How to clean fabric upholstery of a sofa from dust and stains

Sofa cleaning products

You can buy the product for sofas in the same store as the furniture. Upon purchase, you will be offered a range of cleaning compounds, stain removers and upholstery care products. These products can also be found in household chemical stores.

But you can avoid spending money on household chemicals and take care of your sofa using simple household products that can be found in every home. You will save money, and the result will be no worse than using store-bought formulations.

How to clean a sofa

Whatever cleaning product you choose to clean your sofa upholstery, you need to understand how to do the job correctly. To ensure that the result does not disappoint you, follow these recommendations:

Choose a cleaning agent based on the type of upholstery. Remember that leather products cannot be cleaned with the same compounds as fabric ones.
For each type of material you will need different equipment. Sofas made of flock, leather or velor are cleaned with microfiber cloths, suede and nubuck sofas with special rubber brushes, and other types of upholstery should be cleaned with a foam sponge or a soft clothes brush.
Before starting work, take care of the surrounding surfaces. Cover the floor with newspapers and cover the furniture with plastic wrap or old sheets.
Vacuum the upholstery to remove small debris and layers of dust.
Before you start cleaning, test the product you choose on a small area. If no changes have occurred to the fabric, proceed to clean the entire surface.
Start cleaning the sofa from the back, then the armrests, and then start cleaning the seats and lower parts of the furniture.
Apply the product gradually, treating a small area for 30-40 seconds, then move on to the next one.

After completing the job, you can use the vacuum cleaner again to remove any remaining cleaning products and dry the cleaned surface.

Before you start cleaning a fabric upholstered sofa, you need to determine the type of material. If in one case a soap solution is used, then in another it is strictly forbidden to do this, for example, velvet, plush or velor fabric will fade and lose its original color. How to clean sofa upholstery made from different materials?

Upholstery cleaning products

When deciding how to clean your sofa upholstery, you first need to decide which product to choose. You can buy a ready-made industrial product or use traditional methods.

Chemicals

When choosing a way to clean a greasy sofa, the easiest way is to use ready-made chemicals. The active components of ultra-modern preparations quickly and effectively break down dirt molecules and eliminate unpleasant odors that are absorbed into the upholstery.

Chemical agents differ from each other in their active components, mode of action, and concentration of the working solution.

It is important to remember that solutions that are too concentrated can damage the sofa cover. Therefore, before use, you need to check the effect of the product on a small, hidden area of the coating.

Industrial cleaning products come in the following varieties:

Sprays. They are suitable for dry cleaning of delicate fabrics - velvet, tapestry, silk. Sprays are easy to use: the product is sprayed evenly over the surface and left for half an hour. During this time, the resulting foam adsorbs all dust and dirt, turning them into small granules that can be easily removed with a vacuum cleaner. The spray can neutralize unpleasant odors. The most popular brands: Emsal Tuba, Vanish, Glutoclean, Meine Liebe.
Dry cleaning powders. The substance is sprayed onto the surface of the upholstery and left for 30 minutes. The powder adsorbs contaminants throughout the entire coating, changing color. Such products are suitable for cleaning lightly soiled surfaces. The most popular dry cleaning powder is Vanish.
Shampoos and foam products. You can buy a ready-made product in aerosol form or foam the liquid yourself by dissolving the shampoo in water according to the instructions. Using these products is simple: apply foam to contaminated areas and leave for 20-30 minutes. To remove old stains and dirt that have penetrated deep between the fibers, rub the upholstery with a soft-bristled brush. Remains of foam are removed with a rag soaked in clean water. The most popular shampoos are Vanish and Bioclean.
Products for leather furniture are produced in the form of shampoos and sprays. They penetrate deep into the pores, adsorbing and pushing dirt to the surface, without destroying the structure of the material or dissolving the paint.

Folk remedies

You can clean the sofa upholstery at home using improvised means. For this purpose, you can use soda, vinegar, and dishwashing detergent.

It is best to choose a delicate dish soap, without dyes or fragrances, so as not to spoil the furniture upholstery. Dilute it in water at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water and foam. Apply foam to contaminated areas. If necessary, scrub in one direction with a soft-bristled brush to avoid streaking. After cleaning, rinse off the product with clean water using a rag or sponge.

You can clean your sofa with a baking soda solution. To do this, dilute 1 tbsp. l. sodium bicarbonate per 1 liter of water, apply the solution using a sponge or brush, and rub particularly contaminated areas. Then wipe the upholstery with a 1% vinegar solution, and then with a rag soaked in clean water.

