Guide · Carpets, sofas and upholstery ·
How to Clean a Headboard
Because a headboard touches backs and hair every day, it gradually gets dirty with dust, sweat and hair oil; on light-coloured headboards this dirt shows as a yellow mark. The foam inside absorbs water, so cleaning must be done with little moisture. This guide explains how to clean fabric, velvet, leather and wooden headboards and how to lighten a yellowed headboard.
How to clean a headboard: step by step
- Remove the dust: vacuum the headboard with the upholstery attachment, right into the seams and tufting.
- Check the material: find out the type of fabric and the manufacturer's cleaning advice, if any.
- Test first: try the product in a hidden spot on the back or bottom of the headboard.
- Clean the stain with a cloth: spray an upholstery-safe stain remover such as TETİK Kar Aspirin onto a clean cloth and press it onto the stain; leave briefly, then lift it with a clean damp cloth.
- Dry: blot excess moisture with a dry cloth and air the room.
How to clean a fabric headboard
On linen, cotton and polyester fabric headboards, apply the product to a cloth and work by pressing instead of wetting the stain directly. If the whole headboard is dirty, it can be washed with little water using a carpet and upholstery cleaning machine: add carpet shampoo to the machine's clean-water tank at the dose on the label and vacuum up the dirty water thoroughly. For details, see how to clean a sofa.
How to clean a velvet headboard
Velvet pile flattens when wet and leaves marks. Remove dust with a soft brush in the direction of the pile; on stains use a very slightly damp cloth and press without rubbing. Once dry, straighten the pile with a soft brush. For valuable and light-coloured velvet headboards, professional upholstery cleaning is safer.
How to clean a yellowed headboard
- The yellow mark on a headboard usually forms where the head and back touch it, from built-up sweat and hair oil.
- Apply stain remover to a cloth and press it onto the yellowed area; leave briefly, then lift it with a clean damp cloth, repeating several times if necessary.
- Do not use bleach; it spoils the colour of the fabric and soaks into the foam.
- Yellowing that has built up over a long time may not come out completely; use a pillow when leaning back to protect the headboard.
Leather, faux leather and wooden headboards
- Leather headboards: dust with a damp cloth and use a leather care product; test stain remover on leather first in a hidden spot.
- Faux leather headboards: wipe with a well-wrung damp cloth and a little neutral surface cleaner, then dry.
- Wooden headboards: wipe with diluted wood cleaner and a slightly damp cloth: wood surface cleaner.
- For the fabric and storage compartment of the divan base: how to clean a divan bed base.
What not to do
- Soaking the headboard: the foam dries slowly and bad smells and water rings form.
- Using strong products such as bleach and degreaser.
- Scrubbing with a hard brush: the fabric pills and the velvet pile is damaged.
- Mixing different cleaning products (can cleaning products be mixed).
For hotels and upholstery cleaners
In hotel rooms, headboards and upholstery are a regular part of room cleaning. TETİK Kar Aspirin is produced in 750 g, 5 kg and 30 kg packs, and TETİK Carpet Shampoo in 1, 5, 20 and 30 kg. For the product list, see our Hotel cleaning supplies list guide; for bulk purchases you can request a quote. For the mattress itself, see our how to clean a mattress guide.
