Health and nutrition experts urge us to eat a full range of colors daily--and to feed our children the same. Yellow macaroni and cheese, red tomatoes, brown drippings from beef, hot pink from raspberries--they all are great additions to a meal but can be a danger to your crisp white upholstered dining chairs, especially when confronted with a messy toddler. But as long as you act fast and regularly maintain your upholstery, you can protect your decor.
Instructions
1. Remove any fresh food particles or pooling liquids from the chair with paper towels immediately after a spill. Tackle the remaining stain immediately, as the longer it sits the worse it will be to remove. Don't give it time to set. And work from the outside in, as it will keep the stain from spreading.
2. Examine your chairs and remove any old loose dirt. Before you begin to clean and revive dingy white chairs, you'll want to vacuum any stray food and dry particles.
3. Try to sponge the dirty surface with simple cool water first. Even if it does not remove the dingy appearance or dirt, it will help prevent any new stains from setting. Don't use soap right away--believe it or not, it can actually set a stain permanently if used first.
4. If your upholstery is a rather sturdy fabric (i.e. not a gauze or silk), drizzle near-boiling water from about chest height onto any stains. It's important that you not pour, but drizzle lightly onto the affected area so the upholstery doesn't become soaked. If it starts to look soggy, blot the area or use a wet-dry vacuum to remove excess water.
5. Dab tough stains or dirt with a solution of one-part water and one-part white vinegar. Again, work from the outside in, blotting carefully over the affected areas.
6. Whip up some simple cleaner if just water or vinegar solutions don't work. Take a scoop of your powdered laundry detergent (a typical full scoop is equal to about 1 cup), and begin by adding in 1 tsp. of water. Whip the two together in your blender, adding more water as necessary to reach a good whipped texture. Note that water amounts needed will vary depending on your detergent brand. Then with a clean cloth, scoop up a bit of "whip" and gently daub the upholstery until grime is removed. Rinse with a clean damp cloth.
Or if you don't use powdered detergent, mix a pint of warm water and 1 tsp. of liquid laundry detergent, which makes a liquid cleaner instead of a whipped one. Mix by hand. Then, again, using a blotting motion, dab at the dingy area or stain. Remember to rinse well with when you are finished.
7. Dry upholstery after your last rinse by removing excess water with a wet-dry vacuum, and follow up by setting the chair in front of a low-blowing fan until completely dry.
8. Take it to the pros. If you simply cannot get the grime or stains out and the bottle of bleach under your kitchen cabinet is looking better and better, search out a local upholstery professional or a dry cleaner that will tackle upholstered pieces.
Tags: cool water, , food particles, , , wet-dry vacuum
