[Kristin]

By: Mary Marlowe Laverette

Source: http://houseplansandmore.com/

Outdoor cushions, outdoor pillows, outdoor canopies and umbrellas make our patios and poolsides beautiful and comfortable. Unfortunately, they take lots of abuse from use and outdoor weather and need to be cleaned to remove dirt and stains. This article will help you clean fabrics that can't be removed from structures or pillows that don't have a removable insert. And, even easier cleaning for those that can be laundered in a washer.

While most outdoor fabrics are treated to prevent sun damage and to repel stains, the finish protection can deteriorate over the years. If you choose to boost the finish with a home-use water and stain repellent, you must be sure that the fabric is completely free of stains and dirt or you'll just seal them in. When purchasing outdoor pillows and furniture, look for styles that have zippers or snaps that make the fabric removable for easier cleaning.

Whether you are cleaning fixed fabric or tossing outdoor fabric into the washer, pretreating stains is a must. The type of stain remover you use depends upon the type of stain - protein, tannin, dye, oil or combination. The key to success is giving the treatment time to work. No product is magic - give it at least 30 minutes to work to loosen the stains.

Source: www.quora.com

Most Common Outdoor Fabric Stains

- Grass: To remove grass stains, first pretreat the stain with a heavy-duty (Wisk, Tide) liquid detergent. Work the detergent into the stained area with a soft brush, like an old toothbrush. Rinse well and then soak the fabric in a solution of warm water and all-fabric oxygen-based bleach (OxiClean, Clorox 2, Country Save Bleach, Purex 2 Color Safe Bleach) for at least one hour before washing the piece.

- Tree Sap: This is a combination stain - oily/waxy with dye - that requires special treatment. Start by treating the oily/waxy component of the stain with a pre-treater like Shout, Zainz or other commercial stain remover. Then rub with heavy-duty liquid detergent or a paste made of powdered detergent and water. Scrub stain lightly and rinse in hot water. Next, wash in the hottest water suitable for the fabric using detergent and an all-fabric bleach to remove the dye in the stain.

- Mildew: Mildew is a live, growing organism that can attach to cellulosic - cotton, linen, fibers. Mildew eats the fibers, damaging and weakening the fabric and should be removed as soon as possible when discovered. To remove mildew, first shake or brush the item outdoors to prevent spreading the mildew inside your home. Pretreat the stains with a heavy-duty liquid detergent. Allow to work for at least 15 minutes. Then launder the fabric in the hottest water suitable for the material. Use chlorine bleach on white cottons to help restore whiteness. Oxygen bleach can be used on colored fabrics to remove the stains.

- Sunscreen: Pretreat the stain with a heavy duty liquid detergent or make a paste with powder detergent/water and let this set on fabric at least 30 minutes or overnight. Then launder as usual.
If you find other stains, like food stains (mustard, soft drinks, watermelon) consult Stain Removal A to Z to help you treat each type of stain.

Source: http://www.roomandboard.com/

Once the pretreating is complete, for items that can be cleaned in a washer use a heavy-duty detergent and cold or warm water (unless mildew is present). Do not place the fabric in a hot dryer that may cause shrinkage. Allow the pieces to air dry. Use a cool to medium iron to smooth wrinkles if needed.

For items that cannot be placed in a washer like large pillows or umbrella covers, choose a sunny, warm day to do the cleaning. Spread the piece out on a patio or plastic tarp, and apply some elbow grease! Mix a solution of heavy-duty detergent and water. Using a soft scrub brush, work from the top to the bottom of a piece scrubbing a small section at a time. Rinse away soil after each section is cleaned. Do not allow the detergent solution to dry on the fabric. When the entire piece is cleaned, rinse well.

Spread the fabric or pillows in the sun to dry. If possible, hang from a clothesline to allow the water to drip and drain away. It may take a couple of days for thick items to dry so plan ahead for hot, sunny weather to avoid mildew problems.


Article Source: http://laundry.about.com/

[Kristin]

How to Clean Common STAINS FROM LEATHER FURNITURE (By: Abe Abbas)

Source: www.couponraja.in

Leather furniture is easy to clean and maintain, at least most of the time. Barring a few emergencies where you are better off calling a professional, you can fairly easily do the job yourself. It is a very forgiving material.

While leather furniture is expensive, it can last a lifetime, and the investment pays off with just a little everyday care. Retain the instructions from your manufacturer when you buy leather furniture, and before looking elsewhere for tips on cleaning and maintenance, refer back to them because they will be geared towards the specific type of leather in your furniture. Different types of leather is used in manufacturing furniture, and each may require different methods of cleaning.

However, if your leather furniture did not come with instructions, try the gentlest cleaning methods first. Before cleaning, always test in an inconspicuous spot. It is best to consult a professional if the stain seems hard to remove.

When cleaning, remember to use a circular wiping motion and don't scrub.

Source: www.themachlife.com

NEVER use harsh chemicals, alcohol, strong detergents or abrasive cleaners to clean leather. All of these can cause irreparable damage to your leather sofa. Remember that when cleaning leather, gentler is always better, and strong abrasives could cause even more damage than any stain.

Everyday Cleaning and Care

Wipe down leather furniture with a clean, soft, white cloth every week or so. Do this more frequently in a dusty environment. Why should the cleaning cloth be white? It ensures that you don't deposit dyes on your leather couch by mistake, and it is also easy to see if you have removed all the dirt.

Vacuum your leather furniture from from time to time, just as you would for any other upholstery material. But unlike other upholstery, you can use a damp, soft cloth to remove dirt build up if you have not been cleaning it regularly. Just make sure your cleaning cloth is damp, not soaking wet.

Grease Stains

Grease stains do not call for a damp cleaning cloth, because you will not be able to get the grease out with water. For these it is best to use a dry, soft cloth and use a blotting action. Press down to blot up as much grease from the leather surface as you can.

Follow up the blotting with sprinkling talcum powder or cornstarch on the leather surface. Allow to sit for a while and then brush gently away using a brush with soft bristles. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times. Do not rub. This technique also works on fabric.

Water Stains

While look water stains look ugly, they can be easily remedied. The best remedy is to blot with a soft cloth immediately, as soon as the spill occurs.

If the water has dried and you did not get to the stain in time, use a soft damp cloth and starting from the stain wipe outwards towards the edges of the surface in all directions. Again,do not scrub, just wipe gently. Use less and less moisture as you go outward. This technique provides a uniform effect for the entire treated leather surface, while minimizing the stain.

Ink Stains

Ink stains on leather are among the hardest to remove, and may need to be cleaned by a professional depending on the kind of ink, and the severity or size of the stain. As with any other stain, fresh ink stains are easier to remove.

Small marks, such as those from ball point pens, may disappear on their own over a period of time. You can also try cleaning smaller stains using a gentle soap solution.

Big blobs of ink will need to be treated professionally. Do not use alcohol to clean your leather furniture, as you could potentially damage the color.



Article Source: http://furniture.about.com/