Your sofa being the centerpiece of your living room, it is necessary to take the greatest care of it so that it retains its appearance throughout its life. You will find at the end of this article the care to give to your sofa according to the material that composes it (fabric, PU, velvet).
Fabric Sofa
The fabric sofa has the advantage of being simply preserved, provided you take a few precautions beforehand.
TIP #1:
It is advisable when you buy your fabric sofa, to buy a waterproofing agent which will immunize your fabric sofa against everyday stains. Spray it on the entire surface of your sofa evenly and let it dry for 24 hours (according to the instructions on the product)
TIP #2:
Upon receipt of your sofa, in order to effectively fight against possible stains, it is advisable to acquire a decorative cover or plaid. This additional element will undoubtedly be a real protection against all kinds of stains and it could very well save you the day! A precious ally against stains, the cover or plaid will act as a second skin which can of course be sent to the washing machine if necessary!
Washing The Sofa Fabric:
Dust the sofa:
It is advisable to remove dust particles that settle on your sofa regularly – about twice a month – in order to clean it up but also your environment.
This section will depend on your sofa, if it is removable or not.
If you have a sofa with removable cover:
Remove the fabric cover from the sofa structure and carefully read the washing instructions on the label of the cover or on the instructions for use. Then check the composition of the fabric, ie, if the fibers of the fabric of the sofa are natural or synthetic (micro-fiber).
You can do hand wash or machine wash. If you choose the second option, take care to program it well so as not to damage the fabric, too high a temperature or an incorrectly set spin speed could be fatal. Ideally, this cleaning is done about twice a year, after having dusted the sofa beforehand.
If you have a sofa with non-removable cover:
Carefully read the washing instructions on the sofa or in the user manual to find out whether your sofa can withstand water or not. Ideally, this cleaning is done about once a month, after first dusting the sofa.
– If it supports water, use a liquid shampoo that you rub on the fabric (including the non-visible parts), then rinse and dry your sofa with a towel to absorb the water.
– If it can’t stand water, you can dry clean your sofa. To do this, get a special fabric foam from a drugstore or other store that will deeply penetrate the fabric of your sofa to clean it, deodorize it and revive its colours.
What About Stubborn Stains?
Grease stains:
Sprinkle the stained part of the sofa with talcum powder, cover with absorbent paper and heat the surface with an iron.
Repeat the operation by changing the absorbent paper until the grease stain disappears.
Ink stain, marker or pen:
Use a mild solution such as milk. If the stain is large, use peroxide or lemon juice applied with a cloth.
If your sofa is covered with a colored fabric, you can try hairspray or spirit vinegar mixed with water.
Drink stains (regardless of the product used, leave to act before rinsing):
- Coffee and beer: use Marseille soap then rinse.
- Wine: sprinkle the tainted part with cornstarch or Sommières soil. After gently brushing the stained surface, lightly dampen the stain with a cloth soaked in milk then clean with soap and water.
- Fruit juice: use carbonated water or hot milk
- Tea: Use lemon juice.
Blood stain:
Use a mixture of water and cornstarch or talc, tartaric acid or even peroxide.
If the stain persists, try a mixture of water and soda crystals or hydrogen peroxide.
Chocolate or mud stains:
Use cold water or soapy water. If the stain persists, use a mixture of white vinegar and ammonia that you apply with a cloth.
sauce stains:
- Dressing, absorb stain with talc or baking soda before cleaning.
- Greasy sauce: use white vinegar.
- Mustard: use lemon juice or a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia before rinsing.
- Light stain: use glycerine, alcohol or benzine before rinsing.
- vegetable and fruit stains: use a mixture of water and alcohol to clean the surface, then acetic acid. If your fabric sofa is white, using bleach will do. To remove a berry stain, use lemon juice.
Light stain:
Use glycerin, alcohol or benzine before rinsing.
vegetable and fruit stains:
Use a mixture of water and alcohol to clean the surface, then acetic acid.
If your fabric sofa is white, using bleach will do. To remove a berry stain, use lemon juice.
