How to Clean a Fabric Tub Chair

Preventative Cleaning

Regular vacuuming of fabric tub chairs will extend their lifespan considerably. Trapped dust and grit in between fibres can cause premature wear. Vacuum with a hose type cleaner with a narrow nozzle set on a furniture/curtains setting.  Make sure to compress the padded areas of a fabric chair to allow the nozzle full access into any areas where dirt can accumulate.

Other Stain Prevention Measures

Modern fabric tub chairs are often pre-treated with stain and mildew repellents, but it can be a good idea to periodically renew these coatings as they wear off over time.

Scotchguard make a range of cleaning products and their fabric protector is one of the best on the market.

Removing Stains from Fabric Tub Chairs

Important: Identify the Manufacturers Cleaning Instructions

Somewhere on your chair, probably underneath the seat, should be a label classifying your furniture into one of four categories. This cleaning code is issued by the manufacturer to help you avoid damage to your chair – make sure you follow them.

The Furniture Cleaning Codes are:

• W – Spot clean with a water-based cleaner.
• S – Spot clean only with a mild non water based solvent cleaner.
• WS – Spot clean with water based cleaner or with a solvent based cleaner.
• X – Clean only by light brushing or vacuum.

Removing the Stain

Act quickly and do not let the stain dry out as it may become permanent.

1.       Use the side of a blunt edged spoon to remove any excess material remaining on the fabric.  If the stain is liquid then tip any pooled liquid off the chair immediately, making sure to collect it correctly and not allow it to further stain carpets etc.

2.       Test the fabric for color fastness and compatibility with your cleaning product by trying it out on a hidden area of the chair – usually the underside of the seat. Use a white cloth to apply the cleaner and look for color transfer onto the cloth, fabric shrinkage on the chair and dark rings of color pigment forming around the area of the application.  Any of these signs means that the chair fabric is incompatible with your cleaner and you should discontinue its use. (Ideally this testing should be carried out before a stain occurs to allow time for drying.)

3.       If the stain is on a removable part of the chair, such as a cushion, then place a clean white cloth under the stain area. This will help remove the stain as the cleaning fluid will help wick the stain away into this cloth.

4.       Place some cleaning fluid onto a clean white cloth and apply it to the edges of the stain first. Gently work in towards the center of the stain. Blot at the stain.  Do not rub the fabric as this will spread the stain and may cause wear on the fabric. A rubbing action sometimes splits open the fibres of the fabric and allows the stain to enter them. A stain in split fibres can often be permanent.

5.       Dry the damp area quickly.  Use of a fan is helpful, but not essential. Avoid heat sources as these will likely “set” the stain and could be a fire risk.

6.       Don’t make a stain worse. Small stains can be relatively easy to remove with a damp cloth as the stain will wick up into the cloth. Application of excess cleaning fluid will only ensure that the stain spreads.

Although fabric chairs are a cheaper alternative to their leather cousins there is no reason why, if properly cared for, they should not last for many years. For specific stain removal advice please view our related articles elsewhere on this site. Prevention is always better than cure, so remember to leave the cups on the coffee table!

Quality Cleaning Products

Here are a selection of stain removal and cleaning products for fabric available from Amazon.

How to Clean a Fabric Tub Chair - Folding Chairs and Table

Does your child love Dora the Explorer?  If you have, or are thinking of creating, a Dora the Explorer themed room for your child then this folding chairs and table set could be just the perfect addition.  The folding table resembles a card table in build and design and will fold away neatly.  There are two version of the folding table set available in shops as well as additional chairs sets, should you require extras.

The complete chair and table set comes in a diminutive box that must have been designed by aliens as it seems to bend space.  I looked at it and thought “There is no way that all those items can be in that box”, but they were.  The reason the box is so small is that the folding table and chairs require assembly, but the process of doing so is quite straightforward so don’t panic. The manufacturers even include a special tool to help you assemble your child’s furniture.

The first version we saw of the Dora the Explorer table and chair set is mainly a purple and pink color.  The seats and chair backs are mainly purple and the caps on the ends of the metal frames of the table and chairs are pin, but there are other version of the set available if this color scheme does not suit your taste.  Dora and Boots feature on both items of this set in a jungle scene congratulating each other by giving the “high fives” that are often a part of the programs.

The set is designed for easy cleaning as it has a piece of hardwearing plastic/vinyl over each piece.  Vinyl will not rot or degrade and does not harbor germs and so is a great, safe covering for the folding table and chairs set.

The set was designed with convenience and safety in mind as although the table and chairs fold away to enable you to take them with you on a family day out, they have a specially designed mechanism to lock the chair in one position. This stops the chair from folding flat when a child is getting onto or off of the seat.

The second version of the Dora the Explorer set is less obviously girlie as it features a landscape background rather than a floral one and the frames of the folding chairs and table are mainly a green color.  Boots and Dora feature on these items once again, but they are holding hands rather than giving the high five.  This second version of the set shows the phrase from the program “Vamanos!  Let’s Go!”

The physical dimensions of the set are:

• Table is 2 foot square and around 20” tall
• The seats are maybe 12” or so.

Manufacturers recommended age for play with these items is age 3-7.  It could be possible to let a younger child play with these items, but parental judgment needs to be applied.

The Dora the Explorer costs around $30 (£20) and is available from most branches of Toy’s R Us

Dora the Explorer Folding Chairs and Table Set - Folding Chairs and Table