keep it in good shape. Most of the problems with both carpets and upholstery are caused by household dust settling on everything. Foot soils and food stains are also occasional problems, more so if you have children. Spots and stains happen and are not the end of the world.

Procyon: What it is, and why it works-

First of all, I use only Procyon cleaners, and recommend it to everyone. The reasons are many. It is all-natural, colorless, odorless, non toxic and biodegradable. The product is soap free and water soluble. This means you can use it whenever you want, wherever you want and not have to worry about smells, residues or harm to pets. The #1 reason I like the product is because it works. With a little effort it will remove even the toughest stains will no mess. Apply, agitate, and blot.

Procyon is all natural, nontoxic, odorless and colorless. It won't leave a strong chemical smell for hours, safe for even the whitest carpets and safe for pets to walk on. No need to block off areas of the house for hours after you clean to make sure that they are safe. You do not have to worry about you or your family inhaling noxious chemicals while they dissipate. No fumes, no perfumes. For the chemical's MSDS sheets, you can find them at http://www.procyonstore.com/html/msds.html. These are the informational sheets all chemicals are required to have, in order for the consumer to be aware of the dangers. By reading Procyon's, it is exceptionally mild. It will not burn, poison, ignite or react with almost anything.

I think that one of the most important things Procyon has going for it is that it is "soap-free". If you use a regular carpet and upholstery cleaner it will leave a soapy, sticky residue. This residue will attract and trap dust and dirt from the moment you stop cleaning. Kind of like the piece of tape that you remove but don't get the entire adhesive removed. Within days it is dirtier than before. Using a regular soap based product, your carpet will trap and collect all the dust and dirt in your house and before long be dirtier than before. Procyon has no soap so there is no sticky residue. Because there is no soap, it is suds-less. This also means that the machine you use for cleaning your carpets won't "foam up" or create a mess to clean up. Your machine stays clean. No rinsing is necessary. There are no enzymes or bleaches so it is safe for most fabrics. For more information on Procyon and how to order it you can visit our website at: http://www.procyonstore.com/index.html.

Monthly maintenance of carpets and upholstery-

You should vacuum once a week. More often if need be. Try to remove the dirt and dust on a regular basis and it won't accumulate into a problem. Make sure that your vacuum is in good working condition. Check to insure that the belt is snug and is not slipping. Make sure that the bag is fitted properly and is not over filled. Look at the bristles and make sure that they are in good condition. Vacuum the entire floor, even under items. Change the bag as soon as it is full. Don't try to get "a bit more" into it. This will not help you only spread dust and dirt around the house making your job worse.

Monthly you should vacuum your upholstery. Using the upholstery attachments, vacuum all surfaces, the cushions, back, sides and the crevices. You can use a brush but that will tend to throw dust around, causing you to have to vacuum and dust more. Rotate the cushions if you can. If not, fluff to help them retain their shape.

These are the things that should be done to keep things clean and looking nice. That is all, just a few minutes a month unless something happens. Of course something is going to happen right. Fear not, here is how to fix it.

Cleaning spots and stains on carpets-

The most important thing with a spot or stain is to get to it immediately. The more it stays there the more it wants to stay there. The first thing you should do is try to blot up as much of the liquid and remove as much of the soil as you can. Remove, do not smear in. Next test your cleaner on an inconspicuous area of carpet to test color fastness. Moisten with Procyon and agitate with a soft brush or cloth. Let set for 10-15 minutes allowing the chemical to penetrate and work. Blot up the stain. For tough stains it may take several tries before it is entirely removed. Remember to use a clean soft cloth, like terry cloth and be patient.

Cleaning spots and stains on Upholstery-

As in cleaning carpets, the key is to get to it immediately. Remove soil and blot up any excess liquid. Next test your cleaner on an inconspicuous area of carpet to test color fastness. The best place is on the back or underneath the "skirt" of the piece. Spray Procyon onto the stain and work into the area with a soft cloth or brush. Let it penetrate the stain for10-15 minutes. Blot the area with a soft, clean cloth. For tough stains it may take several tries before it is entirely removed. Remember to use a clean soft cloth, like terry cloth and be patient.

The nice thing about using a product like Procyon is that it is soap free. That means there will not be a sticky residue left over to collect more dirt and end up worse that it was before.

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Also see http://www.drypex.com/aboutpro.html to purchase Procyon