Hints and tips for cleaning a chair in fabric

No reason to panic. Follow our instructions to clean your chair upholstered in fabric according to the type of stain. In most cases, a little elbow grease and conventional cleaning products will suffice to clean the stain from your chair.

How to clean a chair upholstered in fabric

• If the cover of your chair can be removed, remove it and check the washing and maintenance instructions on the label of the cover. In some cases, you can simply put it in the washer.

• First of all, try to determine the origin and nature of the stain so that you can proceed with the appropriate treatment (which you can find by referring to the list below).

• Dust the seat with the soft brush of the vacuum cleaner to work on a clean surface.

• Apply the stain remover on a clean cloth; never directly on the fabric.

• Test the stain remover on a less visible area of your chair first.

• Always rinse the area after applying the stain remover.

• After applying the stain remover and rinsing, always clean the entire area of the fabric upholstery of the chair. Local treatment risks leaving a halo.

Chocolate stain

• Cold water
• Engrained stain: scratch then dab with soapy water
• If that doesn’t work: benzine or warmed up glycerine or diluted ammonia or white vinegar

Fruit or vegetable stain

• Natural fibres: water (1/2) + alcohol (1/2) then white vinegar diluted 50%
• Synthetic fibres: soapy water then dab with a wet cloth + 1 drop of 70° alcohol.
• White or stain resistant fabric: scarcely bleached water
• Wool: a little vinegar. Make sure you rinse as promptly as possible, even if you have to start over.
• Red fruit: lemon juice (rinse well!)
• Orange: warmed up glycerine

Grease stain

• Stain still wet: sprinkle talc powder or flour
• Dry stain: apply sheets of absorbing paper then go over it with a hot iron. Change the paper when it is dirty. Dab the remaining traces with a cloth soaked with diluted ammonia.
• Silk: sprinkle talc powder then brush gently
• Wool: Fine China clay

Ketchup stain

• Cold water then white vinegar diluted 50%. Allow to act then soak again
• If that doesn’t work: undiluted vinegar or hot milk

Mustard stain

• Remove any excess with a spoon
• Water + soap then oxygenated water + ammonia
• Highly engrained stain: make stain fade with lemon juice

Egg stain

• Cold water
• Old stain: oxygenated water, slightly diluted

Sauce stain

• Marseille soap scarcely wet. Leave to act for half an hour then rinse.
• Other options: warmed up glycerine or diluted ammonia
• Greasy or sweet sauce: dilute with cold water then rub with glycerine + a drop of liquid soap, or sprinkle sodium bicarbonate or corn starch, brush gently and rinse with hot water. Or prepare a paste with soda ash and water, let act for a quarter of an hour, then rinse with very hot water.

Salad dressing stain

• Stain still wet: sprinkle talc powder, corn starch or sodium bicarbonate. Leave to act then brush gently. Rinse with running water.

Beer stain

• Water-alcohol mix (50%) then water-acetic acid (25%)
• Silk: dab with water + rubbing alcohol mix

Coffee stain

• Warmed up glycerine then wet cloth
• Or rub with Marseille soap scarcely wet
• Or dab with water-alcohol mix (50/50) then white vinegar
• Silk or wool: water + 70° alcohol

Fruit juice stain

• Very hot milk or vinegar or carbonated water. Moisten every 30 minutes until the stain disappears.
• Stubborn stain: rub with glycerine. Leave to act 15 min. then rinse.

Milk stain

• Dab with scarcely diluted ammonia

Soda stain

• Stain still wet: sprinkle flour or Fine China clay, brush then dab with soapy water
• Old stain: dab with rubbing alcohol or diluted ammonia

Tea stain

• Dab with soapy water, rinse with vinegary water then clear water
• Old stain: warmed up glycerine
• Synthetic fibres: lemon juice (rinse well !) or mix white vinegar-90° alcohol or sodium 90° or soda ash

Wine stain

• Wet stain: sprinkle corn starch or Fine China clay, brush then dab with milk, then clean with soapy water. Or wipe with a clean cloth then rub with carbonated water.
• Dry stain: dab with white vinegar
• Stubborn stain: soak with hot milk or vinegar for one hour or more and rinse well.

Humidity stain

• Rub with a paste: 30 gr. of grated white soap + 30 gr. of starch + 15 gr. of fine salt + lemon juice. Rinse then dry with a washcloth or hair dryer (average temperature).

Mildew stain

• Dab with oxygenated water or ammonia. Rinse and dry properly with a washcloth or hair dryer (average temperature).

Rust stain

• Rub with lemon juice + salt then pour wet washing powder and rub.
• Stubborn stain: anti-rust product
• White fabric: oxalic acid (salt of sorrel)
• Synthetic fibres: lemon juice (rinse well!)

Pencil stain

• Bicarbonate + water paste. Leave to act then rinse.

Ink stain

• Soak with milk.
• Stubborn stain: rub with peroxide or lemon juice + salt or toothpaste
• White or stain resistant fabric: dab with 90° alcohol or water + a drop of bleach
• Coloured cotton: dab with water + alcohol vinegar or spray hair spray and wipe immediately; repeat several times.
• Wool: dab with 90° alcohol or 1/3 white spirit + 2/3 cold water mix
• Synthetic fibres: dab with lemon juice
• Cotton or silk: pour heated lemon juice or hot milk on the stain
• Delicate fabrics: glycerine, leave to act 30 minutes then rinse
• Red ink or coloured stain: stump with a thick layer of mustard, leave to act for one hour or two then rinse.

Felt-tip pen stain

• Dab with soapy water then with 90°C alcohol or rub with warm milk or lemon juice
• Wool: dab with lemon juice then rinse well
• Synthetic fibres: water + white vinegar (except on acetate)
• Fluorescent felt tip: soak with milk, rub, start again

Pen stain

• White cotton: lemon juice
• Wool or coloured cotton: dab with acetone or 70° alcohol or rubbing alcohol or lemon juice
• Other materials: vinegar + white spirit mix (50/50) or dab with very hot milk or spray hair spray, and then rinse profusely

Tipp-ex stain

• Scratch then dab with solvent naphtha or clean with water + detergent + and a teaspoon of ammonia
• Or dissolve the stain by dabbing with denatured alcohol, acetone or a lemon-based stain remover

Makeup stain

• Dab with ammonia
• If the stain is greasy: apply sheets of absorbing paper then go over it with a hot iron. Dab the remaining traces with a cloth soaked in diluted ammonia.
• Lipstick: rub with warmed up glycerine, or dab with ether, or dab with a non-greasy makeup removing lotion, or spread butter, scratch then dab with ammonia.

Perfume stain

• Dab with white vinegar or rub gently with glycerine.

Hair dye stain

• Dab with oxygenated water or spray hair spray then wipe with a wet cloth

Varnish stain

• Dab with amyl acetate. Avoid solvents.