The vinegar solution can be replaced with lemon juice. In addition, saline solution, ammonia and many other products are used to clean upholstered furniture, the choice of which depends on the type of stain.

Dry cleaning the sofa

When cleaning the sofa with your own hands, do not overuse the amount of water, otherwise the covering and “filling” will become damp, which will lead to the formation of fungus and the appearance of a rotten smell. If the furniture is not heavily soiled and the furniture is upholstered in fabric (this method cannot be used for leather and suede), it is enough to vacuum it. The work needs to be done as follows:

Prepare a concentrated saline solution and add 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar.
Soak gauze in the resulting product.
Attach the cloth to the vacuum cleaner attachment and get to work.

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Cleaning is carried out until the gauze becomes dry. If the coating is not sufficiently cleaned, wet the cloth again in the vinegar-salt solution and repeat the treatment. In this way, you will not only rid the soft “corner” of dust, but also refresh the material.

How to clean a sofa from dust

Dust is the main enemy of housewives. It settles on all surfaces, eats into curtains, carpets and furniture. To remove dust from the sofa, you can take a vacuum cleaner or cleaning compounds, but you shouldn’t forget about “grandmother’s” methods - simple, cheap and effective.

Soak an old sheet in cold water, wring it out and cover the sofa. Then take a carpet beater and run it over the surface. You will get rid of dust, and the sheet will “delay” its spread to other furniture. Remember that this method is only suitable for sofas upholstered in fabric; such exposure can destroy leather and suede.

Dry cleaning the sofa from dirt and dust

Dry removal of contaminants will get rid of dust. The chosen method is unproductive for removing stains and dirt.

Types of dry cleaning:

Knocking out. To prevent dust from getting into the room, throw a damp sheet over the sofa and beat it out. If the furniture is old or dirty, you will need to repeat the process. The sheet needs to be rinsed and wrung out.
Vacuum cleaner. You need to install a crevice nozzle in the device and clean the furniture. Pay special attention to hard-to-reach places: areas between the seat and armrest, the back of the product.
The steamer removes stains using the wet method. Specialized shampoo is placed in the vacuum cleaner and cleaning is carried out. The technology allows you to inject the composition deep into the upholstery and clean the furniture inside and out.
Cleaning with a Karcher washing vacuum cleaner. The solution is pressurized onto the contaminated area and removes stains from the sofa.

Cleaning the sofa with a steam cleaner or steam cleaner

Many housewives prefer to clean sofas using a steamer. The advantages of this method are obvious: this useful device helps eliminate bacteria, insects, and also removes stains from the surface. In addition, this way you can refresh the upholstery and return it to its original elasticity. If you have a vertical steamer in your home, you can safely start cleaning, following the following sequence of actions:

Remove debris and dust from the sofa using a vacuum cleaner.
Go over the surface with a steamer, giving each section an equal amount of time to process. It is not recommended to stay in one place for too long, as you may damage the upholstery.
Then open the windows in the room, the flow of fresh air will help the surface dry faster after steam treatment.

To ensure that the procedure does not take much time and you see the desired result, perform it in a timely manner, avoiding heavy contamination.

Velor sofa

To clean a sofa with velor upholstery, use microfiber cloths and a vinegar solution (1 teaspoon per liter of water).

Pre-vacuum the coating and then wipe it with a cloth soaked in the cleaning solution. Do not press on the lint under any circumstances; act gently, applying the composition strictly in the direction of the lint.

If stubborn stains (blood, wine, ink, etc.) appear on the velor surface, it is better not to try to remove them yourself; you risk ruining the upholstery. Contact a special service, and professional workers will deal with the problem quickly and efficiently.

Refresh the upholstery color

If the upholstery has become dull, it is treated with a weak salt solution, soap solution, ammonia, ethyl alcohol or vodka, diluted as for simple cleaning. You can wrap the vacuum cleaner brush with a napkin soaked in salted water. A vinegar solution restores color well.

Stains on the sofa are removed using a dry method - with a special spray or powder. After cleaning, you need to thoroughly vacuum the furniture. A microfiber cloth soaked in clean water will also help.

A stearic sponge will help renew your skin color by restoring the protective lipid layer and shine on its surface. It is worth using a special impregnation or conditioner. For prevention, such treatment is carried out 2 times a year.

Faux suede sofa

Suede is a capricious material that does not tolerate rough impact and large amounts of moisture. To clean this upholstery, you will need a special brush with delicate bristles and a suede cleaner.

