Fabric headboards are beautiful and can add a lot of personality to your bedroom and just makes the setting feel much more luxurious, especially if you have a typically neutral room/room decor. 

The only issue with a fabric headboard is when it comes to cleaning it. If you don’t know the steps you need to take to clean it properly, it can feel like an impossible and confusing task. Thankfully, we have you covered with these five simple steps on how to clean a fabric headboard and how to keep it clean longer. 

The Importance of Keeping Your Fabric Headboard Clean

A fabric headboard will make your bed look more upscale than ever, but keeping it clean can be a hassle. You may be wondering why cleaning the headboard is so important, and it’s for a number of reasons.

Dust can gather on the fabric quite easily and sometimes it will go unnoticed and can be pretty difficult to see. If you wait until the dust buildup is noticeable, cleaning the headboard will take much longer and the process may seem more difficult. Certain oils from the skin can also play a part in the headboard’s cleanliness and overall state. 

Down below, we have the right steps to avoid any sort of stress when it comes to cleaning your beautiful headboard! 

5 Simple Steps for Cleaning a Fabric Headboard 

Follow this guide down below, and you should be cleaning any dirt and grime off that headboard with ease. 

1. Remove Any Excess Dust That Is Lying on the Surface 

Your headboard shouldn’t be excessively dirty to the point that it needs an intense washing session, but dust will definitely accumulate on the surface. The easiest and quickest way to get rid of anything lingering on the surface of your fabric headboard is to grab a vacuum and remove dust with that. 

A handheld vacuum or one with a thinner attachment for smaller spaces will work just fine when completing this first step. 

2. Create a Cleaning Solution 

Once that’s done, get started on making this quick and simple cleaning solution that will get anything else remaining off your fabric headboard. 

Just get some lukewarm water and mix it with a small amount of detergent. You can tell you have added the right amount if you sell a smaller number of bubbles forming within the solution. 

3. Apply the Cleaning Solution to the Fabric Headboard 

If you are done making the cleaning solution, now is the time to get scrubbing. To apply the mixture to the headboard, grab any sort of cloth, place it into the solution and then target any specific areas on the fabric headboard that need to be cleaned more thoroughly. 

It’s a good idea to wear gloves during this process just to keep your hands safe from any of the detergents you have mixed in the cleaning solution. 

Remember, all of the fabric on your headboard does not need to be covered in this mixture by any means, but it’s a great way of kicking out those light stains on the fabric. 

4. When All Else Fails, Use Fabric Cleaner 

Some stains will end up being too strong for the solution you just made, but don’t worry; a fabric cleaner should do the trick if the solution doesn’t. Fabric cleaners are made for these types of stubborn stains and are very simple to use. 

Take your fabric cleaner and apply it to any stains on the headboard that weren’t coming out with the solution. Once the fabric cleaner is applied on the stain(s), leave it sitting there for a couple of hours or so, and then the stain should be out once you return. 

Sometimes, fabric cleaners can be a little harsh on certain types of fabrics. To test whether or not it’s safe for your headboard, try and apply it on a different surface and see if anything changes in terms of color or texture. If everything looks the same, your fabric cleaner should be safe for your headboard. 

5. Allow It To Dry 

Once you put the fabric cleaner on the headboard, wait a couple of hours for it to dry and work its magic! Once this is done, remove any remaining residue from the headboard with a vacuum cleaner. 

If you keep returning to the headboard and it still has not dried, you could use a hair dryer or something similar to quicken the drying process. With these steps, removing any unwanted dust and stains from your fabric headboard should be as easy as ever. 

How To Remove Oils From a Fabric Headboard 

Something that could actually cause damage to the state of the fabric on your headboard is scalp oil. Your headboard meets the back of your head every day, so trying to make sure scalp oil does not get on the headboard is really unavoidable. The process isn’t too different from the one we just broke down. Here are some steps to specifically clean your headboard of oils from your scalp. 

• Apply baking soda to areas that seem to have significant staining/where your head is most often. Once this is applied, leave it sitting for a couple of hours.
• After a few hours, the baking soda should be absorbed into the fabric of the headboard. This is what is going to get rid of the scalp oil. Once that is complete, you can grab a vacuum and remove the remaining baking soda (and subsequently any oils the baking soda absorbed). 
• Use the same detergent and water solution as mentioned above to further clean the area. Dry it with a cloth afterward.
• Lastly, use a damp sponge to gather anything else remaining from the fabric and then dry the area again with a cloth.

Now that you know how to clean your headboard, I’m sure you are wondering how to keep it this clean. Keeping it clean is just as important as knowing how to clean the fabric on your headboard. Here are some simple tricks to implement when in your cleaning routine in order to keep that fabric headboard looking clean and brand new! 

How To Keep the Fabric Headboard Clean 

Remember the Dust

After cleaning your headboard for the first time, we’re sure you noticed an abundance of dust that was on the fabric. Dust buildup can easily go unnoticed if you are not regularly cleaning the headboard. 

A great way to manage this dust buildup is to add vacuuming to your weekly cleaning routine if it is not a part of your routine already. 

When vacuuming the floor and other areas of your home, don’t be afraid to put the vacuum straight on the headboard each week. It may seem odd at first, but your future self will thank you when you don’t have to do a deep cleaning of the fabric on your headboard each week. 

Fabric Sprays Are Your Best Friend 

Sometimes, if the headboard is getting dirty or if the fabric is collecting dust, the headboard could start to take on an unpleasant smell or if not unpleasant, just does not really smell fresh. 

If this is the case, a scented fabric spray will keep the headboard smelling clean. This does not necessarily do much to keep the headboard from getting dirty, but it will undoubtedly keep it smelling new and fresh. 

Deep Cleans Once a Month 

If you really want to maintain your fabric headboard’s lifespan and look, making sure you give it a deep clean on a semi-monthly basis would be a great step to add to your cleaning routine. 

You can either use the method mentioned above when cleaning your headboard or you could use baking soda as well. Baking soda mixed with water is a simple enough cleaning solution for you to use. Use the same step as you did with the cleaning solution up above: take a cloth, make sure it’s damp with the baking soda mixture and work into the headboard. Once this is done, let it sit for another couple of hours and remove any remains once it is dry with a vacuum. 

Wrapping It Up 

There are a number of different methods to clean a fabric headboard, and most of the time, it really depends on what you are trying to achieve or if there are any certain stains that you wish to get rid of. 

For simple cleaning of the headboard, follow the first five steps listed above, and the fabric should be looking good as new. If you are looking to get rid of stains from scalp oil and wish to prevent damage to the fabric, remember that it requires a different mixture for cleaning, primarily with baking soda. 

Make cleaning your headboard a part of your normally scheduled cleaning routine and you should have no problem keeping the fabric looking amazing! 

Sources:

How to Clean a Fabric Headboard [6 Steps] | Home Decor Bliss

How to Clean an Upholstered Headboard | Hunker

How to clean a headboard - the filthy reason you need to follow these 3 steps | Express