How to Clean Fabric Bar Stools

Cleaning fabric bar stools can be a pain, especially when compared to other materials. Bar stools with fabric cushions are easier to stain and can even start to smell if not cleaned properly.

Lucky for you, cleaning your fabric or cloth bar stools doesn’t have to be difficult. By following the steps in this post, you can be sure to enjoy your clean bar stools for quite some time to come.

 

 

Why is cleaning so important?

Cleaning your fabric bar stools is vital to keep them looking and smelling fresh. Upholstered fabric and cloth are great materials that are comfortable and provide a luxurious look and feel. However, they stain relatively easily and crumbs and debris can build up on/in them if not cleaned regularly.

By cleaning them properly and in a way that doesn’t damage the material, you can enjoy your bar stools for a long time to come.

 

General cleaning & stains

 

Get to the stains quickly

As soon as a spill or stain occurs, make sure to clean it as soon as possible. Waiting too long before treating a stain can cause the stain to set, making it harder to get out. This can happen in as quickly as a few minutes, so make sure to clean any spills as soon as they occur!

 

Check the manufacturer’s recommendations

Before using any cleaning solutions, check the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. If these aren’t included in the box the bar stools came in, or you don’t have them anymore, a simple Google search will usually return what you’re looking for. If not, you can always contact the company’s customer service. Failing to use safe cleaning products could mean permanently damaged upholstery.

 

Check the cleaning codes for your fabric stools

Have you ever seen those random letters on your stool’s tags? Those are cleaning codes! Check out the table below for the list of codes and what they mean.

 

Use a dry brush to remove loose particles

Go over the entire stool with a stiff brush with natural bristles to help loosen stains and bring dust and dirt to the surface. This will make vacuuming a lot easier and help remove debris from any nooks and crannies.

 

Vacuum

Before scrubbing and cleaning your fabric stools, use a hand-held vacuum to remove crumbs and other loose particles. It’s important to vacuum stools regularly to keep them looking good.

 

Clean with baking soda

Baking soda is not just for baking, it’s also great for cleaning stains and even removing odours. In fact, sprinkling baking soda over the entire stool/fabric area will help to remove odours and make stains easier to clean.

Once the baking soda has absorbed the stain, vacuum it up with a brush attachment.

IMPORTANT: Spot clean a small section of the stool before doing the entire stool to ensure the baking soda doesn’t tarnish the fabric.

 

Spot treat with the recommended agent

Next, begin cleaning your kitchen stools with the recommended product. If you are unsure if the product falls within the recommendations, test a small area for any discolouration before proceeding. Whether you use a water-based cleaner or a solvent (or both), follow the instructions on the packaging. If the instructions say it is safe to do so, use a soft cloth to wipe away the solution.

 

Dry your fabric sofa with a soft towel

Pat down any wet areas with a dry towel to soak up the residual moisture. Gently brush off any remaining cleaning solution.

 

Let your fabric stools air dry

Let the upholstery air dry overnight and enjoy a fresh fabric stool in the morning!

 

 

                         - Cleaning Code for Fabric Bar Stools –

Cleaning Code	What it means
W	'Water-based cleaner.' Only use water-based cleaner to clean up upholstery. A water-based cleanser is a type of solution that uses water as the main component.
S/W	'Solvents and water-based cleaner.' It is safe to use both solvents and water-based cleaners.
S	'Solvents.' Only use solvent to clean the upholstery. A solvent is a type of solution that uses a cleaning chemical as the main component.

 

                         

Getting rid of specific kinds of stains

Even though the general recommendations above work for most stains, there are certain hacks and tricks that can help you remove specific kinds of stains. Below is a list of a number of common stains and how they can be dealt with.

IMPORTANT: Always test these methods on a small section of your bar chairs before doing the entire stool. Also, if you’re unsure, follow the manufacturer's recommendations!

Ketchup stains

If you've got kids or you're partial to ketchup with your fry-up, you'll probably have noticed that the stuff can leave an annoying red stain. However, there's quite an effective method for getting it out of fabric or other similar materials.

The quicker you act, the better chance you'll have of removing the stain completely.

First, you should remove any excess ketchup by removing it with a butter knife or similar tool. Use a sponge or cloth soaked in cold water and press over the affected area.

Then, take a solution of dish soap and cold water mixed together (one tablespoon to two cups). Sponge the solution over the stain using a clean cloth. Repeat the above steps until you can't see the ketchup anymore!

Red wine stains

Another red-coloured culprit, the dark-hued wine, can ruin our favourite fabric furniture if spills aren’t treated properly. If the spillage has just happened, you should quickly get some kitchen roll or a clean cloth and blot the stain with clothing stain remover.

If this doesn’t work or there’s still a clear stain, use sparkling water.

And if that also doesn’t work, another effective method for removing wine from fabric bar stools is to cover the stain in white wine! Yep, that's right. It takes out the red pigment of its sister wine. Adding baking soda over the stain can also help if needed. 

 

Orange juice stains

It's pretty common for your fabric stools to see orange juice spillages over their lifetime. After all, orange juice is something we commonly drink with breakfast, with alcohol at parties and as a treat for the kids after school.

Here's what you need to do if it happens...

First, use a piece of absorbent kitchen roll to soak up the orange juice. Try and remove as much as possible using standard kitchen roll.

Then, make a solution of one tablespoon of washing up liquid with two cups of water. Use a cloth soaked in the solution to dab at the stain so that it is fully covered. Then, use a dry cloth to dab away the liquid! Repeat the above steps until it's gone.

 

Burn stains

Unfortunately, we can sometimes get burns on our favourite upholstered furniture, particularly fabric chairs and stools. This may seem like the end of the world but there is one method you can try before you rush to buy a new set (unless you’ve been looking for an excuse to buy a new set, of course ????).

Start by creating a mixture of dissolved soda crystals (one tablespoon) in a pint of lukewarm water (room temp is fine). Take a corner of a clean white rag and soak it in the solution - it's important that the rag is white.

Next, dab gently at the burnt area until it starts to fade. Then, take a new clean rag/section and repeat this step. Finally, take another clean rag and blot the area until it's dry.

Burn stains are notoriously difficult to clean, but if it hasn’t burnt a hole in the material then they can usually (mostly) be removed with the above process.

 

Curry stains

If you enjoy a good curry on a Friday night (who doesn't), you might occasionally find your fabric bar stools stained with the yellowy/orange stuff. It's the turmeric in the curry that causes this stain and luckily, it is possible to remove it.

You must act fast if you drop curry on your bar stool, however!

Quickly grab some kitchen roll to remove any excess curry sauce and dab at the stain to absorb as much of the liquid as possible. Then, take a clean white cloth and use a mixture of diluted white vinegar and dish soap to blot at the stain.

Keep going until you think the colour cannot fade anymore. Leave for an hour, then rinse away the solution with a clean cloth soaked in clean water. If all else fails, try rubbing alcohol and blot the stain.

It's important to remember to dab the stain dry after using a liquid on it!

 

Conclusion

Please let us know in the comments if any of these methods have helped you to clean your fabric bar stools. There's nothing worse than a pesky food or drink spill but if you follow some simple instructions, you can easily solve the problem.

 

Looking for a new set of bar stools? Check out our bar stool range for a complete overview of all the different styles and colours we offer!