Having clean furniture at your place is one of many signs of how neat and tidy you are. Even when you go to a place like a restaurant or an arcade, one of the ways you judge their cleanliness is by looking at the furniture.
The seating space is probably one of the most frequently-judged spaces in any home or facility since there is direct physical contact between your guests and the sofa in your living area, no wonder that piece of furniture catches the most attention.
Imagine going for a game at an escape room breakout, and one of the clues you need to find is inside a sofa. You would not want to touch a couch covered with dust now, do you?
Whether it is a business facility or a home, your sofa speaks for your hygiene and taste.
People hesitate to clean their sofas because they do not know the right ways to do it. Or, they think that cleaning sofas are a tough job.
But this article can help you out! Whether you are trying to clean crumbs or the toughest of stains, our cleaning tips are easy to follow and could help you clean your sofa in no time.
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How Often Do You Need to Clean Your Sofa?
The general rule is that you need to vacuum your sofa once a week. For even more deep cleaning, like removing stains or cleaning the upholstery, you can do so once every three months or after you’ve spilled something on the couch. If you think your sofa does not get dirty quickly, you can cleanse your sofa once every six months.
How to Spot-Clean Stains?
The length of time a stain has been there, the fabric, and the type of spill all affect whether it will come out.
Absorb
Absorb excess moisture from the upholstery as soon as you spill something or stain it. If you don’t get every last bit of residue off, the cleaning solution can spread the stain. Additionally, stains that are neglected have a higher chance of adhering to fibers and producing permanent stains.
Use white paper towels or a dry, white, absorbent cloth to dab the stain. Semi-solids can also benefit from the use of a plastic scraper. To remove the residue, you can alternatively use a wet-dry vacuum or a portable upholstery cleaner. However, if you don’t empty the tank or trash can right away, it will begin to smell.
Dab
Once all the leftover material has been eliminated, dab the stain with the cleaning solution and carefully blot the spill from the edges to the center to prevent further spreading. But be careful not to scrub. In the area being scrubbed, pile distortion may occur.
Rinse
To avoid discoloration, rinse the affected area with cold water and wipe it dry before removing as much of the cleaning agent as you can. If your home has hard water or well water, use distilled water for cleaning solutions and rinse water. Mineral deposits from tap water may cause unintentional shading on the upholstery.
Dry
Allow the couch to dry completely to avoid mold growth and a bad odor completely. You can suck away liquid if you have a wet-dry vacuum or a portable upholstery cleaner. Consider sandwiching an absorbent towel between the fabric of the cushion and the large, wet stain to absorb any more moisture (if your cushion allows this). Reposition the couch’s cushions once all of the components are completely dry. The drying process can be sped up by opening windows and turning on fans.
Consult a professional cleaning specialist for assistance if you have deeply embedded stains. They frequently have more potent industrial cleaning supplies on hand, so those might be effective. An expert cannot, however, guarantee that a stain will be removed.
Couch Cleaning Steps
Sometimes spot cleaning is just not enough, and it might be necessary to deep clean the entire couch. For these situations, we’ve compiled a list of some useful couch-cleaning methods to help you restore your couch to its former glory.
1. Vacuum the Couch
To remove dirt and debris from the sofa surface, use a hand vacuum or the brush attachment or upholstery attachment on your vacuum. Cleaning the nooks and crevices where pet hair, food crumbs, and filth collect is important. Remove the cushions and vacuum both sides if they are not attached.
2. Cleaning the Wood or Metal Areas
Warm water and liquid dish soap should be used to clean the sofa’s feet and other non-fabric sections.
3. How to Clean a Fabric Couch
The steps you need to take to clean a fabric couch is listed below.
Step 1: Determine the Type of Fabric
The first step to cleaning a fabric couch is to determine the type of fabric you are dealing with. Read the upholstery cleaning instructions on the cleaning tag that may be found on the couch. The cleaning codes are as follows:
W: You can use water to clean it.
S: Solvent-based cleaners.
W/S: Use a mild detergent with a steam vacuum or a dry-cleaning detergent.
X: Use a vacuum only. No water.
