8 TECHNIQUES FOR CLEANING A FABRIC SOFA

Today, we are going to show you eight techniques and tips for cleaning your fabric sofa. All our methods are easy to implement. They have been tested and offer very effective results!

At the end of the article, we will give you the ultimate solution to no longer have to wash your sofa or armchair. A solution that will allow you to protect it against all stains, while giving it a unique appearance!

Precautions and cleaning tips

There are several things that you need to know before you start cleaning your sofa. We recommend that you read these things carefully in order to clean your sofa properly without damaging it .

Follow the manufacturer's instructions

Before carrying out any cleaning or refreshing operations, please consult the instructions from the manufacturer of your sofa. You will find this information on the label of the sofa or in the documentation provided, if any, with it. If you do not have this information, you can contact your manufacturer who will be happy to help you. Failure to follow these instructions may void the warranty on your sofa or worse, damage it beyond repair.

Read the instructions correctly

Once you have this information, the cleaning instructions may be represented by symbols or letters . Some symbols may indicate that your sofa should never be cleaned with water, while others may authorize you to use water and cleaning products. To obtain the meaning of these maintenance symbols, do not hesitate to consult our Installation and Maintenance Guide, in which we detail each symbol and its meaning.

Clean up stains quickly

As soon as a stain or spill occurs, clean it immediately . In fact, waiting even a few minutes can make it more difficult to treat the stain. The longer you wait, the more difficult it may be to remove the stain later.

Cleaning Tips

Here are some tips to help your cleaning go smoothly.

• Protect sofa legs and other non-fabric items

Stain removers and other chemicals can damage metal and wood, so if your sofa has any non-fabric elements, be sure to protect them with plastic sheeting, tape, or any other means that will provide effective protection.

• Avoid getting your sofa too wet

Underneath the surface fabric of your sofa may be a filling that is sensitive to water , such as canvas or horsehair, which can bleed. Be sure to clean your sofa only on the surface by wringing out your cloth or sponge sufficiently. Then dry quickly using a hair dryer.

• Always test the stain remover

Before you start cleaning, you should always test your stain remover . Use it on a part of the sofa that is not in plain sight, such as the back of the chair or a cushion. If you notice that the colors are bleeding, the fabric is shrinking, losing its shape or any other alteration, then change the stain remover or cleaning method .

• Avoid cleaning marks

The only method that exists to avoid the traces related to cleaning is to clean the dirty part of the sofa first and then, to clean the entire sofa . Indeed, a complete cleaning will result in the disappearance of the traces caused by parts that were cleaned and others that were not.

How to effectively clean a fabric sofa?

We are going to show you 8 techniques that will help you clean even the smallest dirt from your fabric sofa . Here, we will discuss tips for cleaning a non-removable sofa cover.

If your sofa has a removable cover , to clean it, please remove the cover that covers your sofa , shake it, and carefully read the washing instructions on the label.

If your sofa cover is made of synthetic fiber, machine wash it on a gentle cycle suitable for delicate items. We recommend using a cold wash or a maximum of 30°C and setting the spin speed to its minimum level.

If your sofa cover is made of natural fiber, it is recommended to wash it by hand , treating stains locally.

1) Dust your sofa

To clean your sofa effectively, it is essential to start by dusting it . Indeed, the dust and humidity that accumulate can leave relatively significant marks on your sofa. To remove the film of dust that has settled, you can use a vacuum cleaner or a microfiber cloth . If your vacuum cleaner has a brush with a soft tip, use it as well, this will prevent you from damaging your sofa.

Then please remove any hair and other lint that your pets may have deposited using a sticky brush .

Materials needed to complete this step

• Vacuum cleaner with a soft brush and a suitable handle
• Microfiber cloth
• Adhesive brush

2) Remove a stain with baking soda

Baking soda has been used for centuries by many people around the world because of its great cleaning power .

A true miracle product, baking soda is often used by professional cleaning companies as well as by individuals in their homes these days.

Using baking soda will help reduce odors and remove stains .

Preparation

Its use is very easy. To clean your sofa using baking soda, start by dampening the fabric and sprinkling the stains with baking soda . The latter should cover the stains in layers of about 3 to 5 millimeters depending on the importance of the stain. You can also use homemade wet baking soda solutions for deep areas and stains. To do this, mix equal parts baking soda and water.

Cleaning

Then, leave it to act for 2 to 5 hours , always depending on the size of the stain. After this time, you can vacuum your sofa and the stains will have disappeared!

Necessary material

• Baking soda
• Vacuum cleaner with a soft brush
• Microfiber cloth

3) Clean your fabric sofa with steam

As explained above, before any cleaning, please ensure that the method used is suitable by consulting the recommendations of the manufacturer of your sofa. This cleaning is particularly not recommended on velvet and satin sofas. Choose a nice sunny day to promote drying.

Preparation

Set your steam cleaner correctly for your sofa fabric.

Cleaning

Run the steam cleaner over the entire sofa to be cleaned regularly. Be careful, however, not to apply too much steam to any one area. In fact, it is advisable not to excessively wet the internal fibers of your sofa.

Drying

All you have to do now is let it dry . To speed up this step and ensure that it dries evenly, you can open your windows and point a fan at the sofa.

