How to Clean Silk Upholstery? 3 Simple Steps

Information on dry-cleaning silk upholstery is provided below. Dry cleaning chemicals must still be used to test for bleeding.

Natural fibers like silk are opulent and make stunning upholstery. Investments like silk furniture require constant upkeep. It’s crucial to clean silk furniture carefully and thoroughly.

Silk can be hand washed in soap and water and spot cleaned with natural cleaners, though only with a little tender loving care and attention. To clean silk upholstery, follow these specific steps.

Related:

• How to Clean Upholstery Without a Machine?
• Can You Steam Clean Upholstery?
• Is Linen a Good Upholstery Fabric?

How to Clean Silk Upholstery?

Here are the steps to clean silk upholstery:

What You Will Need

• A vacuum
• Cold water
• Mild laundry detergent
• A hairdryer

Step 1. Vacuum the Sofa

• The best way to clean a silk couch is by vacuuming it
• Install the upholstery attachment on the vacuum cleaner to help you reach the tight spaces throughout the sofa
• Vacuum one section at a time and ensure that you’re also cleaning the cracks between the seat cushions and backrest and the space between the cushions and armrests
• Consider vacuuming the silk furniture every week as part of maintenance and prevent the build-up of dirt and dust that might stain and cause odors

Step 2. Clean the Upholstery With a Damp Cloth

• Find the care tag on your silk sofa, typically underneath the cushion covers
• Follow the upholstery cleaning code of the manufacturer for the specific type of silk and materials you have on the sofa
• Code W means water-based cleaning is recommended, code S requires the use of solvents, and code X furniture is best vacuum-cleaned only
• Most types of silk materials on sofas are safe to be cleaned with a damp cloth
• Make a cleaning solution from mild laundry detergent and cold water and soak a soft cloth in the mixture
• Squeeze out the excess liquid and wipe the whole sofa
• If unsure about the compatible products with your silk sofa, test the damp cloth on a small spot first and wait for any reactions after a minute or two

Step 3. Allow the Sofa to Dry

• After wiping the silk sofa with a damp cloth, allow it to air-dry
• Do not oversaturate the silk sofa with any liquids and if possible, place it somewhere well-ventilated
• If you can’t bring the couch outside, open the doors and windows in the room to allow air circulation
• Do not place the silk sofa in direct sunlight or any source of heat like vents and blow dryers as it can get damaged and shrinkage

Cleaning upholstery fabrics needs some tips, and it is important to clean upholstery fabrics before using them for the first time, but don’t worry, we have provided you with a Upholstery Fabric Cleaning Guide. It can tell you how to clean different types of upholstery fabrics.

How to Remove Stains from Silk Upholstery?

A naturally occurring fiber made of proteins, silk is created by silkworms. Silk is strong, but it’s also very delicate. Taking the stains out of your silk upholstery can seem like an overwhelming task.

Remove Oil Stains

1. Use a lot of cornstarch to cover the stain.
2. Permit cornstarch to absorb oil by letting it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Sweep away any extra cornstarch using the brush. Vacuum the area well.

Remove Water Stains

• Vacuum

Vacuuming the affected area is the first step in cleaning stains from silk upholstery. Any loose soil, dirt, crumbs, or other dust that still gets on the stain may be picked up and removed in this way.

The best part of all is that this might make it easier to get rid of even those small things that you can barely see. So make sure you just do a careful job and don’t miss anything. In fact, doing this every day to prevent the accumulation of stains and germs might be an honest strategy.

• Distinguishing The Stain

If at all possible, you should try to locate the stain after vacuuming the stained area. Fresh stains frequently require different cleaning methods or materials, which is the likely cause of this.

You must mix eight drops of oxide with eight tablespoons of water to remove, for instance, water stains. Whatever method you choose, make sure to check it in a hidden place for any potential damage to the fabric’s colors.

• Washing Away The Stains

Once you have identified the stain, remove it right away. Usually, this will allow you to sponge the stained area clean. Continue using this technique until the stain is completely gone. Make sure to thoroughly pat or sponge the stains and rinse that area once more with fresh, hot water.

