Shampooing Upholstered Furniture

Vacuum the furniture with a brush attachment. Removing surface dust and dirt will help prevent these impediments from being ground into your furniture as you shampoo it.

Place a large towel on the floor in front of the upholstered piece. This is where you will place the two bowls and sponge as you shampoo your furniture.

Fill a small bowl or bucket with cool water. Set it aside.

Squirt about 2 tablespoons of mild liquid dish soap into another medium-sized bowl or bucket. Turn on your faucet and wait for the water to turn very warm but not hot. Fill it with about 4 cups of water, or until a surge of bubbles forms.

Dip a clean sponge about halfway into the sudsy water. Squeeze it out gently so that it doesn’t drip. You should have a fairly even distribution of water and soap on the sponge.

Begin shampooing your furniture, working from the top down and on one small section at a time. Dab the furniture with the sponge and then work the suds into the furniture in a circular motion. As the sponge dries out, immerse the sponge in the suds again and reapply.

Dip the second sponge into the bowl or bucket filled only with water once you are confident that you have removed a stain or the furniture is clean. Continue shampooing your furniture in this manner — applying the soap and then removing the soap residue with a damp sponge — until you are finished.

Let your furniture dry naturally or, if you’re in a hurry, wipe it with a clean towel. In the latter case, it still may take a few hours for the moisture to completely evaporate. Go over your furniture with a fine-bristle brush — and in one direction only — to restore the look of matted-down fibers.