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There are many reasons why you may have chosen a fabric couch for your home. Aside from their affordability, fabric couches also come in a wide range of colors and styles for you to choose from, allowing you to truly pull any room together. However, many people often overlook the importance of proper couch cleaning and maintenance, which will help you prolong the lifespan of your couch and maintain its comfort and appearance. Here’s how to get started!
How to Regularly Clean a Fabric Couch
Vacuuming your couch at least once a week and incorporating this habit into your regular cleaning routine will do wonders for its hygiene and overall cleanliness. Here’s how you can do it:
- Remove all items, covers, and protectors from your fabric couch.
- Attach either an upholstery or soft-brush attachment to your vacuum cleaner.
- Run the vacuum cleaner over your entire couch, making sure to use several passes over each area and to also get into the tight corners.
- For any couch cushions that are not attached to your couch, remove them and make sure to vacuum both sides.
- If your fabric couch comes with any non-fabric parts, such as wooden or metal feet and armrests, make sure to wipe them down with a microfiber cloth.
How to Remove Stains from Fabric Couch
When you’ve recently spilled something all over your fabric couch, the best thing that you can do is to clean it up as soon as possible. Not only will this stop the spill from penetrating more deeply into your couch’s material, but cleaning sofa stains immediately will also make the cleaning process much easier and quicker. Here’s how you can remove stains from your fabric couch:
- Blot a clean cloth or paper towel over the stained area to absorb as much excess liquid as possible.
- While you can opt for a commercial couch stain remover, you can also mix a teaspoon of dish soap, a tablespoon of white vinegar, a teaspoon of baking soda, and a cup of warm water in a spray bottle to create an easy and homemade stain remover.
- Dampen a clean microfiber cloth with your chosen cleaner and blot it on the affected area. Repeat this as many times as needed until the stain is lifted. Make sure that you avoid rubbing the stain, as well as oversaturating your cloth and exposing your couch to too much moisture.
- Dampen another clean cloth with water and blot it on the cleaned area to remove any residue the cleaner may have left behind.
- Leave your fabric couch to dry completely.
How to Remove Odors from Fabric Couch
One of the downsides of fabric as a material is that it’s pretty absorbent. While most would assume that this only deals with liquid spills, it also includes other things like nasty odors. Since a smelly couch is the last thing you want to have, here are a few ways you can deodorize your fabric couch:
- Baking Soda: Sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda over the smelly area on your fabric couch and leave it for a few hours or overnight. The baking soda will absorb and neutralize the unpleasant smells, and you’ll be able to simply vacuum up the white powder. For stubborn smells, you can also work the baking soda in with a soft brush.
- White Vinegar: Mist some white vinegar over the offending area on your couch and let it dry. White vinegar is known for having antibacterial properties, which will eliminate any odor-causing bacteria on your couch. You also don’t need to worry about the vinegar’s smell lingering on your couch because this will disappear once it dries.
How to Steam Clean Your Couch
If you’re determined to keep your couch as clean as possible, then you should definitely consider steam cleaning. The high temperature of the steam effectively kills bacteria, odors, and stains, all the while keeping any harsh chemicals away from the fabric material. Here’s how you can steam clean your couch:
- Use a vacuum cleaner with the necessary attachment to remove any surface-level dirt and debris.
- Set up your steam cleaner as recommended by the manufacturer. If possible, make sure that you’ve fixed the right attachment for your fabric couch.
- Start steam cleaning your fabric couch, making sure not to oversaturate any area with too much moisture. Do this until you’ve cleaned your entire couch.
- Leave your fabric couch to dry.
Your fabric couch is often the centerpiece of your entire living room, and it can make guests feel much more welcomed and comfortable in your home when properly taken care of. With these fabric couch cleaning methods, you’ll be able to get the most out of your couch by keeping it in the best shape possible for many years to come.
