Sofas... they’re one of the few home furnitures that need to be consistently and thoroughly cleaned.
There are a million ways to clean one, depending on the material of course. Today, we introduce proper ways to clean a fabric sofa.
Cleaning fabric sofas requires care. They are easily ripped when compared to their leather counterparts. Fabrics retain a lot of dust and nasty germs.
So, here are some tips on how to clean them:
If so, hand-wash them to retain shape and minimize any fluff or fallouts. If there are no removable covers, then move to step number 2.
Most sofas will have care tags to guide you on the most optimal way to clean them.
The letters on the care tag mean the following:
W = Wash with water
S = Wash with solution
SW = Solution or Water washable
X = Vacuum-only
Care tags will guide you on the best way to clean your fabric sofa. If your sofa has no tag, then do as follows.
Check the information packet that comes with the sofa. If there’s no proper cleaning instruction, then contact your local sales distributor.
Focus especially on the areas that build up the most dust like the backrest and armrest. Then, grab a small white towel and clean the surface again. Water is not necessary at this stage. Avoid using colorful towels as colors may bleed onto the sofa.
Mix warm and cold water with either sofa or car seat cleaning agent in the recommended amount. Dampen a towel (white recommended) with the solution and start patting anywhere with thick stains to loosen the gunk. Change the towel when it gets too dirty and continue the process until immaculately clean. Finally, use a dry cloth to absorb any residual moisture and solution
Dip another towel with water or the solution, depending on the care tag instructions
Such as the sofa legs and structure, Clean this like you would any other household item. You could use a disinfectant spray as well.
In fact, you can dry your sofa with a fan, blow dryer or even lay it out in the sun. The heat and sunlight will kill out any germs and ride any musty sweaty smell.
There are also affordable alternatives to cleaning fabric sofas, without relying on any type of cleaning solution. You can DIY with baking soda or vinegar.
Here’s how to clean with baking soda:
Next is how to clean using vinegar:
Vacuum or wipe off any crumbs and debris out of the sofa. Mix ¼ cup of vinegar with warm water and 1 tablespoon of dish soap together. Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and spray the solution on any stains. Rub all the stains out with a piece of cloth. Use another damp cloth to remove any remaining residue. Finally, use a towel to wipe the sofa dry.
If you’re not sure whether using a cleaning solution will be safe for your specific fabric, then experiment a tiny amount on a discreet location.
So, any tiny damage on the fabric won’t be too noticeable.
All and all, if this is too much of an inconvenience then perhaps the easiest way is to hire a specialist. Get someone who you can trust to professionally clean the sofa that you love. So that they stay with you for years and years on end.
Definitely better than buying a new one!
