From dining room chairs to living room couches, upholstered furniture is often overlooked when it comes to deep cleaning. Unless there’s a spill or stain, these pieces may get dusted and vacuumed, but is that enough? Discover how dirty furniture can get, and remember these tips the next time you take a seat.

How Dirty Can Furniture Get?

Even if you don’t sit on the fancy dining room chairs every day or in the same living room spot for every movie night, your furniture can still get dirty. The following debris can get trapped in your upholstery:

• Dust and dirt. Dust from the air can settle deep into the fabric. Dirt can accumulate from whatever comes in contact with the surface.
• Body oils and skin cells. Oils from our skin build up on upholstery over time. We also shed dead skin cells, which attract dust mites.
• Pet dander and hair. Whether or not animals are welcomed on the furniture, their hair and dander are also in the air, which can get trapped in furniture fibers and become high contributors to allergens.
• Food particles. Cleaning up crumbs and spills can still leave particles behind that lead to stains and odors.
• Bacteria and microbes. Moisture from sweat and spills can create a breeding ground for bacteria and mold.

The level of dirt depends on the number of people and pets in your home and how often the furniture is used. Without proper cleaning, not only does this buildup impact the upholstery’s appearance, it can also lead to odors, health conditions, and poor indoor air quality.

How to Help Keep Upholstery Clean

There are multiple ways to help decrease the amount of build-up debris in upholstery.

• Regularly dusting hard surfaces helps to remove debris from the surrounding area.
• Vacuuming upholstery helps remove surface dust and hair, preventing it from getting embedded.
• Promptly clean spills to prevent stains and odors from setting in.
• Use covers or throws to help protect the furniture with something that’s easier to clean.
• Flip and rotate cushions to help distribute wear and dirt more evenly.
• Professionally clean the upholstery at least every year—more frequently if the furniture is used more often or if you have pets—to remove embedded debris and stains.

Keeping upholstery clean can help keep your furniture looking and feeling fresh. It can also prevent unwanted odors and health conditions from infiltrating your favorite seat in the house.