With spring just around the corner we all get the urge to open up the windows, dust down the shelves and vacuum like crazy! It’s the perfect time of year to clean the home from top to bottom, but according to ServiceMaster Clean, specialists in carpet and upholstery cleaning, many home owners only scratch the surface when it comes to spring cleaning and furniture and upholstery often gets overlooked. Fabric and upholstery is the perfect place for dirt and grime to build up and furniture can begin to look tired and old. ServiceMaster Clean is on hand with some expert advice including top tips on how to give your upholstery a spring spruce up along with some useful remedies for on the spot treatment of stains and spills. Spring Clean Your Upholstery: Giving your upholstery a thorough spring clean will bring it back to its best and leave it refreshed and revitalised. •Vacuum: Your upholstery receives daily wear and tear just like your carpets and should be thoroughly vacuumed to remove the dust and loose dirt which accumulates within the fabric. Take off all cushions and use the nozzle attachment to vacuum the hard to reach areas of your upholstery and cushions, including, arms, sides and creases of the fabric before replacing the cushions. If you gently beat the upholstery while you vacuum you will loosen the dust that has built up and be able to capture this while vacuuming. •Plump up and rotate cushions: Fillings lose their ability to bounce back if not plumped up to reshape them. Plumping cushions will help them last longer. Cushions may also experience premature and unnecessary wear. To ensure a longer life for your cushions, rotate them regularly. •Open the windows: Allowing fresh air to circulate the room will freshen up and air out your upholstery. •Avoid direct sunlight: Modern furniture fabrics are often quite resilient to sunlight. However, under extreme exposure, even these show signs of fading. •Have a good soil and stain resistant treatment applied: ServiceMaster Clean can apply a special fabric protector, giving fantastic resistance to spills, making them easy to mop up if cleaned away quickly. The fabric protector also contains a unique anti-bacterial additive which kills many viruses and bacteria. Once you have your upholstery back to its former glory, ongoing care and attention will help to maintain an immaculate appearance. ServiceMaster Clean suggest a few quick fix tips to immediately tackle any little accidents. Tackling Spills and Stains: •Turn to drink: To tackle a stain on your carpet or upholstery immediately, a dab of vodka or gin works well on most stains, dab and blot until the stain is reduced or removed. •Blot up spills: Blot spills, never rub! If you can’t remove the stain yourself, keep it damp whilst waiting for your professional carpet cleaner to come to the rescue. •Less is more: Limit the amount of water you use when tackling stains. The less that seeps into the fabric the better and will allow the area to dry quicker. •Grease and oil marks: Cover stain with talcum powder or corn flour. Let it set and then brush or sponge powder away. •Red wine: Absorb as much of the wine as possible with kitchen towels and dampen the area with a light spray of water. Then sprinkle with plenty of talc and cover with more kitchen paper and then a piece of plastic sheet (cling film is ideal) and leave for around 12 hours. The talc will absorb all the red wine and can then just be vacuumed away. •Gum: Freeze the gum with ice in a plastic bag and use a blunt knife to remove. Many people do not realise that upholstery fabrics are made from exactly the same materials as day to day clothes! Just like your clothing, regular cleaning will maintain your upholstery and keep it looking at its best for longer, delaying the need to replace expensive items of furniture. ServiceMaster Clean recommend that you should always pre-test in an inconspicuous area of your upholstery before tackling stain removal yourself. To save yourself the hard work, call in the experts by contacting ServiceMaster Clean. Either log onto www.servicemasterclean.co.uk or telephone 0800 021 3073. Prices for cleaning a three piece suite start from £100 and an average sized living room carpet will start at GBP 60.