Did you know that your comfortable sofa can hold thousands of germs? The sofas that we love sitting on to watch Netflix with loved ones can attract 12 times more germs than your toilet seat.
This is why it is necessary to know how to clean sofas if you do not want to deal with allergies all the time or become ill. The easiest way to handle this is by hiring professional sofa cleaning services, however, this may not be an option for everyone.
Since you would never let your children play on a toilet seat, nor would you sit on one to watch your favorite movie, you have no choice but to become an expert at cleaning sofas. Here is everything you need to know about sofa cleaning tips to keep your family healthy and happy.
How to Clean Sofas Like a Pro?
The first step is to steam your sofa. If you have a handheld garment steamer, these can help kill any dust mites. To penetrate the fabric, you will need to go over your entire sofa with the steamer, especially across every surface.
If you do not have an iron or steamer, it would be best to go straight to vacuuming. Alternatively, if you cannot clean your sofa enough to feel secure sitting on it again, head to The Furniture Mall to get an incredible deal on a new one that will be much easier to maintain and keep clean.
Vacuuming Your Upholstery
If you have a household vacuum cleaner, like the Riccar R10E, you should find an upholstery attachment that comes with it. This should help you vacuum across all the essential areas of your sofa, like the arms, cushions, skirt, and back.
If you can remove the cushions, it is better to take them off so you can vacuum under the fabric. Ensure that you go as far under the arms and back of the sofa as possible. If your vacuum cleaner has a crevice tool, you should use it to go over the buttons, trim, and all the seams.
Test a Small Spot
Before diving into cleaning sofas with your cleaning appliance or upholstery cleaner, it is always best to test a hidden spot first. This will ensure that your cleaning equipment is safe for your fabric.
Otherwise, you may damage your sofa thanks to unexpected discoloration or water spots.
Even though it may be very tempting to jump right into the job after reading how to clean a couch, you should be careful to take things slow and steady. If you notice that the test area is clean and safe, you should work your way through the rest of your sofa.
Cleaning Stains
It is possible to clean sofas quickly if they have fabrics that you can wash with water. However, other stains caused by pets and children who are fussy eaters may need you to invest in a high-quality enzyme-containing formula.
Alternatively, you should try mixing a quarter teaspoon with some mild dishwashing soap and a cup of warm water. If you can remove your couch cushions, you should unzip these and put a paper towel between the fabric. This will help absorb all the excess moisture.
Then you should apply your cleaner to a cloth to blot all the stains carefully. Remember to work from the outside in. After getting rid of the stain, dab the area with another damp cloth.
This will help dry the blot while gently rinsing the couch thoroughly. Test one stain at a time to avoid damaging any part of your couch if you have the wrong chemicals or cleaning equipment.
Cleaning Headrests and Arms
If you have a sofa with a water-safe fabric, the good news is that you can use a household cleaner and water mixture with a hose. Then, grab the brush nozzle from your vacuum cleaner to gently scrub the fabric.
The vacuum will also help pick up all the dirt into its tank. However, solvent-only fabric couches are trickier to clean, so you should refer to your manufacturer before attempting to clean any area that you are unfamiliar with.
Sanitizing Your Couch
After you are done cleaning the sofa as best as possible, it is time to sanitize everything so that you do not have the wet couch smell. This step will also help destroy any lingering bacteria and odors that can ruin the vibe of your living room.
There are plenty of sanitizing sprays on the market that are safe for couches. Always read the label of any chemicals you purchase to ensure that they specifically mention that they are safe for sofa upholstery. The last thing you want is something too acidic that may damage the fibers deep inside your couch.
What About Leather Couches?
Although cleaning a leather couch may seem like the most intimidating task at first, it is not difficult. The first thing you should do is wipe down the entire fabric with a microfiber cloth. This will get rid of all dirt and crumbs that are stuck to the leather sofa.
Then you should grab your vacuum cleaner and use the crevice tool along the seams, trim, and buttons. If you use a leather cleaner, ensure that you test a small spot first to see how the chemicals react with your sofa. Always use a soft, damp cloth to apply the cleaner instead of spraying directly onto the couch.
Then you should rinse your soap or cleaner with another wet cloth until all the stains are removed. Finally, you should use a dry cloth and dab it across the entire couch to ensure it is dry by the end of your cleaning process.
Enjoy Clean Sofas Today
Now that you know how to clean sofas, it is time to get started with your test area to see how your couch reacts to the chemicals and vacuum crevice attachment.
There is no need to do a full deep clean all the time. If there are only some crumbs or hairs on the fabric, you can use a lint roller to get rid of them. However, larger amounts of dirt will require a handheld vacuum adventure. If you enjoyed reading this sofa cleaning guide, check out some of our other posts for more information.
