Guide to Vinyl Upholstery Cleaning

Nowadays it is easy to find companies that will clean your upholstery fabrics for you, but it is good to be aware of the methods used so you will not be harmed in the process. Some methods consist of the dampening the cushion with a cleaning solution (usually detergent), which is aspirated quickly. This method is not very effective because it removes only part of the dirt (usually on the surface). Another method is the suction, this is more effective than traditional methods since does not allow the padded cushions to soak during washing. Moreover, the drying is faster and avoids odors which cleaning tends to leave. But what if you want to clean your vinyl upholstery yourself?

Here are some tips to use when cleaning vinyl:

• Use baking soda along with normal dishwashing liquid soap and add a little water to a soft cloth
• Rub it in and ensure you gently use circular motions
• Never let the vinyl dry in the sun

 Some other things to keep in mind:

•  Do not use bleach or chlorinated products
• No scrubbing with stiff brushes or abrasive, use only soft brush, sponge, cloth or foam
• Preferably use dry cleaning
• Do not use hot water for cleaning
• Never use oil to clean

 You should always know the structure of the upholstery you are cleaning. Sofa fabrics are places that insects love to stay, so it is smart to spray every 15 days with a water-based insecticide. If you follow the instructions in this article, the upholstery in your home will look as new as the day you bought them. Keep up to date on cleaning the furniture in your house and your furniture will thank you for it.

Trendy Christmas Decorations To Try

Christmas is right around the corner and that means people will be decorating their homes, both inside and out. But what can you do to spruce up your home without spending a lot or putting up a huge display?

Decorating for the holidays doesn’t have to be hard. With a few simple touches, your home can have the same festive atmosphere as even the most decorated house on the block.  Try a few of these simple, easy decorations to help set your living place firmly in the holiday spirit.

1.     Bring the snowballs inside - You don’t have to have snow for snowballs anymore. Make them yourself indoors. Styrofoam balls, sprayed with adhesive and rolled in fake snow look great and are easy to make too.

2.     The ideal fir - For traditionalists, the tree should include heavy jewelry and real candles. If you’re going for a real tree, try the blue spruce. Blue spruce branches are strong and grow tier-shaped, perfect for heavy ornaments.

3.     Snow falling on firs - You can make your Christmas tree feel like mulled wine and a winter’s walk when you add some fake snow. Flocking can help give the appearance of freshly fallen snow and snowflakes are easy to make yourself.

4.     Bring the forest to you - After you have aligned your tree successfully so it sits up straight, you should dress the Christmas tree stand with moss. Your tree will look like it grew right where it is.

5.     Glam up the presents - Stick small stickers or decals on the tape of gifts to add another element of fun to the gift giving. Or write a poem on the tape to provide a poetic, and elegant, touch.

6.     Window decorations - Flower stands wrapped with floral wire and holiday fabrics can turn normal garland into a masterpiece when hung from a window.

Clean Car Upholstery the Right Way

Car fabrics are sometimes a challenge to clean properly. In fact, experts say your should vacuum your car on a weekly basis to prevent heavy dust and grime buildup. In addition to that, once or twice per year you need to shampoo the fabrics in your car’s interior. A protective spray is also a good idea since it repels dust and stains. When spills happen, the protective spray will cause most liquids to bead up and not soak into the fabrics of your car. If your vehicle has leather upholstery, remember to use a conditioning product at least once per year.

Dust repellent for car fabrics is one of the best values in the automotive cleaning arena. Go to a parts store and ask the sales associate to look up the fabric type for your make and model. After that, buy one or two cans of the protective spray and apply it one or two times each year. For less than $20, you will be able to buy about four years’ worth of protective spray, which is an inexpensive way to keep your auto fabrics looking and smelling fresh. 

Don’t skimp on the price of a car vacuum either. These little machines are worth their weight in gold, as they prevent dust and mildew buildup on your car’s fabrics. They are lightweight, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive. 

Upholstery shampoo is another low cost way to protect fabrics. Try to get to spills and stains as soon as they happen, apply the shampoo, and use a soft brush to get the problem area clean again. Otherwise, do a complete shampoo of your upholstery about once per year. 

As you can see, most of the cleaning tasks for car fabrics need not be done very often, except for weekly vacuuming. Car upholstery care is not an arduous job, but it needs to be done if you want the fabrics to stay fresh, clean, and new looking.

Tips on Choosing Upholstery Fabric

The possibilities are endless when it comes to choosing upholstery fabric for your dining room, living room, or other home décor needs. Though the fabric choices are boundless, the best choices are ones that take into account what type of fabric you want to use and how you want to use it.

The first step in choosing upholstery fabric is knowing what you want to make out of those fabrics. Certain fabrics serve different purposes, and you would never want to use an inappropriate fabric for an item (i.e. using silk on outdoor furniture).

Synthetic materials are cheaper and they are also easier to maintain. For making sofa covers, direct your choice to very thick treated upholstery. If you are new to the field of sewing, start work on woven fabrics, otherwise it will seem more difficult.

After you have chosen a fabric, you have to measure heights and widths. Then calculate what to add to the seams and eventually folds if necessary. Upholstery fabric is available in several widths, which is why we need to calculate what you really want to use. The quality of weaving can also encourage choice as well as how much you need.

Choose fabric according to a color that will be designed. The stretch fabrics and silk are more difficult to work with. Striped colors and large print patterns will cost a little more. This is due to falling connections or patterns that are well centered which will require a higher budget. If you want to do something for the environment, there are natural fiber fabrics such as linen and cotton, for example.

Finally, if you are still unsure, take a look at what is on your furniture now. If you’ve been happy with it so far, finding something similar can be a place to start.

Fun Fall Crafts

Is there any better method to welcoming the fall months into our homes and businesses than with a huge flower wreath?! People really like comfortable, rich-toned colors. Most people will tell you the bigger, the better! In fact, the best thing is to start making your projects when the weather conditions start to cool off at night (around mid-October).

A wreath is super easy to make as there are several ways you can make one. You can use fabrics, paper or even twigs. Here is a sample of how one is made:

You will need these supplies-

-         12” form of a foam wreath

-         Glue gun

-         3 separate bunches of warm-toned silk flowers

-         Glue sticks

-         6’ of 2” wide ribbon that match the flowers

Directions:

1. Pull all of the blooms from the stems and then remove the plastic stems from the back of every flower.
2. Now tightly wrap the ribbon around the wreath. You can use the hot glue gun to make sure the ribbon sticks to the foam.
3. Take the hot glue gun and start sticking flowers onto the wreath. Try placing them in bunches and use plenty of glue. This is so your fabric flowers won’t fall off.
4. Remember bunching is a good thing, but make sure you fill in any gaps with more flowers. This is a great time to use the larger flowers.
5. Now if you have any gaps left, start filling them in with any smaller flowers. It shouldn’t take you any longer than about 30 minutes!