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Before starting work, use a vacuum cleaner to remove most of the dust from the surface, and then begin cleaning with the product, strictly following the instructions.

If there are greasy marks on the surface, a stationery eraser or a solution of water and alcohol prepared in a 1:1 ratio will help remove them. After cleaning, it is recommended to apply a special composition to the material that has dirt-repellent properties.

Cleaning a light, white sofa

Once you have done all the preparatory work, removed the stains and prepared everything you need, you can proceed directly to cleaning the sofa:

grate a small amount of laundry soap and dilute it in lukewarm water;
clean the upholstery on all sides using a soft sponge or microfiber cloth;
after you have cleaned the entire sofa with soapy water, rinse it with clean water to remove traces of soap and foam;
blot with a towel or paper napkins;
dry in a well-ventilated area without using heating devices (hair dryer, iron, heater).

How to clean a flock sofa

When upholstering sofas, flock is often used - this fabric is practical and pleasant to the touch, and to remove stains it is not necessary to use expensive compounds; stains can be eliminated using improvised means.

How to clean a flock sofa? If you need to rid a soft “corner” of dust, using a vacuum cleaner will not have much effect. Use this method:

During the cleaning process, make sure that excess moisture does not get on the fabric, this is detrimental to the material. When contaminants are present on the surface, they can be removed without the use of expensive chemicals. If you are dealing with greasy stains, treat them with hot water, after dissolving alkaline soap or dish gel in the liquid.

Traces from felt-tip pens, pencils, pens or cosmetics are removed with an alcohol solution (10%). Soak a cotton pad in the mixture and wipe the stain, repeating these manipulations several times if necessary.

As a universal remedy, you can use lemon juice by dissolving 7-10 drops in 200 ml of water. Treat the stain with the mixture and leave for 10-15 minutes, and then remove it with a damp cloth.

Flock

Cleaning a textile sofa in light shades

Textile sofas can be cleaned dry or wet, the choice will depend on the type of upholstery. The dry method involves the use of chemicals: special powders, dry shampoos for furniture. They are applied directly to the upholstery, left until the dirt breaks down and removed with a vacuum cleaner.

Wet cleaning of the sofa can be carried out either with improvised means or with special chemicals, of your choice. Below are popular options for light-colored fabrics:

furniture shampoo with whitening ingredients. It is easy to use: dilute according to the instructions to a rich foam, apply it to the surface of the sofa, leave for 10-15 minutes. In case of heavy soiling, rub additionally with a brush and then vacuum the sofa;
soap solution from improvised means. You can dilute liquid soap, dishwashing detergent, etc. in water. Treat the surface with it, and then walk with a clean damp cloth. It is important not to use the sofa until it is dry, and also not to dry it with a hairdryer so that streaks do not appear;
vinegar diluted in water. Treating upholstered furniture with this mixture will return brightness to light shades and also rid the sofa of unpleasant odors.

Now you know how you can clean a light-colored sofa yourself, without resorting to the services of cleaning companies. If you follow the instructions, none of these methods will cause damage to the furniture, and if it is clean and well-groomed, it will delight you for many years. If you are just looking for your ideal light sofa, welcome to dommino.ua, a large selection of models and upholstery will allow you to make any desire come true.

How to clean a Vanish sofa

“Vanish” is popular among housewives as a means for cleaning rugs and upholstered furniture; it washes away dirt of various origins.

Vanish comes in liquid and powder form. They are the same in terms of efficiency and the final choice depends on personal preference. Use Vanish in the following way:

Remove dust from the surface with a vacuum cleaner.
Prepare the solution according to the instructions and whip up a rich foam.
Apply the product to the stains, wait until it is absorbed and repeat the procedure twice more.
Use a clothing or toothbrush to gently clean the stained areas.
Remove dirty foam with a vacuum cleaner and continue cleaning. This must be done until the foaming composition is completely removed from the surface.

Please note that using Vanish you can only clean relatively fresh stains. This product is practically powerless against old and stubborn stains; professional cleaning will be required.

How to clean a greasy sofa

Upholstered furniture is prone to getting dirty, especially if it is white. Therefore, after purchasing a sofa, it is better to immediately acquire special covers. They are made of a material that can be easily washed using any detergent.