What you need

• Steam cleaner
• Vacuum cleaner
• Microfiber cloth

4) Clean a sofa with shaving foam

This technique is relatively effective on fresh or surface stains . If your stains are old or encrusted, it will be better to use another solution. However, in the vast majority of cases, this cleaning does not present any risk and has the advantage of being quick !

Preparation

Blot the stain with absorbent paper or a suitable cloth.

Cleaning

Apply a fairly thick layer of foam to the stain. Leave it for about 1 hour, until the fabric of the sofa is soaked. Then dampen a washcloth, sponge or soft cloth to rub.

Drying

Dry with paper towels or a dry cloth.

Necessary material

• shaving cream
• Washcloth or sponge
• Microfiber cloth or towel

5) Remove stains from your sofa with ammonia

Please note that this product may damage your sofa, please read the seller's recommendations carefully before taking any action.

Preparation

For 1 liter, mix warm water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid and a coffee cup of ammonia (about 100 milliliters). Protect your hands with cleaning gloves, do not breathe ammonia and do not smoke near it.

Cleaning

Dampen and wring out a sponge or towel with the mixture. Then dab your entire sofa with your sponge to spread the diluted ammonia. You can focus on the seat of the sofa and on stains if they are deep and significant. If the color runs, it is because your mixture is too concentrated (so you will need to dilute it) or your sofa is not suitable for cleaning with ammonia.

Finally, rinse with water using another sponge or a well-wrung cloth.

Drying

Once you are done cleaning, you can dry your sofa with a dry towel or soft cloth . You can also use your hair dryer on a low heat setting. Wait until your sofa or armchair is completely dry before sitting down again.

Required Materials

• Ammonia, water, container
• Cleaning gloves
• Suitable sponges and cloths

6) Use white vinegar to clean your sofa

Using vinegar to clean a sofa is little known but nevertheless very effective !

Preparation

Start by mixing 200 milliliters of warm water and 500 milliliters of white vinegar . To this mixture, add 15 milliliters of dishwashing liquid , about a tablespoon.

Cleaning

Moisten and wring out a towel or sponge with the mixture. As with the previous technique, dab the fabric of your sofa in 10-centimeter areas. Remember to iron over the stains if they are large. Finally, rinse with a well-wrung towel or cloth.

Drying

Let it air dry , opening the windows and using a fan pointed at your sofa for an even and faster result.

Necessary material

• White vinegar, water
• Dishwashing liquid
• Sponge or soft cloth

7) Remove a stain from your sofa using soda crystals

We will now present you with a very effective and economical solution capable of melting the stains from your sofa. For this tip, remember to protect your hands well with household gloves.

Preparation

Dilute one coffee cup (100 milliliters) of washing soda in hot water.

Cleaning

Dampen a sponge with this mixture and wring it out sufficiently. Then clean your sofa by rubbing on the stains. Be careful, if your sofa is not suitable for this type of cleaning, bleeding and discoloration are possible. So remember to test this cleaning beforehand . Rinse with a sponge or cloth soaked in water.

Drying

Air dry your sofa , open your windows or use a pointed fan for a faster and more even result.

Necessary material

• Soda crystals, water
• Household gloves
• Sponge or soft cloth

8) Use Terre de Sommières to clean a sofa

This solution is not as effective as the other techniques seen previously. However, it is safe, very useful for degreasing and easy to implement .

Preparation

Gather some Sommières earth and protective gloves for cleaning.

Cleaning

Protect your hands and spread Sommières earth generously over the entire sofa to be cleaned. Massage the fabric of the sofa so that the powder soaks in properly. Then, leave it to act for between 5 and 7 hours.

Finally, vacuum your sofa with your usual vacuum cleaner.

Necessary material

• Land of Sommières
• Protective gloves
• Vacuum cleaner

Ultimate technique to never have to clean your sofa again

In this article, we have presented you with 8 tips and techniques for cleaning your sofa . By definition, these solutions are used "a posteriori", they only intervene after your sofa is stained. The ultimate tip would therefore be to protect your sofa EVEN BEFORE the stains can damage it .

There is a solution for this: the sofa cover!

It has many advantages:

• It offers ideal protection. By covering your entire armchair, the sofa cover provides maximum protection against stains and wear.

• It can enhance the look of your sofa. The second benefit of using a sofa cover comes from the fact that it can literally transform the appearance of your sofa and give it style.

• It is an economical and durable solution. The vast majority of the sofa covers we offer are easy to install and remove. In addition, they are fully machine washable, which makes them easy to maintain and can be reused many times!

Sofa covers are therefore an effective and economical way in the long term. No matter the material of your sofa or armchair (fabric, leather, imitation leather, linen or another material), a sofa cover will allow you to protect it effectively against all types of aggression.

At Housses-Tendances.com™ , we offer hundreds of models of sofa covers with a wide variety of colors and designs! Our catalog is constantly updated to always offer you trendy and unique styles of covers .

To introduce you to our products, we have designed this video which will give you more information:

For more details, please visit our official store !

Our entire team hopes that this article has interested you. If so, we await your reactions in the comments section!

The Housses-Tendances.com ™ Team.