Couches provide comfort and elegance to living rooms, but they take a lot of use and abuse. Food and cooking odours, airborne dust and dirt, and any other scents that might accumulate on your couch can all be captured by eating dinner in the family room or watching a movie with Fido snuggled up against you.

How to Clean Upholstery

Before you begin to clean your couch, it is important to know what type of fabric is on the upholstery and what codes are on it.

The codes used are:

• W – This means that water can be used in cleaning.
• WS – A steam vacuum and a mild detergent or dry cleaning detergent can be used
• X – Vacuum only, no water
• S – Use dry cleaner detergent

1. How to Clean a Couch

To minimize the long-term effect of spills or impact from regular wear and strain, weekly couch cleaning and maintenance should be done.

To help your sofa last longer, follow these three simple care instructions:

1. Dry brush – Use a dry brush to loosen up any fabric, dirt, or debris that has stuck to the rug.
2. Vacuum – Using your dry brush on a low setting, remove any items you were able to shake free with your vacuum as well as those that have been deeply embedded into your sofa.
3. Switch cushions – Depending on the look you’re going for, you may want to change up the cushions. You don’t have to keep your same couch from year to year if it’s not appropriate for your lifestyle anymore. Switching out the pillows can help disguise how worn they are.

2. How to Deep Clean a Couch

Sometimes, regular maintenance can’t take care of dirt and stains that are deep in the sofa. You’ll need cleaning cloths, a stiff brush, baking soda, and a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to properly clean a couch.

To clean a couch with baking soda, follow these steps:

1. Test your fabric – Baking soda can be used for a lot of things. It can get dirt out of your couch. Test the fabric in an inconspicuous location, even though baking soda is safe for most sorts of furniture.
2. Brush the couch – Brush away crumbs, dust, and other debris with the stiff brush.
3. Apply baking soda – Sprinkle the couch with baking soda and allow it to sit for 20 to 30 minutes. If you want to clean even further, consider combining the baking soda with a dry carpet cleaner.
4. Vacuum the baking soda –Use the suction attachment on your vacuum to pick up any remaining baking soda or mixture.
5. Remove embedded stains – In the case of stubborn stains, you may treat the fabric as described above, using a solution that is appropriate for the sort of cloth and a clean towel for blotting away stains. Fabric upholstery, for example, maybe cleaned using a combination of these materials:

1/4 cup vinegar, 3/4 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon of dish liquid.

For synthetic upholstery, mix 1 cup warm water, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 1/2 tablespoon dish soap can all be used as a substitute for a more expensive product.

1. Apply the mixture – Put the ingredients in a spray bottle and then spray it on the stain.

3. Clean the Wood or Metal Areas

Wipe down the sofa’s feet and other non-fabric components with a solution of warm water and liquid dish soap.

4. How to Shampoo A Couch

If you want to clean your couch even more thoroughly, consider renting a steam or carpet cleaner. Except for suede, steam cleaners may be used on a wide range of furnishings. Follow these steps to learn how to clean a couch:

1. Remove any embedded dirt or stains by vacuuming the couch with your upholstery brush attachment and all sides of the cushions.
2. Fill the cleaning machine with water and a solution or detergent that is designed for your fabric variety.
3. Clean the sofa. If your sofa is made of textured fabric, move the brush in an even and straight line along with the texture.
4. If any excess water remains on the surface of the sofa, use a towel to absorb it. Allow the sofa to dry completely before putting anything on it. If the weather is humid, set up a box fan to blow air on the sofa for quicker drying. Moisture can cause cloth and cushions to mildew. Place the cushions back on the couch when they’re completely dry.

5. Remove Stains

You may either use a business cleaner or produce your own natural cleansers from ingredients you have on hand. Homemade cleaners are more cost-effective and environmentally responsible.

Here’s how to clean a sofa depending on its material:

• For fabric upholstery: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, a tablespoon of laundry/dish liquid and 3/4 warm water in a spray bottle. Spray the stained area. Dabbing with a white cloth until the stain is lifted. Use another cloth moistened with water to remove the soap. Use a fan to speed up the drying.
• For leather upholstery. Mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 1/2 cup olive oil in a spray bottle. Spray the cleaner on the surface of the couch. Then buff it with a soft cloth.
• For synthetic upholstery: Mix 1 cup of warm water, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and 1/2 tablespoon of dish/laundry liquid in a spray bottle. Spray on the stained area and dab with a clean cloth until the stain is removed.

6. How to Clean Sofa Cushions

If you can take out the cushion covers and the tag says they are machine washable. This is the simplest method to clean sofa cushions. Otherwise, beat the cushions on a sunny day to loosen dirt and debris. Another advantage of doing this is that the sun’s UV rays assist to sanitize the cloth.

7. More Upholstery Cleaning Tips

Lint Roller

Keep a lint roller on hand that you can use only for your couch if your sofa is made of a fabric that attracts lint, hair, or dust. This is best for a light-duty couch, but it can also be used on larger cleaning jobs. When you are in a hurry to clean up the house, you can use packing tape to remove the dog hair.

Leather Soap and Conditioner

If you have a leather couch, leather care products are an excellent way to keep it looking nice and new. You may also use a slightly damp, clean towel to clean leather furniture once a week.

Steam Cleaning

If your couch is made of a material that can be cleaned with water, try using steam to loosen dirt and stains. Try this: Grab your iron and set it to “steam” mode, then wave it back and forth across any difficult spots on your couch.