Nothing beats the look of a fabric dining chair for elegance and formality, but the occasional stain is definitely part of the territory.
While many fabric dining chairs are pretreated to resist spills and stains, the treatment can break down over time, leaving you with chairs that look soiled and unkempt. To extend the life of your fabric dining chairs (and keep your dining area a place where your guests actually want to sit and share a meal), you need to know how to properly clean your fabric dining chairs.
Modloft offers numerous different styles of fabric dining chairs that are comfortable, functional, and beautiful in form. Our fabric is designed to be easy-care, allowing your chairs to look beautiful as long as you have them.
We believe your furniture will last longer and remain more aesthetically pleasing when it is well maintained and cleaned. As such, we’re experts at spot stain removal, routine cleaning, and deep cleaning. We’ll cover each and explain how you can keep your dining chairs clean without hiring a steam cleaning service.
What You’ll Need for Cleaning Your Dining Chairs
Keeping your dining chairs clean is an easy task when you’ve got the right tools for the job. Although we are going to cover spot cleaning, routine cleaning, and deep cleaning separately, we’ll give you the cheat sheet and let you know which materials you’ll need for all avenues of cleaning.
- Mild soap. Dish soap works best, but you can always opt for a fabric care-specific soap. Avoid harsh cleansers that contain acids or cleansers that contain vinegar or baking soda.
- Cleaning cloths. You’ll need cloths for wet and dry cleaning.
Your cloths should be microfiber made from a non-linting material. If you use a cloth that easily sheds, you could end up transferring cloth fibers to your chair, which can be difficult to remove. - A soft-bristled brush. For spot treating and removing hard stains, you’ll need a little more abrasion than cloth, but nothing so abrasive it could cause damage to the fabric on your chair. We find that a soft-bristled toothbrush works best.
- Vacuum cleaner with attachments. You’ll use your vacuum on your fabric dining chairs the most. You can opt for a handheld or full size, but attachments reign supreme for removing dirt and debris from the cracks of chairs.
- Water. For deep cleaning and stain removal, you’ll need water to dilute your soap.
- Stain removal spray or hydrogen peroxide. Warning: before using any type of chemical on your fabric dining chairs, be sure your chairs’ manufacturer allows it.
This is all you need to keep the fabric portion of your dining chairs in great shape. If you have metal or wood areas on your chairs, you’ll need to clean them separately and possibly with different cleaning solutions.
Spot Cleaning Your Fabric Dining Chairs
Most of the time, you’ll notice a stain on your fabric dining chairs relatively quickly. You’re hosting a dinner party, and it never fails: someone spills a little red wine. In these cases, don’t panic. Treat the stain as soon as possible to have the best chance of it not setting in.
It can even be a great idea to keep your go-to stain treatment remedies in your sideboard for easy access.
To treat a stain on a fabric chair:
- Use a clean cloth or lint-free paper towel to gently absorb the standing spill or remove food debris.
- Attempt to remove the stain with soap and water first. Mix a small drop of mild dish soap in a small cup of water and gently dab it on the spot to see if it lifts.
- If the spot is easily removed with soap and water, use another clean cloth with water to “rinse” the spot.
- If the spot doesn’t remove with soap and water, you can employ the use of a stain treatment spray or hydrogen peroxide. Using just a small amount of either, apply to the stain and allow it to sit for a few minutes before gently dabbing it away with a clean, dry cloth.
If you still can’t lift the stain, it might be time to call in the professionals. Although there are numerous DIY methods of stain lifting available online, you risk the integrity of your chair by using chemicals that could harm it. If you aren’t sure if a particular chemical is safe, contact the manufacturer of your cloth dining chair.
Routine Cleaning for Fabric Dining Chairs
The best way to keep your fabric dining chairs spotless is to routinely clean them. Whether you incorporate cleaning with your weekly housework or dedicate a particular day, cleaning them at least once a month can ensure they are always presentable.
To clean your fabric dining chairs:
- Vacuum. Using a handheld vacuum with a narrow attachment, vacuum all cloth surfaces of your chairs, paying special attention to the crease where the seat meets the back.
Loose dirt and food debris may not seem like a big deal, but food that gets stuck in fibers can melt or cause staining, which is why vacuuming is important. Never use a brush to remove food, as it can cause the food or dirt to smear into the chair fibers. - Polish and protect wood or metal parts of the chairs. If you have metal or wood construction on your fabric chairs, you may need to polish them or apply wax to protect the wood. Stainless steel needs cleaning from time to time to remove stains and fingerprints.
That’s all that is required for normal, routine fabric chair cleaning. Depending on how frequently you use your fabric dining chairs, you may need to perform routine cleaning more often. Your mileage between cleanings will vary by the number of meals shared at your table.
Deep Cleaning Your Fabric Dining Chairs
Sometimes you need a deep, thorough cleaning. Whether you have a fabric dining chair that has endured a massive spill, or if it’s just a once yearly overhaul to keep your chairs looking fresh and clean, deep cleaning is an important part of keeping your fabric dining chairs clean and looking amazing.
To deep clean your fabric dining chairs:
- Rent a steamer. If your fabric dining chair manufacturer allows it, you can rent a steamer and steam clean your fabric dining chairs to remove dirt and stains that have collected deep beneath the surface of your chairs. This can help brighten the fabric and make them look new.
- If you aren’t able to steam clean your dining chairs, opt for a good cleaning with soap and water. Always vacuum the loose dirt and food particles from your fabric dining chairs first.
- Using a bucket, add a solution of ¼ part mild soap to warm water and a clean, lint-free cloth. Gently rub the fabric of your chair to remove the set in dirt and clean the fabric thoroughly.
- Go back over the entire chair with a clean cloth dipped in plain water.
- Allow chairs to dry naturally.
You can deep clean your chairs as frequently as you feel they need it, or as often as the manufacturer allows. Normally, you will only need to do this once or twice a year.
Tips and Tricks
Cleaning your fabric dining chairs is easy, but you can avoid deep cleans even stretch routine cleaning for longer by following a few simple tips and tricks.
- Rotate your chairs. Every few weeks, it’s a great idea to rotate your cloth dining chairs. This ensures that if the same people are eating in the same chairs each night, one chair isn’t getting completely pulverized by a messy eater.
Additionally, if there’s an empty seat at the table, the chair in that position will always be rotated. - Consider covering them for particularly messy eaters. If you’ve got a toddler in the house, you know that mealtime can be chaotic and messy. Avoid soiling your fabric chairs by covering your chair bottom with a dish towel or cloth to prevent messes.
- Protect your fabric by using a stain repellant. Before using a product that repels liquid, you’ll want to make sure the manufacturer of your fabric dining chair says it is okay. If so, you can use a stain repellent sealant on your furniture, but note that it will need to be reapplied occasionally.
The Takeaway
A little extra attention goes a long way when it comes to fabric dining chairs. As long as you clean them regularly and spot treat them as soon as you see a stain, you can keep your fabric dining chairs looking beautiful for years.
When it’s time to purchase fabric dining chairs, Modloft is your go-to source for chairs that are on-trend and easy to keep clean and elegant.
Sources:
How to Clean Upholstered Furniture to Keep Your Sofa Looking Spotless | Better Homes and Gardens
How to get stains out of almost anything | NBC
Removing stains with Hydrogen Peroxide | Clean And Simple Cleaning