• Pat the area down

The stains on your silk upholstery must now be gone, so gently pat the cleaned area dry with a fresh towel. Avoid rubbing or scrubbing because you might unintentionally fur or wrap the silk fibers. While the silk may not completely dry using this method, the majority of the moisture can be removed, allowing for a faster-dying portion.

Remove Coffee/Tea Stains

1. Use a dry cloth to blot the stain to remove any extra coffee or tea.
2. Gently sponge the stain after dampening your sponge with warm water.
3. Apply a small amount of glycerine directly to the stain after rubbing some between your fingers. For 30 minutes, allow sitting.
4. Use your sponge to rinse in warm water.

Although it can be difficult, removing stains from upholstery is not impossible. Here are some guides you can follow to clean different stains from upholstery:

Additional Tips and Advice

• Don’t let the cloth get too saturated.
• Do not place your silk furniture next to a heater or air conditioner or in direct sunlight.
• Spills need to be cleaned up as soon as possible by blotting them with a powerful, lifting motion. Never massage stains because doing so will deepen their setting in the fabric.
• To avoid shrinking the fabric, avoid using a hair dryer on hot air to dry a spill on silk upholstery or a wet area.
• After cleaning silk upholstery, water stains can occasionally remain and are incredibly challenging to remove. You might want to consider using a dry-cleaning method if that occurs.
• Water stains on white silk may require some time to remove, but they might do so by being blotted with a witch hazel and hydrogen peroxide solution. To avoid fading or erasing the dye, do not apply the technique to colored silk.
• Your silk upholstery may become damaged beyond repair if it is exposed to extreme weather. Don’t forget to take care of where you place that gorgeous piece of silk-upholstered furniture. Keep silk furniture away from areas where air conditioning and heating systems blow air, as well as from direct sunlight.

How Can Silk Be Made Shiny Again?

1. For any special instructions, look at the care tag on the silk fabric.
2. One-fourth cup of white vinegar should be used for every gallon of warm water.
3. You can test it by spritzing the solution onto a cloth and dabbing it onto the silk.
4. Continue if there is no color transfer or texture change.
5. To soak in the vinegar solution, the silk coverings must be removed.
6. After cleaning off with clean water, lay flat above a towel.
7. Press with a different towel on top to absorb the extra liquid
8. Hang the silk to dry.

Time to Dry Cleaners

It might be time to take your silk furniture to the dry cleaners if you’ve tried to clean it yourself and still aren’t able to get it as spotless as you’d like (or if you ended up with water stains from dousing the fabric with your detergent and water mixture).

Due to its robust, natural fibers, silk is one of the seven fabrics that should be dry cleaned. If you don’t do it right, you might end up shrinking the fabric or washing the color out of it. So instead of ruining the silk by using more solutions to try to remove the stains, just take it to the dry cleaners.

Even we have to admit that sometimes you need to leave things to the professionals. We understand that it may be frustrating to go through all the trouble of cleaning your silk furniture yourself only to end up taking it to the dry cleaners.

Check to see if the silk can be dry cleaned first (and make sure your dry cleaner has the equipment necessary to handle furniture pieces).

Is It Okay If Silk Gets Wet?

It should be acceptable to get silk wet if the care tag from the manufacturer permits it. Silk cloth comes in a variety of varieties, and some of them are more susceptible to moisture damage than others. For instance, wet silk materials may bleed, shrink, soften, or even change color.

In order to properly clean the silk upholstery, handle it with care and avoid soaking it in water. If the sofa also has a silk material that hasn’t been pre-shrunk, silk might shrink when it gets wet.

Additionally, a color transfer is possible, and you might need to clean water stains off the sofa’s fabric if it can’t be cleaned with water-based products.

Conclusion: Clean Silk Upholstery

Silk is a beautiful fabric to use for living room furniture. To keep your silk sofa looking and feeling luxurious, you must first learn how to properly clean it. The majority of the time, vacuuming suffices, but you can also use water and mild detergent.

It is crucial to check the sofa’s cleaning instructions because some types of silk upholstery may be better off being dry-cleaned only. In order to properly clean any type of silk fabric, it’s imperative to only use a mild detergent.

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