Sofas bring comfort and style to living rooms, but they take more wear and tear than you might think. Whether it’s dining in the family room or watching a movie, the fabric couch can pick up body oils, kitchen odors, and airborne dust and dirt.
It is sometimes used as a bed, a dining table, a haven for pets, and a playground. These activities leave behind many unseen stains and dirt, such as dust mites, bacteria, and fungi. Take a good look at your fabric couch. It’s probably time to give it a good cleaning.
Determining what type of fabric couch you have
A well-kept yet simple secret is that you must read the manufacturer’s label. If you thought cleaning textiles was tricky, wait until you hear about microfiber. This is usually the one with the most specific instructions, as it can be easily damaged if you use the wrong detergent.
But no matter what textile the upholstered furniture is made of, manufacturers provide letter codes to help you. Here’s what you can find on care labels and what they mean:
- W – This means your upholstery can be cleaned with water. This is the best because you have the most choices when it comes to cleaning options. You can use upholstery and carpet cleaners, which means you should be able to remove stains yourself.
- S – This means that your upholstery should be cleaned with solvents, so it should only ever be dry cleaned.
- X – This letter means vacuum only; do not use water.
- W-S – This means that your upholstery can be cleaned with water or solvents, but this symbol is rare.
Vacuum your fabric couch first
In some cases, vacuuming may be the only method to use (see cleaning code “X” above). Still, even if you intend to use a liquid or dry solvent, you should vacuum your fabric sofa before you begin. This will ensure that any crumbs, dirt, or dust are removed and will not create a larger stain on your fabric.
Use an upholstery attachment for the main parts of the sofa and a crevice tool to get between the cushions.
Use the shampoo
If you’re looking for an even deeper clean, consider renting a steam cleaner or carpet cleaner to shampoo your fabric sofa. Steam cleaners can be used on a wide range of upholstery, except for suede. Follow these steps to learn how to use shampoo to clean your fabric sofa:
- Vacuum the sofa with the upholstery brush and all sides of the cushions to remove any embedded dirt or stains.
- Fill the selected cleaning machine with water and a cleaning solution or detergent that works best for your fabric type.
- Start cleaning the sofa. Be sure to pull the brush back in a straight, even motion, following the grain of your fabric sofa, if applicable.
- Once the cushions are completely dry, place them back on the fabric sofa.
How to deep clean a fabric couch
Sometimes regular cleaning is not enough to remove deeply embedded dirt and stains. To remove deep-seated dirt, such as what accumulates on armrests, use a portable extraction cleaner like a mobile carpet and upholstery cleaner.
Depending on the fabric, you can also try sprinkling your fabric couch with baking soda, letting it sit for 20-30 minutes, and then vacuuming up the baking soda with your vacuum cleaner brush.
Dry the sofa thoroughly
After cleaning your fabric couch, dry it thoroughly with a towel and let it air dry overnight. If you think it needs a little help, open the window or point a fan at the area to help it dry completely.
The best things in life are messy. In an ideal world, our children and pets would be angels, never causing a stain, the wine would always stay in its glass, and we would never lose fries in the cracks of your fabric couch.
This world would certainly be clean, but it would lack the element of surprise and joy that a messier life can bring. Now that you know how to clean your fabric couch, you can sit back and do what you do best on your fabric couch!
For more information, contact Cleaning Imperial right now!