Fabric sofas are the most comfortable choice for living rooms where you binge-watch movies or arrange a gathering with family or friends. Sometimes stains, dust, or spills can happen due to several reasons.
So, how to clean a fabric sofa in this situation? Well, there are some easy and effective ways to clean a fabric sofa. Take a look at the following steps to clean fabric sofas and try out one of them. Also, keep reading to find out some additional tips to remove stains from a fabric sofa.
Tools and Materials Required for Cleaning
Since cleaning sofas is not an easy task, you will need a few things, depending on the method you use. We have enlisted some of the essential tools and materials below, so ensure that you prepare these beforehand.
- Soft cloth/sponge/scrub
- Warm water
- Towel
- Dish soap or upholstery cleaner
- Vacuum cleaner or dusting brush
- Spray bottle
- Steam cleaner
These are the common materials and tools that are available at home and you don’t need to spend any extra money. Now that you know what equipment is needed for the cleaning, let’s move on to the five effective solutions to clean a fabric sofa.
Remember that each fabric sofa comes with different instructions for cleaning. You have to look at the cleaning tag of your sofa to see one of the following signs.
- W: you can use water to clean this material
- S: a solvent-based cleaner is required to clean the material instead of water
- WS: both water and solvent-based cleaners can be used to clean the sofa
- X: use vacuum cleaner only
5 Ways to Clean Fabric Sofa
After carefully checking the cleaning code of your fabric sofa, it’s time to remove the dirty spots. Instead of spending on high-quality and pricey cleaners, try out these natural ways to clean a fabric sofa.
1. Clean Stains with Dish Soap and Baking Soda
It is pretty normal to get coffee stains and food crumbs on a fabric sofa and leather sofa. The best way to keep your sofa stainless is to use dish soap and baking soda. If used in the right way, this method will help you get rid of stains quickly.
Firstly, use a soft cloth or sponge to rub the affected area gently. Now mix a tablespoon of baking powder and dish soap with two cups of cold water. Next, use a damp cloth, dip into the mixture, and blot the stains correctly. It is better if you start cleaning from the edges to the end part. Once you are done cleaning with the soap and soda mixture, take a dry cloth to blot that area and let it dry for a few hours.
2. Steam Cleaner for Fabric Sofa
Steam cleaner is only used for fabric sofas which have W and WS written on the cleaning tag. You can use a simple steam cleaner or an iron with a steaming function on the affected area of your sofa.
Ensure that your sofa can withstand enough heat before using a steam cleaner because sometimes the fabric can get damaged by too much heat. Fortunately, steam cleaners work great on fabric sofas, eliminating the germs, bacteria, and hidden dust in the sofa.
3. Get Rid of Smells
Fabric sofas hold on to the smells of pets and spill very quickly. Using upholstery deodoriser may reduce the smell temporarily, but the smell will eventually come back after some time.
To get rid of the unusual smells permanently, baking soda is your way to go. With natural ingredients like this, you can easily get rid of bad smells. Simply remove the crumbs from your sofa first and sprinkle baking soda on the whole sofa. Let the baking soda set for 20 minutes, then vacuum it properly using a brush.
This method will surely help you remove the bad smells. In case it does not help, you can also use a steam cleaner to get rid of unusual smells from your fabric sofa.
4. Regular Deep Cleaning
Lastly, brushing your fabric sofa daily to remove food crumbs or dust helps prevent from causing stains and smells. Normally the dust is found between the sofa and cushion. If not cleaned daily, it can leave unwanted spots.
You can wear gloves and blot the entire sofa with a dry cloth daily to keep your fabric sofa clean. Remember to use white coloured cloth for dusting if your sofa is dark. Because some dark coloured clothes leave their colour on the sofa, mostly happens with dyed clothes.
5. Change the Cushion Setting
Keeping the cushions in the same spot is also the reason for unwanted dust on the sofa. Not daily, but for days or weeks, you should change the setting of the cushions or just fluff them to get rid of dust.
Along with the cushions you can also take out the seat mattress of the sofa and cleanse it with dry cloth on all sides. This trick can save you from facing other stains and spills and keep your fabric sofa clean.
Things to Avoid While Cleaning a Fabric Sofa
If you are cleaning your fabric sofa for the first time, then here are some things that you should know. It is better to have an idea about essentials before starting the cleaning process.
- Never use the wrong products. Always read the cleaning codes of your sofa before.
- Do not use excessive amounts of water. It can make the material mould and soggy.
- Rubbing the stains quickly can cause damage to the fabric, so do it gently.
- Ensure that you do a patch test with a cleaner first.
FAQs
What is the easiest way to clean a fabric sofa?
Take ¼ cup of vinegar and mix it with a tablespoon of baking soda and ⅓ cup of water. Then apply it on the affected area of the sofa and blot with a dry cloth after leaving it for 20 minutes.
Can you clean a fabric sofa with washing powder?
Yes, you can use both washing powder and any liquid detergent to clean a fabric sofa. Always do a patch test before using all of it.
How to make homemade upholstery cleaner for a fabric sofa?
Mix 2 tablespoons of any liquid detergent with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 2 cups of warm water, and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. You can skip baking soda if you don’t have it available.
