How to clean a sofa at home

The sofa is an integral part of the home furnishings. They relax on it, communicate with family, friends and pets. Gradually, the furniture comes into poor condition - the color is lost, stains and stains appear. To ensure that you only have positive emotions from spending time on the sofa, clean it as it gets dirty. How? Read on!

Cleaning a leather sofa

A leather sofa is furniture that reflects the aesthetics and luxury of your design taste. The material from which this furniture is made is very vulnerable. To prevent the leather from losing color and visual appeal during regular cleaning, follow the rules listed below.

General cleaning, washing

• You need to remove dust from a leather sofa with a dry cloth or a vacuum cleaner with a soft attachment once a week;
• Leather furniture should be wet cleaned every two weeks. Use a sponge or microfiber cloth for this;
• If small stains and dirt appear, take warm water, dissolve a small amount of baby or laundry soap in it and wipe off the dirt in a circular motion.

Keep your leather furniture dry! After wet cleaning, wipe the surface with a dry microfiber cloth (thanks to this synthetic material, dust accumulates more slowly in the smallest folds of the skin). This is necessary to prevent the leather from cracking.

REFERENCE! If you want the sofa to retain the appearance of new furniture for as long as possible, once a month, after cleaning the covering, wipe it with olive oil or glycerin. These substances will allow the skin to maintain its elasticity longer.

Store products

It is not recommended to use traditional synthetic detergents (such as powders) for cleaning. They contain surfactants (surfactants) that can destroy the protective coating of the skin. Buy specialized products for cleaning leather upholstery. Today they are presented in a huge assortment!

Fabric upholstery

Fabric upholstery should also be kept clean. In this case, cleaning consists of two stages. At the same time, pay attention to what material the sofa cover is made of.

Dry cleaning

Dry cleaning can be done in two ways:

Using a vacuum cleaner

This device will not only clean the outer covering, but will also eliminate dust accumulated inside the furniture.
Distribute the powder or foam from the cleaning agent onto a dry surface and wait until the product penetrates into the fabric as much as possible (follow the instructions so as not to damage the furniture’s finish);
Vacuum the sofa in one direction.

REFERENCE! Pile fabrics (flock, etc.) are cleaned using a special comb attachment on a vacuum cleaner. Velor can also be cleaned with the mentioned household appliance, but only in the minimum power mode;

By knocking out dust

Use a plastic carpet beater, and to prevent dust from filling the entire apartment, cover the sofa with a damp cloth. All dirt and dust will remain on the canvas, and you will not have to put in too much effort.

Wet cleaning

1. To remove minor stains, take warm water and add a small amount of liquid detergent to it;
2. Soak a cotton cloth in the solution, wring it out and clean the upholstery.

IMPORTANT! Carry out this process in one direction, otherwise streaks will appear. Also, wring out the rag as much as possible so that there is no excess moisture left in the sofa.

Store supplies and tools

If your home has fabric-covered sofas, then purchase the following tools:

• Vacuum cleaner;
• Brush;
• Rag (sponge);
• Steamer or steam cleaner.

REFERENCE! The steamer and steam cleaner deserve special attention. They will allow you to quickly and efficiently remove stains and odors from upholstered furniture. This is the optimal solution for those who suffer from the constant presence of allergens and dust mites that accumulate in sofas. These devices can be used if you are allergic to chemicals. But they have a rather high cost.

And modern detergents are presented in the following form:

• Spray;
• Powder;
• Gel;
• A tablet that must be dissolved in water.

Choose the one that is suitable for the covering of your sofa.

Getting rid of stains

Stains on the sofa are a pain for every owner of this type of furniture. Fortunately, there are many means to eliminate them, different and effective.

Products for removing stains from skin

Leather is a very fancy material. Food can fall on it, just like on any furniture, a drink can spill, etc.Let's consider how to deal with one or another source of stain:

• Ink and felt-tip pen will be removed by Vanish or leather cleaner for cars;
• Dursol-Fabrik conditioner will erase grease and oil stains;
• Chemical dyes – Synergetic;
• Organic stains – Leather Stain Remover.

From fabrics

When cleaning flock and velor, do not use alcohol-based products, solvents, washing powder or oil-based products. Use wet wipes that do not contain alcohol;

Plush and velvet are cleaned only with soap suds from detergents;

Any soap and alcohol solutions can be used for microfiber and tapestry.

IMPORTANT! Before using this or that product, perform a test to check how the material reacts to the chemical. It is best to do this in a place where the flaw will not be visible - at the back or bottom of the sofa.

Folk remedies

• Urine - a stain of this content can be easily removed using 9% vinegar in a 1:5 ratio with water, a solution of potassium permanganate for dark fabrics or citric acid diluted in water 1:10;
• Grease and wine - pour salt onto the newly stained stain so that it absorbs the substance, and then wipe off with a suitable detergent;
• Dyes - they will be destroyed by ammonia, ethyl alcohol or acetone;
• Chewing gum - apply an ice cube to the contaminated area and after a while it will easily be removed with a little effort;
• Blood - a fresh stain can be easily removed with cold water, and old dirt will disappear if you apply a weak solution of 9% vinegar to it (2 tbsp per 1 liter of water);
• Fruit and vegetable juice - ammonia or vinegar with a concentration of 9%;
• When cleaning a leather sofa, use regular Vaseline.

IMPORTANT! After eliminating a stain of one origin or another, be sure to rinse the surface of the sofa with ordinary water using a rag or sponge!

In order for the furniture to retain its well-groomed appearance for a long time, to please you, your loved ones and guests, keep it clean and tidy - it’s so simple!