Prevention the Key to Clean Upholstery : Home maintenance: Weekly vacuuming, airing and occasional shampooing keep fabrics looking good.

Your favorite armchair may still be comfortable, but is it still clean?

Here are some tips for keeping upholstered furniture looking as good as it feels:

To prevent dirt and dust from becoming embedded in the fabric, give upholstered furniture a thorough vacuuming weekly. Move the upholstery attachment nozzle slowly over all surfaces, including channels, tufts and welts. Use the vacuum’s crevice-tool attachment to clean hard-to-reach spots.

If the cushions smell dank from humid weather or other household odors, air them outdoors on a dry, breezy day. Place the cushions in the shade (to avoid fading) on a clean surface for several hours. Turn them over at least once while airing.

Even with regular vacuuming and airing, upholstered fabrics require thorough cleaning at some point. The method you choose depends on the fabric. Synthetics and cottons are often washable, so they can be safely shampooed with a mild detergent or a commercial cleaning product. Most other fabrics require dry cleaning.

Natural fabrics other than cotton usually need to be dry-cleaned professionally for a complete cleaning. But soiled or stained areas can often be spot-cleaned using a commercial solution sold for removing spots on clothing. When applying these compounds, always wear rubber or vinyl gloves and work in a well-ventilated area.

Before applying a cleaner of any kind, always test for colorfastness on a small area of a part that is never seen, such as on the back zipper side of a cushion or on the arm next to the cushion. Let it dry to see if it causes shrinking.

Here is the procedure for cleaning cotton or synthetic upholstery using the suds of homemade cleaning solution. Remember to use only the foam: Never apply the solution itself.

1. Prepare the following equipment and supplies: a whisk broom or a vacuum with an upholstery attachment, a rubber or plastic scraper, a pan of warm water, soft cloths and paper towels. Put two tablespoons soap flakes and two tablespoons ammonia in 1 quart hot water.

2. Brush or vacuum the furniture well. After the cleaning solution has jelled, whisk it until a mass of suds forms. Rub suds into a small, concealed area of the fabric. Let it dry. If the area fades, discolors or shrinks, have the job done professionally. If not, shampoo the rest of the fabric.

3. With a suds-covered cloth, gently rub the suds in a small area. When the suds become soiled, scrape them off with the scraper. Wipe the scraper clean on paper towels.

4. Wet a cloth in the warm water, wring well and wipe sudsed area. Dampen the fabric only slightly, don’t soak it.

5. Repeat these steps, overlapping previously cleaned areas. Change suds, rinse water and cloths when they get dirty. Dry the upholstery with an electric fan.

Distributed by AP Newsfeatures.