In a busy household, your upholstery can take a real pounding, leaving your fabric upholstered furniture looking drab and grubby.  It's a good idea to have your upholstery cleaned regularly by a professional cleaning company.  In the meantime, here are some tips on how to care for your fabric upholstered furniture.

Don't ignore it! 

If you spill food or drink on your furniture, deal with it straight away.  This prevents the spilled substance from soaking into the fabric and staining it.  Blot the spill, rather than rubbing it.  Blotting should lift the spill off the surface of the fabric, but scrubbing at it will just drive it deeper into the fabric fibres and cause the stain to spread out too.

Turn over

If your furniture has loose cushions, be sure to turn them over regularly to prevent one side becoming worn.  Sofa cushions can also be rotated between positions, so that they wear evenly.

Sunshine

Although it can be pleasant to sit and read your newspaper with the sunshine streaming in through the windows, it's actually better for your fabric upholstery to position your furniture in a spot that's shaded.  Bright sunlight can quickly cause fabric to fade, ruining your upholstery.  It's also a good idea to close your blinds or curtains on very hot, sunny days to minimise sun damage.

Grubby paws

If you enjoy reading newspapers or magazines, try to keep your grubby paws off the furniture!  The dye used in printing such items can all-too-easily be rubbed off onto the fabric, leaving a nasty grey smear.

Regular vacuuming

It's important that you vacuum your fabric upholstery on a regular basis using the special upholstery wand attachment on your vacuum cleaner to get rid of dust, crumbs, and pet hair.  Take all the cushions off the furniture and vacuum both sides.  Nasties like pet dander, dust, and cobwebs will readily adhere to the underside and back of the furniture, so remember to vacuum these areas too.

Bring in the professionals

Although it's possible to look after your fabric upholstery by following the aforementioned guidelines, there's no substitute for having your furniture clean professionally on a regular basis.  Professional firms use special cleaning agents that will help keep the fabric looking bright and fresh, effectively prolonging its life. 

You can also choose to have a stain protection treatment applied to your furniture.  This treatment forms a 'skin' on the surface of the fabric, which prevents spills from seeping into the fabric fibres, making it easy for you to just blot the substance up without leaving a stain.

In conclusion

You can help to keep your fabric upholstery looking tidy by following the guidelines given above.  In addition, have your furniture cleaned annually by a reputable professional cleaning firm to keep it bright and lasting longer.