How to Clean a Couch? 4 Highly Effective Sofa Cleaning Methods
A sofa is one of the most basic furniture elements in every household. That's where one spends a lot of time during family movie nights or while playing board games. It's not a surprise, then, that it can get dirty pretty quickly. Because of this, it's advised to give your couch a good cleaning from time to time. You can hire someone to do it for you, or do it yourself. Find a few useful tips on how to clean a sofa without ruining its color or damaging it.
Why is it important to clean the sofa regularly?
Cleaning a sofa systematically is not only about the aesthetics of the interior. More importantly, it removes all potentially dangerous contaminants. Dust and small particles remaining on the sofa’s upholstery might be a threat, especially for allergy sufferers. What’s more, when cleaning the couch, you remove any smells penetrating the furniture, e.g., from cooking.
Regular couch cleaning also helps to preserve the fabric in good shape. Many believe that avoidance of cleaning equals less damage. But the reality is different. Upholstery which has never been cleaned has to be replaced sooner.
How often do you clean a couch?
There is no single answer to the question of how frequently a couch should be cleaned. Basic cleaning such as vacuuming should be done once a week as a part of usual household chores. Thanks to this, you can avoid excessive dirt accumulation deeper in the fabric.
As for more thorough sofa cleaning, a lot depends on the upholstery material. Light fabric gets dirty much quicker, so, in this case, the couch requires cleaning every couple of months (usually every 3-4 months). But normally you don’t have to do it more frequently than every 6 months.
Can you wash any sofa at home?
Make sure to pick the right method for the upholstery fabric of the couch. Most materials can be cleaned with homemade solutions without worrying about any damage. But if the fabric is exceptionally delicate – you might not be able to use water or particular detergents.
To avoid damaging the furniture, make sure to learn the specifics of the fabric and the allowed cleaning methods – before you decide to do anything.
Sofa cleaning – if not washing, then what?
If your couch cannot be washed with the regular methods, and you don’t want to hire a specialist every time you need to clean the sofa, stick to everyday furniture care.
- Regular vacuuming is crucial – more than once a week. We recommend removing any dirt every 2 days using a special vacuum attachment.
- Use special clothing lint rollers – they are fantastic for fabric upholstery as well. Thanks to them, you can remove your pets’ hair, as well as small dirt particles which aren’t visible to the naked eye. They perfectly stick to the adhesive surface.
Also, avoid eating on the couch. This way, you can protect the sofa from crumbles which can cause minor discoloration or greasy stains.
How to clean a faux leather couch?
Faux leather is quite resistant to dirt, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have to clean it. In this case, one should remove dust and other small particles from the material. You can do it using a delicate microfiber cloth or a paper towel.
Special couch cleaners are the best products for sofa cleaning. If you don’t have any, you can use plain water mixed with a few drops of dish soap or household soap.
Some cleaners shouldn’t be used for faux leather. They are:
- abrasive pastes,
- bleaching agents,
- alcohols,
- products containing kerosene or ammonia,
- acetone-based products.
Do you want to restore the old shine to your faux leather sofa? No problem! We have a method which will cost you no more than a few dollars. Just use regular petroleum jelly and rub it into your sofa. Remember not to sit on it immediately after – wait until the product sinks in.
How to clean a leather sofa?
Natural leather needs special treatment. For this reason, we recommend using special products designed specially for such surfaces. They contain not only cleaning, but also conditioning ingredients that add a beautiful shine.
Don’t you have any special cleaner at hand, and you want to remove stains from your sofa quickly? Use tepid water with a bit of soap (or better – soap flakes). Wipe the dirty spot, leave it to dry and finally give it a shine using e.g., flaxseed oil – you will surely find it in your kitchen.
How to remove grease stains from a sofa?
A moment of distraction and a new greasy stain appears on your sofa. It’s a likely scenario especially if you have a small child. Don’t panic! You can remove the spot as quickly as it was made. Just use potato flour – you probably have it in your kitchen.
- Pour some flour over the stain.
- Rub it into the material using a soft cloth.
- Wait 20-30 minutes.
- Vacuum the stained area.
If needed, you can additionally wipe the surface of your couch using a clean, damp cloth or paper towel.
Juice or wine stains? Make a couch cleaner using lemon and soda
Have you accidentally spilled some raspberry or cherry juice, or even worse – wine? You can solve this problem yourself – provided that you react immediately.
Prepare your own couch cleaner. Mix juice from half a lemon and 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Add a liter of water, and you can begin cleaning the sofa.
The method with baking soda and lemon juice is suitable for materials that aren’t prone to discoloration. If you aren’t sure how the fabric will react – test the solution on an invisible spot.
How to clean a sofa using vinegar – for particularly difficult stains!
Even faux leather sofas can get dirty with difficult stains. In this case, a special mixture of vinegar and oil is your best remedy. Interestingly enough, this homemade couch cleaner should be prepared in 1:1 ratio. Add 200 ml of vinegar to 200 ml of oil and mix the solution. Dip a soft cloth in it and begin cleaning your couch.
The smell of vinegar in the mixture is quite intense, so make sure to ventilate the room for a few hours after cleaning, or use special perfume for interiors and spray it around to mask the vinegar scent.
Cleaning a couch with steam – quick and easy!
Upholstered furniture can be easily cleaned using a steam cleaner. It’s an invaluable device which can remove not only various types of dirt, but also bacteria and mites. This type of cleaning is particularly important for allergy sufferers.
Cleaning a couch with steam is quick and easy – anyone can do it. What’s more, it’s also great for neutralizing unpleasant smells. It’s also a proven method for cleaning a mattress and a carpet. Steam cleaners are an unparalleled help in a household.
📍 How long does a couch take to dry after cleaning?
The drying time after cleaning a couch mostly depends on the method you have decided to use, and how wet the surface is as a result. Upholstered sofas can take from 30 minutes to even several hours to get completely dry. Leather and faux leather couches dry much quicker – a couple of minutes is all it takes.
📍 How long does it take to clean a sofa?
The time spent on cleaning a couch depends primarily on the extent of dirt. Standard cleaning with steam doesn't take more than a couple of minutes – even when performing a very thorough cleaning. Removing heavier stains from juice or wine takes substantially longer.
📍 How to clean a sofa safely?
To make sure you clean the sofa safely, pick the right method for the particular fabric of your couch. Follow each step carefully – in accordance with experts' advice. If the material is very delicate, it's probably better to hire a professional.
📍 How frequently should you clean the couch?
Couch cleaning is something one should do regularly – which means it has to be vacuumed at least once a week, and washed every few months. This way, you can not only keep your home tidy, but also protect the material from damage.
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