How to Clean Old Horsehair for Upholstery

During the 19th century, horsehair was a common choice for upholstery fabric. As its name implies, the fabric is composed of horse’s hair, taken from the mane and tail. Horsehair upholstery has a reputation for being durable and easy to clean, although washing the fabric or allowing it to get overly damp is not recommended. For heavy cleaning, some manufacturers of horsehair fabric today recommend dry cleaning only.

Vacuum cleaner
Upholstery brush
White cloth
Upholstery spot cleaner

Instructions

- 1
  Vacuum the exterior of the upholstery using the brush attachment. Do this regularly. Instead of a vacuum, you can use an upholstery brush to remove dust.
- 2
  Blot the fabric with a white, clean cloth to remove fresh spills.
- 3
  Wipe the upholstery with a clean, damp cloth.
- 4
  Dry the upholstery immediately by running a dry, clean cloth over the fabric.
- 5
  Apply an upholstery spot cleaner to stains that remain after completing the previous steps, or for dried stains. Use a cleaner designed for dry-clean-only upholstery fabrics. Follow the manufacturer’s application instructions.

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