It’s easy to understand why velvet upholstery is so popular. It not only looks luxurious, plush and stylish, but it’s beautifully soft and warm. However, it can be one of the trickiest types of fabrics to clean, with stains sticking all along the length of each individual fibre, right to the backing. Although you might be able to remove some stains from your velvet upholstery yourself, you might want to avoid the risk of problems occurring by searching online for professional mobile upholstery cleaning near me for trusted, expert cleaning solutions.

1. Know your velvet

Some types of velvet are easier to clean than others, making it safer to remove stains yourself. If you have velvet upholstery made from synthetic fibres, for example, it’s far less challenging to clean compared to velvet made from natural fibres like wool, cotton or silk. 

Synthetic fibres tend to repel stains better than natural ones, and hold onto their colours. Cotton velvet, on the other hand, can kink or bunch together simply from being exposed to soap or water. So if in doubt, contact a velvet upholstery cleaning London specialist if you’re uncertain what type of velvet your upholstery is made from, or if it’s constructed from natural fibres.

2. Check the care instructions

Before you attempt to remove any stains from your velvet upholstery, it’s important to check your individual sofa’s care instructions. This will tell you how your upholstery should be cleaned, as well as relevant dos and don’ts. It’s also important to check whether the velvet upholstery is colourfast, which means whether its dyes will transfer when being cleaned. 

You can carry out a test patch in a hidden part of your upholstery by dampening a clean, white cloth with a bit of water and blotting a small area of your upholstery. If no colour from the velvet transfers to the cloth, it’s safe to carry on cleaning it, but if you do notice colour transfer on the cloth, stop now and speak to a velvet upholstery cleaning London expert for advice.

3. Act quickly

While it’s important to check how to clean your velvet upholstery first, it’s also important to act quickly when a stain does occur. The sooner a spillage or stain is worked on, the easier it will be to successfully remove it all. If a stain dries, it can set into the velvet fabric, potentially becoming a permanent mark.

4. Blot the stain

If your velvet upholstery is colourfast and dye transfer isn’t likely to occur, the first step to removing a stain is to absorb as much of the moisture from the spillage as possible, by blotting it with a clean cloth or absorbent paper towel.

If there are any solid bits or loose debris, use a blunt knife, the edge of a spoon or a spatula to gently scrape off the residues from the stained area in the upholstery.

5. Soap and water

Many types of stains can simply be removed from your velvet upholstery by dabbing a clean cloth to the stain that’s dampened with a mixture of lukewarm water and dish soap. After you’ve dabbed at the stain, rinse it with a damp cloth. Repeat the process if the stain hasn’t been completely removed, and once you’re satisfied it has come out, let the velvet dry before brushing it.

Be mindful of how much water you use when cleaning velvet upholstery, and use as little as possible. Too much moisture could result in watermarks or leave the fabrics in your upholstery looking flattened.

Remember also to only dab at the stain and not rub or scrub the velvet, as this could damage the fibres or cause them to lose their structure.

6. Stains that smell

Sometimes your velvet upholstery can acquire stains that smell, which don’t disappear using a soap and water cleaning solution. Instead, try mixing together a small amount of lemon juice and baking soda to a clean cloth, and dabbing at the stain. The lemon juice should help to neutralise any odours.

7. Oily stains

Water-based spills tend to be the easiest type of stains to remove from your velvet upholstery, but what happens if they’re oily? To remove an oily stain, you need to use a slightly different approach. If you have any cornstarch or talcum powder, apply a half inch layer over the stain, and leave it to absorb into the oily stain for at least eight hours. Ideally, leave it for up to 24 hours, if possible. Once the powder or starch has absorbed the oils from the stain, you can vacuum it away. Any stain residues can then be removed using a water and soap solution, as for liquid stains.

8. Specialist cleaning solution

For more stubborn stains or persistent odours in your velvet upholstery, consider purchasing a ready-made cleaning solution that’s specially formulated for cleaning velvet fabrics. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the product to ensure you use it safely and correctly.

9. Steam cleaning

What should you do if your velvet upholstery has lots of spots, spills and stains all over it, or other general dirt? Rather than tackling each mark individually, you could consider steam cleaning your upholstery. 

Use the lowest setting on the machine, and add a velvet attachment – and carry out a small test patch first in an inconspicuous part of your upholstery to check that the velvet fabrics don’t react badly to this cleaning method.

Hold the head of the steamer a few inches above the velvet upholstery, and move it around in a grid pattern.

10. Drying and brushing

Once your velvet upholstery has been cleaned, it’s important to allow it to dry naturally. You might be tempted to speed up drying using something like a hair dryer or heater, but don’t. This could cause the velvet to shrink or lose its shape and structure.

After you’ve removed the stain from your velvet upholstery, the area of fabric you’ve worked on can look flat, so it’s important to finish the process off by brushing the pile back to smooth the fabrics.

It’s also a good idea to regularly vacuum your velvet upholstery to keep it in good condition and to remove loose bits of dirt, dust, crumbs and particles.

Whether your upholstery is stained or not, experts still recommend that you get it professionally cleaned at least once per year. When you’re looking for mobile upholstery cleaning near me, trust Carpet Bright UK, the leading experts in the industry.