Your living room couch might be dirtier than you think it is. From all the fallen food particles and drink spills, you never know what else could be lingering around until you actually buckle down and clean it.
It might seem like a very hard and daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Cleaning your couch can be a simple and straightforward process, and here’s how to get started with it.
Before Cleaning
Before you get started with the cleaning process, make sure that you look for the couch’s care tag as this usually has the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations printed on it. When you find the tag attached to the fabric, it’ll usually come with a code, and these codes tell you how to best clean your couch. This should be your primary reference when cleaning.
How to Clean Your Couch
Step 1: Prepare the Couch
The first thing you should always do when cleaning your couch is to run a vacuum cleaner over the entire surface. Not only does this remove any dirt, dust and other solid particles, especially in the deeper corners, but it also makes the next cleaning steps much easier. Use a hand vacuum or a regular vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment.
Step 2: Remove Any Stains
After removing everything that you could with a good vacuuming, it’s time to tackle the harder stains. You have the option to use a commercial cleaner that is suited to your couch’s fabric, or choose to make your own with a few household ingredients.
Fabric Couches
To make this cleaning solution, just mix together ¼ cup of vinegar, ¾ cup of water and a tablespoon of dish soap in an empty spray bottle. When your spray is ready, lightly mist the stained area and use a soft cloth to gently scrub and dab until the stain disappears. Then, dampen another cloth with water and carefully dab to remove any residue of the solution.
Leather Couches
When dealing with leather couches, make an easy cleaning solution by getting an empty spray bottle and combining ½ cup of olive oil and ¼ cup of white vinegar. Spray this on any stained area on your couch and use a soft cloth to softly buff the stain away until it’s completely gone.
Synthetic Couches
Combine ½ cup of white vinegar, a cup of water and ½ tablespoon of liquid dish soap in an empty spray bottle and spray this over any stained area. Get a soft cloth and begin lightly scrubbing until the stain has been removed. Feel free to get another soft cloth that has been dampened with water to remove any residue left behind by the cleaning solution.
Step 3: Leave to Air Dry
After successfully removing any stains and removing any remaining residue, get a clean towel and use this to absorb as much moisture as you can from the couch’s surface before leaving it to dry. Make sure that you open up some windows not only to speed up the drying process, but also to prevent the room from getting too humid as this can promote mold growth.
Tips to Maintain Your Couch
Regular Cleanings
They say that prevention is better than a cure, which is why you should make it a habit to regularly run a vacuum cleaner over your sofa. This removes any solid particles that you might not have ever noticed before, while also preventing these from building up into more serious hygiene issues and lessening the need for more thorough stain removals.
Remove Stains Immediately
When you find a stain on your couch, time is of the essence and immediate action is required to prevent these stains from soaking deeper into your couch. Rather than leaving these stains to get worse over time, it’s a good idea to deal with them as soon as they arise. This will also make the cleaning process much easier and quicker if you think about it.
A Bit of Baking Soda Goes A Long Way
If you’re dealing with any foul odors coming from your couch or grease stains that have absorbed into the fibers, just sprinkle a bit of baking soda and leave it to do its magic overnight. Baking soda acts as a natural deodorizer that you already have lying around in your kitchen. It’s also great for soaking up grease from fabrics.
When in Doubt, Call Luce SG
It’s helpful to know how to properly clean your couch by yourself, but whether you actually have the time or energy to do it is a completely different problem. Luce SG is here to help make a clean household seem easy and effortless.
Our well-trained and professional sofa cleaners are here to take over your list of household chores so that you can just relax. Let us make your dreams of a tidy home a reality!
Send us a message and schedule your first cleaning appointment today!
