Watermarks on Upholstery

It can be upsetting to find a stain on your upholstery, particularly if you take good care of your furniture. But accidents will happen and not all guests are careful with other people’s possessions. If you find a new stain or watermark on your sofa, armchair or other upholstered item, there are steps you can take to quickly reduce its severity or even remove it altogether.

Apple Clean offer professional carpet and upholstery cleaning services designed to keep your home clean and clear. If you find a watermark or stain on your sofa or three-piece suite that you are unable to remove, give us a call. We’re an experienced and friendly team of cleaners with everything you need to get your upholstery looking as good as new again.

Here’s our advice on getting a watermark off you armchair or sofa.

Sanitise the Area Beforehand

Even the cleanest piece of furniture has wear and tear. This can mean deposits of dust and food particles, or dry skin residue. You’ll need to thoroughly sanitise the area before attempting to clean any part of it, particularly if you have young children prone to sticky fingers or pets.

Vacuum the area first to remove dust or crumbs; you can also try a lint roller over the area just to make sure you’ve completely cleared it. Check to make sure that your fabric is suitable for vacuuming, as some fabrics may be too delicate, so caution is needed.

 

Gently Does It

Dampen a cloth with cold water and then use it to rub at and dab away at the stained part of the upholstery. Work with care according to the fabric requirements; some fabrics are more hardwearing than others.

Make sure you’re not too vigorous with your rubbing – that goes for every type of fabric, and particularly for water marks.

 

Work from the Outside In

By gently rubbing at the stain in a circling motion from the outside towards the centre, you help to prevent the spread of the stain as you will be focusing your cleaning action in and around the original water mark area. Depending on the type of fabric – hard-wearing cotton, natural fibres, man-made synthetics – you may need to use a specialist cleaning agent to get the best results.

However if you are not cleaning up a ‘stain’ and instead are trying to tackle a watermark left over from clearing a previous stain, then you may not need a cleaning product at all.

Dry off the Mark

Fold a few paper towels into a stack and place on top of the stained upholstery, then put something heavy on top of it to apply pressure, or press down firmly using your hands. You will also need a hair dryer set to the ‘cool’ setting or a fan that you can aim at the stained area. The force of the air will help the towels to absorb the moisture.

If the watermark is still visible, you will need to remoisten the area and repeat the process.  It may be a repetitive process but, if done with patience and care, it is a great way to successfully tackle water marks on your upholstery.