How to Clean a Couch?

Nothing irks the strongest in your living room than your trusty but stained couch. Maybe your naughty kid unintentionally spilled the coke he stole from the refrigerator. Your oily hands left their mark on your couch. This is why you should know how to clean a couch to bid the stubborn stains farewell.

But one thing is certain. You don’t want your couch to look like stains. Thus, we have put together practical tips to eliminate such stubborn spots. From basic cleaning techniques to advanced cleaning practices tailored to the upholstery of your sofa, you’ll surely find a way to Thanossnap the stains.

6 Risk-Free Methods for How to Clean a Couch?

Here are 6 basic but working ways to clean your couch without affecting its fabric or upholstery. Note that these tips might not be effective for certain types of upholstery, but we’ll cover them later.

Sprinkle some Baking Soda before Vacuuming:

If you haven’t started vacuuming yet, we recommend adding some baking soda before vacuuming. You could also strengthen the cleaning duo by mixing carpet cleaning with baking soda. Now let’s get to the actual vacuuming.

Vacuuming Does Get Rid of Hairs, Crumbs and Dirt:

Vacuuming is the easiest and least risky way to clean your sofa, but it is limited to removing small stains, dust particles, pet hairs, and crumbs from your food. Attaching a brush should further make your vacuuming easier.

You should also remove the cushions to clean the leftovers that sneak underneath. Or you could also mix up baking soda to make your cleaning job more impactful.

Steam it:

If vacuuming doesn’t do the trick in cleaning the stains, steaming it will eliminate them. You should only clean your couch with a steam cleaner if the fabric of your couch is okay with it and you have vacuumed it before.

Be sure to test the steam cleaner on a small area of your couch and let it dry to see if it damages the upholstery. If the upholstery remains intact, proceed with steam cleaning your whole couch. But don’t overburden your couch with excessive moisture.

Wash the Covers in Washing Machine:

If your sofa lets you remove its covers, tow them into your washing machine for a cleaning spin. But don’t forget to cover your couch with a clean cloth, and don’t let anyone sit on it. Double-check the caretaker to assess whether these covers are machine washable. The “W” rating is recommendable for machine washing.

Or Just do an Occasional Lint Roll:

A lint roller effectively cleans pet hair and fibers you don’t want to see on your couch. Roll the lint roller by sections on the surface of your couch for the most optimal cleaning.

Use a Whisk Broom to Clean a Dried Spot:

You can use a whisk, broom, or a stiff brush to clean the dried spots on your couch. But be gentle and clean the sides of the spot first if that spot is large. Scrubbing hard may damage the fabric of your couch.

Cleaning Tips for Sofas with Different Upholsteries:

Sofas with different upholstery and fabrics will have their own sets of dos and don’ts about cleaning. Let’s go over all of them. Always take a look at the caretaker first before cleaning the couch.

• Microfiber: Clean your sofa with microfiber upholstery through dish soap and water.
• Linen or Cotton: You can use dish soap mixed with water to clean linen or cotton-based fabric like microfiber. Double-check through the care tag.
• Leather: Leather sofas can be cleaned through non-detergent soup with distilled water. But we recommend cleaning your leather sofa with the solution your manufacturer recommends. If your leather is damaged, you can repair the leather on the sofa.
• Suede: Suede upholstery is known for its smooth texture and nap. You may restore the nap fibers once the sofa is dried with a soft brush.

What do Caretag Codes Actually Mean?

The care tags on your sofa or the detachable cushions contain specific codes. These codes help in determing which cleaning solution is most suitable for your sofa. Please read the instructions on the care tag first with due care, as trying other cleaning methods will damage the upholstery or the fabric of your couch. Let’s crack these codes one after another.

• W Code: Sofas bearing this code on their care indicate that you can use warm water with a solution of some sort to clean your sofa.
• S Code: Couches with S Code on their care are not meant to be cleaned with warm water but with a solvent. That solvent can be alcohol, so rubbing it against the spot can make your couch spot-free. But make sure there is enough airflow for the solvent to dry quickly.
• W/S Code: Clean the upholstery with a warm or solvent water solution. But test a smaller area first to see if your cleaning mixture works.
• X Code: Using any wet cleaning solution will damage the upholstery of the couches with X code written on their care tags. Vacuuming or brushing such sofas is the only option to remove stains.

Most Stubborn Stains to Clean from Your Couch:

Difficult in removing stains may require their cleaning methods. But again, don’t forget to look at the care tag before cleaning the spots.

• Wine: Red wine stains can be easily removed with cold water detergent or dish soup. For coffee stains, white vinegar would also do the trick.
• Ink: Inks are manufactured to stay longer on paper, making them one of the most stubborn stains on your sofa. You may try cleaning the inky spot with dish soap and cold water. But if this solution doesn’t help, then rub the spot with alcohol or white vinegar.
• Pets: You can use dish soap, white vinegar, and water to eliminate feces. You could also add hydrogen peroxide to remove any harmful bacteria. Don’t forget to clean the hydrogen peroxide from your couch, as the chemical reaction may take away the colors. As for their urine, you may clean it with a paper towel and the same cleaning mixture used in cleaning up the feces.

Wrapping Up:

We’ve finally come to the end of our guide on how to clean a couch. We hope you have found some valuable tips to help battle those stubborn stains bugging you. Simple tricks like vacuuming, baking soda sprinkles, or steam cleaning should do the trick for light cleaning. And don’t forget the lint roller – it works magic for pet hair!

If those don’t do the job, get out-the-spot solutions. Referencing the care tag first is important before you whip out the vinegar, soap, or other cleaners. Just be sure to spot-test any harsh chemicals in a hidden area. And soon, you’ll have your sofa looking fresh and stain-free in no time.

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