Lights, camera…spilling?

The movie theater is a magical place. However, there’s nothing magical about how dirty and sticky it can get.

And the cinema seats get the worst of it. This leaves owners wondering just how to clean upholstery.

Whether you own a theater or just have cinema seats in your home theater, keep reading to discover our awesome cleaning tips!

Suck It Up

When you have messy seats, you’re probably reaching for the soap first. Instead, you should reach for the vacuum.

A lot of the dirt, hair, and other things on your seats are just on the surface. If you immediately start washing, you might just end up pushing the dirt in or around.

Vacuuming first will help clean up anything on the surface. And for really dirty seats, you’ll notice an almost immediate improvement.

A Different Kind of Soda

For cinema seats, soda spills are one of the biggest problems. But a great solution comes from a different kind of “soda.”

It turns out bicarbonate of soda is one of the best ways to clean upholstery. Here’s how you do it.

After you first vacuum your seats, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over all of the affected areas. You’ll need to let it sit and do its magic for about 30 minutes.

Now, you’ll need to vacuum the surface once more to clean the bicarbonate of soda. And that’s it!

Why does this method of cleaning upholstery work so well? First, it neutralizes any lingering odors in the seat. Then it effectively exfoliates the seat–great for cleaning sticky messes.

Check the Warnings

There are other cleaning methods that are simple, including trying soap and water. Before you do that, be sure to check the label of your seats.

Not all upholstery is exactly the same. Your manufacturer may have some advice on what to use (and what not to use).

It takes almost no time at all to double check the label. And this will give you peace of mind that you won’t accidentally end up ruining the seat.

Steam Cleaning

We saved our favorite solution for last. Here it is: you need to steam clean those seats!

Unless the label warning says otherwise, you start by putting hydrogen peroxide over the dirty areas. After at least ten minutes, you can bust out the steam cleaner.

Part of what makes these cleaners so good is that many of them have adjustable heads. That means you can find the kind of cloth and brush that is best for your exact fabric.

The rest is simple. Scrub all the affected areas and then simply let your chairs dry. Afterward, they’ll look, feel, and smell as good as new!

How to Clean Upholstery: The Bottom Line

Now you know more about how to clean upholstery on your own. But what if you need a little help?

At CityScape Solutions, we specialize in cleaning cinema seats and movie theaters. Whether you need help cleaning an entire cinema or just a “man cave,” you should contact us today!