Upholstered furniture gives any room a soft, comfortable feel. There's something about an upholstered couch or comfy chair that makes it easy to relax, but sometimes we get so comfortable we get careless. We end up spilling food and drinks and staining the upholstery. Accidents with pets and young kids happen as well. While these accidents are sometimes unavoidable, the results can be devastating, especially if you wait too long to act.

If an accident happens on your upholstered furniture, it's important to spring into action immediately. Waiting too long allows the stain to set. The quicker you react, the better chance you have of completely removing the stain. Take a clean, white, absorbent cloth and gently blot the stain, taking care not to rub. When you frantically rub at a stain, you run the risk of weakening the upholstery's fibers and grinding the stain in even deeper. Once you've lifted as much of the stain as possible, you have several recourses. The first is to vigorously mix a solution of one part dishwashing liquid to two parts water, using the foam to blot at the stain until it's completely removed. You can also try a commercial upholstery cleaner or call someone in to do the job professionally, but that gets expensive.

You may notice after you clean a stain that it still smells. Or perhaps you've cleaned a stain several times only to have it reappear. That's because you haven't used products containing oxygen technology. The next time a family member or pet has an accident on the upholstered furniture, try spraying the stain with an oxygen-based product such as Bio-OX Citrus Concentrate or PAWS (Pet Accident Washup Solution). Bubble-Up Technology in the Bio-OX family of products immediately goes into action, penetrating the stain. As a result, the entire stain disappears and no odor is left behind.

Because it's concentrated, purchasing a product containing oxygen technology, such as Bio-OX Citrus Concentrate, is less expensive in the long run than purchasing a diluted, ready-to-use upholstery cleaning product from the supermarket or home improvement store. It's easy to use, too. Simply pour concentrated Bio-OX into the spray bottle and dilute with water. Spray onto the offending area and let sit for about 5 minutes. Blot the stain until dry and soon your upholstery will look as good as the day it was originally brought into your home. The best part? Bubble-Up Technology allows Bio-OX Citrus Concentrate to penetrate deep inside the stain. Stains and odors are gone for good. Cleaning stains from upholstery doesn't get any better than this.

Accidents happen; there's no getting around it. Fortunately, with oxygen technology, no one ever has to know.