A useful guide to cleaning cushions

Keeping cushions clean is more than just a matter of appearance. Regularly removing dust, will not only keep your cushions looking fresh (and keep the dust from staining them once it is ground in or moistened), but will also improve the air quality in your home.

• To remove dust — and the micro-organisms called dust mites that inhabit it — clean cushions about once a month using a vacuum cleaner with the appropriate attachments, such as an upholstery brush and a crevice tool.
• To avoid sucking out the feathers, don't vacuum down-filled cushions that are not lined with down-proof covering.
• No vacuum cleaner attachments? Use a soft-bristled brush to gently brush away the dust instead.

• For a more thorough cleaning, or to remove stains, wash your cushions.
• As a general rule, don't remove the cushions from the upholstery cover. First, check the upholstery manufacturer's suggestions, usually tagged to upholstery fabric sold after 1970. This tag will tell you whether you should use a dry-cleaning solvent, a water-based shampoo or neither of the two.
• Next, pick an inconspicuous spot on the cushion and pre-test whatever cleaning technique is suggested. If there is shrinking or bleeding or running of colours, contact a professional cleaner. If not, proceed.
• Even if shampoo is allowable, use as little moisture as possible. You do not want to wet the cushions' stuffing, because it dries very slowly and can make conditions even rosier for moisture-loving dust mites. The trick is to clean using suds only.
• The easiest solution is to use a foaming commercial upholstery shampoo in an aerosol can. Follow the instructions on the can, which will typically tell you to allow the foam to stand until dry and then proceed to vacuum it off.
• To make your own shampoo, mix 2 ml (1/2 tsp) of dishwashing liquid per 1 litre (1 quart) of warm water.
• Make suds by squeezing a sponge in the solution.
• Scoop the suds off the top and apply them sparingly with the sponge to the cushion surface.
• Rub gently in the direction of the fabric's grain.
• Rather than letting the cushions dry as you would a commercial shampoo, work on a small area at a time, lightly rinsing each area as you go with a clean, damp sponge.
• Again, avoid soaking the fabric.
• Be sure to remove all the suds, or the residue will cause the fabric to soil faster.

• If the fabric calls for dry-cleaning only and you want to just clean a stain, you can do it yourself, using a commercial dry-cleaning solvent.
• Don't pour the solvent onto the stain. Instead, moisten a clean, white cloth with the solvent and use the cloth to draw out the stain.
• Blot repeatedly — never rub. Rubbing can stretch or damage the texture of the fabric.
• Always use solvents sparingly and in a well-ventilated area.
• Don't use solvents on cushions filled with latex foam rubber padding, because the solvent can dissolve the padding.
• However, if you need to clean the entire surface of a cushion, have it professionally cleaned.