If a person did not suspect the existence of such capes, and the furniture is already covered with an unpleasant coating, then it’s time to clean the sofa upholstery. Before the main wash you need to:

Vacuum the sofa to remove all the crumbs, debris and dust. You should immediately carry out a thorough cleaning, and do not forget to look into hard-to-reach places.
After this, you need to take an unnecessary sheet, moisten it in a weak solution of vinegar (1 tablespoon of substance per 5 liters of water), and cover the sofa. Next, you need to take a stick and beat the product well.
If the upholstered furniture is in disrepair, then you should sprinkle particularly greasy areas with salt and leave for 3-4 hours. During this time, she will have time to absorb the maximum amount of fat.

Grease can be removed with glycerin. To do this, you need to moisten a cosmetic disc in the substance and walk it over the upholstery.

If the sofa is light in color, then you should proceed in the same way, only instead of glycerin you need to use milk or chalk, having previously dissolved it in water.

Laundry soap is a housewife’s faithful friend, as it can cope with almost any contamination. To use it to make the sofa look decent, you should:

Grate 1 piece of laundry soap on a coarse grater;
add shavings to 5 l. warm water and stir until light foam forms;
moisten a soft sponge in the solution, treat the entire surface of the sofa and leave for 1-2 minutes;
After which, rinse off the soap thoroughly and let the sofa dry.

A solution of ammonia will help clean a greasy sofa. To prepare it, mix the substance with water in equal quantities and stir. Soak a cotton pad or soft cloth in the product and remove fat using blotting movements until they come off completely. After this, you need to wipe the upholstery with a clean cloth and let the sofa dry.

If there is a particularly greasy stain on the furniture, and the described procedure is powerless against it, then you need to take a soft brush and rub the greasy area.

Plain fabrics should be treated with cosmetic pads or wipes, while fluffy materials can be washed with sponges or brushes.

Another effective cleaning method is soda slurry. It fights not only grease, but also stains from tea, coffee and dirty marks. It is necessary to mix soda with water (1:1), but if the slurry turns out to be too liquid, then it is better to add more substances to make it thicker. After this, you should distribute the mixture over the entire surface of the upholstery and rub in the soda with a brush. Leave the substance on the sofa for 1-2 hours so that it has time to dry completely.

Next, you need to thoroughly vacuum the upholstered furniture and, if necessary, wipe it with a napkin to get rid of any remaining soda.

Baking soda in combination with alcohol will help remove greasy stains from the sofa, but it is better to use them for fresh stains. Necessary:

Sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda onto the greasy stain and leave for 1 hour;
after 60 minutes, collect the soda, pour fresh one in its place, and leave for another 40 minutes;
after the specified time, you should collect the substance with a vacuum cleaner;
the remaining stains must be treated with a cotton pad and medical alcohol.

All of the methods listed are quite effective, but if the sofa has not been cleaned for years, then you should not expect quick results. It is possible that the processing will have to be carried out more than once.

How to clean a sofa with baking soda and vinegar

The easiest and cheapest method to clean a sofa yourself is to use a mixture of vinegar and soda. Prepare a solution in the proportion of 1 tablespoon of vinegar and soda per liter of water. Add a teaspoon of dish gel to this mixture and thoroughly beat the foam.

Using a sponge, apply the product to the furniture and gently clean it with a clothes brush. The main thing is not to exceed the recommended dose of the foaming substance, otherwise it will be almost impossible to “wash” it out of the sofa later.

Another tip: use this method only on fabric upholstery, with the exception of velor, as this will ruin the material.

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How to clean a sofa from dust and dirt?

Different fabrics - different approaches, features of cleaning different types of fabrics

Before you start cleaning a sofa or chair at home, you need to decide what fabric its upholstery is made of. The fact is that different fabrics require different approaches and it is necessary to select different cleaning agents in one case or another.

Dermantin

It cleans quite easily. The main rule is to avoid overwatering. Stains that are outdated and ingrained can also be removed using egg whites. To do this, you need to beat the protein into foam and apply it to the contaminated area. After a few minutes, wipe off with a damp cloth.

Microfiber surface

It is recommended to soak it in a vinegar solution. In this case, you should not press down the pile too much, but only lightly move the napkin in its direction.

Velor sofa

Requires a special approach. It is almost impossible to remove problematic stains from velor. In this case, you need to contact professionals. Small stains can be removed using a microfiber cloth soaked in a vinegar solution in the correct proportion (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of liquid).

Nubuck or suede

This fabric requires a special brush. It is easy to deal with fat using an alcohol solution or an eraser. For preventive maintenance, such upholstered furniture must be treated with special dirt-repellent impregnations.