Read: Reasons to use sofa covers and tips for cleaning them
PU Sofa
To clean and care for a faux leather sofa, you should never rub it too hard. Also be careful not to use scouring powders and abrasive sponges as well as bleach, alcohol, window cleaners or even dust-repellent sprays.
On the other hand, to clean your sofa, you can use for most stains:
Cleansing milk:
Use cotton balls soaked in cleansing milk to clean your faux leather sofa. Then rinse with a barely damp cloth.
Clay stone (or white stone):
Dampen a sponge with cold water then rub this sponge into the clay stone. You can then apply the sponge to your sofa to clean it.
Soda crystals:
Mix warm water and soda crystals (1 liter of water for one cup of soda crystals), then soak a sponge in this mixture and wring it out before putting it on the sofa. Then rinse the surface of your sofa with a damp sponge. Then dry gently with a towel.
Marseille soap:
Wipe the sofa with a sponge or a well-wrung washcloth soaked in a mixture of water and Marseille soap. Then wipe with a dry cloth.
Attention, for each of these products, the imitation leather sofa must never remain damp, be sure to dry it well with a dry cloth or a towel.
If you find that your sofa has an unpleasant smell (normal smell when buying it), you can mask this smell by passing a cotton ball soaked in cleansing milk and a few drops of the oil over the entire surface of the sofa. essential you want.
What About Stubborn Stains?
Ink stains:
Wipe a cotton ball soaked in cleansing milk with a few drops of 90° alcohol or white vinegar then rinse with a barely damp cloth.
You can also pass a sponge moistened with clay stone added with a drop or two of 90° alcohol or white vinegar. In any case, never rub, pass the cotton or sponge over the surface, pressing lightly and proceeding with circular movements.
Clothing that has rubbed off (including jeans):
Pass a cotton ball soaked in cleansing milk with a few drops of 90° alcohol or white vinegar then rinse with a barely damp cloth.
You can also pass a sponge moistened with clay stone added with a drop or two of 90° alcohol or white vinegar. In any case, never rub, pass the cotton or the sponge over the surface in pressing lightly and proceeding with circular movements.
Velvet Sofa
A velvet sofa picks up dust easily, even more so than fabric or leather ones. To maintain it, remember to brush it regularly with a soft brush for textiles!
Be careful never to use a scrub brush (much too hard), or a cloth that will leave marks.
Cleaning:
Be sure to protect the frames and legs of the sofa before cleaning as some products can attack metal and wood. Do not use a steam cleaner to clean velvet. We advise you to clean the whole sofa, even if there is only one stain to avoid any halo.
Before any cleaning, be sure to test the chosen technique on a hidden area of your sofa such as on the hem to check that the velvet does not discolor.
Dry Cleaning:
The most conservative technique, even if it is less effective.
Degreases the sofa by absorbing stains. Sprinkle your sofa generously with earth from box springs, massage the sofa while protecting your hands with household gloves, let it penetrate for a few hours then vacuum up the remaining powder with a vacuum cleaner.
Talc:
Sprinkle your sofa with talc, let it sit overnight, and then gently vacuum up the remaining powder with a vacuum cleaner.
What About Stubborn Stains?
Damp cleaning:
Do not forget to test the technique beforehand on a hidden area of the sofa. Such as on the hem, in order to check that the velvet does not discolor.
White vinegar:
Mix two teaspoons of white vinegar with one liter of soapy water.
Dampen a sponge with this mixture and gently rub the stain until it disappears.
Then rinse the sofa with a slightly damp cloth and dry it with cold air from a hair dryer.
Finally, apply talc once the velvet is dry, let it act for a few hours then vacuum the remaining powder with a vacuum cleaner.
Ammonia:
Mix a coffee cup of ammonia, a few drops of washing-up liquid and a liter of lukewarm water.
Dampen a cloth with this mixture and gently rub the stain.
Then rinse the sofa with a slightly damp cloth.
After removing these stains, remember to brush your sofa to give it a nice look!
About Author:
Sara has completed her education in marketing and started her career as a digital marketer. She is a content writer by profession. And she would love to add multiple of things in her knowledge which she can add in her writing style. She writes about cleaning services like Sofa cleaning in Vaucluse