Step 2: Choose Your Cleaning Solution
Baking soda
To clean a fabric sofa, your vacuum cleaner is your best friend. Along with that, what you will need is some baking soda and a sieve. Now, your very first step is to sprinkle baking soda all over the surface of your sofa. You can use a sieve to ensure that you sprinkle fine baking soda. After finishing this step, let the baking soda sit for about two hours. All that is left now is to vacuum the entire sofa thoroughly.
Make sure you do not use any wet cloth to remove the soda. The vacuum cleaner should remove all the stains and make your sofa look brand new!
Hydrogen peroxide and soap
Sometimes, your fabric sofa has nasty stains that might not go away with mere soda. For something as hard as, say, a red wine stain, you need some extra materials to completely eliminate it.
You need to create a solution with one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts of liquid soap and mix them. Next, to clean a fabric sofa, put this mixture into a spray bottle, and spray it over the stain. You can leave it on for a few seconds and then rub it off with a cloth.
Vinegar
Not everyone has hydrogen peroxide lying around at home. However, you may have vinegar in your kitchen, which is also a great tool to remove tough stains from your sofa. This mixture works well to clean a fabric sofa. Just mix vinegar and water in equal parts with a bit of liquid soap and spray it over the stains. After a few minutes, wipe off the area. Vinegar works like magic for coffee, tea, or juice stains.
Rubbing Alcohol
Alcohol can come in very handy to remove ink stains or markings from your couch. It can also be used to remove grease stains, like lipstick. To clean a couch with alcohol, simply dab the stained area with a dry microfiber cloth. If the stain persists, you can rub the stain gently with a stiff brush to remove the excess stain from the fibers. Wipe the stain with a white cloth or dry paper towel to see if any residue still remains.
Step 3: Wash Your Sofa Covers
You may not know this, but sofas nowadays have easily removable cushions and covers. Moreover, they do not need any extra care. Put them inside your washing machine, and you’re done. But, of course, remember to use good washing powder or liquid and use fabric conditioner in the last rinse.
You do not need to wash sofa covers very often. Since washing more than what is necessary may cause color fading, washing once in three months should do the trick.
Step 4: Let the Couch Dry
If there is still any extra water on the sofa surface, dab it with a towel. The sofa should air dry. You could even set up a box fan pointed at the sofa to accelerate drying if it’s humid. Fabric and cushions may mildew as a result of water.
5. How to Clean a Leather Couch
Combine 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup vinegar in a spray bottle to clean leather upholstery. On the couch’s surface, mist the cleaner, then buff it with a soft microfiber cloth.
6. How to Clean Synthetic Upholstery
To remove stains on synthetic coaches, combine 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 cup warm water, and 1/2 tablespoon liquid dish soap in a spritz bottle. To remove the stain, mist the stained area and scrub it with a soft cloth.
7. How to Clean Hooks?
Those who have pets at home might notice how the claws of your pets create puffs and hooks. To remove the hooks, all you need to do is take a thin needle and pull the hook, tightening it to the wrong side. Remember never to cut off the hooks, as that can damage the sofa.
Other Couch Cleaning Tips
Lint Roller
Keep a lint roller on hand that you can only use for your couch if the fabric of your couch is one that often accumulates lint, hair, or dust. This works best for a couch that only needs a little de-linting, but it can also be used for bigger jobs. To de-puppy the couch, use big pieces of packing tape.
Steam
Try using an upholstery steam cleaner to remove dirt and stains if your couch is composed of a fabric that can be cleaned with a water-based solution. If you don’t own a steam cleaner, take out your iron, set it to “steam,” and move it around the stained areas of your couch to steam clean it. Hot steam is not only an effective cleaner but it can also be used to eliminate odors by killing bacteria.
Leather Soap and Conditioner
If you own leather couches, you can keep them looking clean and new by using leather cleaner and conditioner. You can also clean leather furniture once a week with a clean, slightly wet rag.
Spot Test
Remember to always do a spot test by applying the cleaning product of your choice to a small inconspicuous area of the stain to see how the cleaner reacts with the fabric. If it works well with the fabric, move on to the larger stain.
Your Brand-New Sofa is Ready!
By using these handy tips, your sofa is sure to be bright and clean. Your guests will definitely love the shine when they sit on your couch!
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