Tapestry

This fabric is particularly demanding and only withstands vacuuming. The use of cleaning and chemical agents leads to rapid wear and tear, as well as loss of consumer characteristics. Foam can be used, but only in exceptional cases.

Vinyl

Problem areas and areas can be treated with a foaming detergent diluted in water.

Silk

It is best to remove with powder preparations.

Expert opinion

Sofia Kovalevskaya

Experienced housewife.

Ask me a question

Regardless of what type of cleaning the owners resort to at home, it is necessary to ensure that the surface is perfectly dried to prevent mold and damage to the furniture. Modern sofa cleaning is a responsible undertaking that requires a special approach, thoroughness and consistency of actions.

How to clean a greasy sofa

During use, shiny spots appear on the sofa. Most often this happens in those areas where the upholstery comes into contact with human skin and the settling dust mixes with sweat and fat secretions, forming shiny “islands”.

If the sofa is upholstered in leather or dermantine, dish gel or a soap-soda solution will help solve the problem. Clean the sofa with one of the products and it will look as good as new again.

Cleaning fabric sofas is a little more difficult; here you need to take into account the type and texture of the material. How to remove stains and wash shiny “islands”? Let's look at how to tidy up different types of upholstery fabrics.

Velvet

This material is purified by “knocking out”. The work should be carried out in this order:

Vacuum the covering.
Prepare a vinegar-salt composition in the proportion of 2 tablespoons of each substance per liter of water.
Soak a large piece of gauze or cotton cloth in a homemade “cleaner” and cover the furniture with it.
Remove dust using a beater.
As the fabric becomes dirty, rinse it and continue working until the dust stops coming out.

Thanks to these simple manipulations, you will not only clean the sofa from dust, crumbs and animal hair, but also eliminate unpleasant odors.

Lint-free fabric upholstery

To clean fabric upholstery, you will need a warm soap solution and a piece of thick fabric (you can take a terry towel).

Vacuum the sofa and then apply the product to the surface, moving in one direction. If necessary, use a clothes brush, and after cleaning, remove any remaining product with a vacuum cleaner.

Materials with pile

For such fabrics it is better to use “Fairy” or “Vanish”. Dissolve the product in water, whip up foam and clean the surface using a foam sponge.

Do not let the furniture, especially light-colored ones, get wet, otherwise after drying it will be “decorated” with abundant stains.

Tips for caring for a fabric sofa

Have you decided to clean your sofa at home? Check out the basic guidelines.

General rules. When cleaning, many people try to clean the sofa and armchairs with a regular vacuum cleaner. To do this, you can use a special attachment that helps in hard-to-reach places. This way you can remove dust and dirt, which contributes to the proliferation of microbes and harmful bacteria. Additional manipulations can be carried out. To do this, you need to wrap the nozzle with a cloth soaked in a salty solution. This will help restore the color of the fabric.
You can resort to a simple old-fashioned method. To do this, you need to take a soft sheet, soak it in a saline solution with vinegar and cover the upholstered furniture, lightly pressing it with your hands. Under the influence of an aqueous solution, the surface will change color to a more saturated and pure one.
A greasy surface can be removed with soap solutions. This requires a cloth or brush, and cleaning should be carried out in one direction.
You can use special foams to wash away stains, which you can buy in a regular store. The foam is applied to a chair or sofa, wait until it is completely dry, then this area is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.
In some cases, in order to clean a sofa, several stages of cleaning are performed, while changing one or another product.

How to remove various stains from sofa upholstery

If stains appear on the furniture as a result of cleaning, the reason is the abundance of moisture or the excess dosage of foaming agents. In this case, the process will have to be repeated, following the operating rules and not allowing the fabric to get too wet.

If there are stains on the surface of the sofa, to effectively remove them you need to find out what exactly stained it. How to remove stains from a sofa? Depending on the type of contamination, the cleaning agent is selected:

If you do not trust folk remedies, you can use a purchased composition selected according to the type of fabric with which the furniture is upholstered.

How to clean sofa armrests

Armrests are the part of upholstered furniture that gets dirty the fastest. Cleaning them is not as difficult as it might seem. Use one of these remedies:

strong solution of laundry soap;
"Vanish";
composition for cleaning car covers.

Before use, test the substance on a small area of the coating and only then proceed with the main cleaning.

By properly caring for your upholstered furniture, you will achieve a flawless upholstery look and eliminate the need to think about reupholstering your sofa.