How to Clean a Fabric Sofa?

When you have just returned from work or when you have friends at home, it is always nice to relax on a clean sofa. To keep your sofa spotless and odorless, you will need to clean it. Sofas can be made of several materials, from cotton to leather, and knowing exactly what fabric yours is made of is essential for how to clean it.

So before you start the chore of cleaning your sofa, read the label with this information, and follow our tips for cleaning a fabric sofa.

1. Before cleaning your fabric sofa

Before applying our advice, test the proposed technique on a small hidden part of your sofa. It will allow you to see if the dyeing of the fabric resists the product or house tip that we offer in this article.

Also, it is important to mention that some fabrics should only be dry cleaned. So be careful before testing our homemade tips.

It will, therefore, be necessary to avoid wetting them and instead call on professionals to clean the fabric. So whether it’s to remove a stain or an unpleasant odor on a fabric sofa, here are all our tips and tricks. Good reading!

2. How to clean a greasy stain on a fabric sofa?

To remove greasy stains from the fabric of a sofa:

• Sprinkle the sofa with Terre de Sommières.
• With your hands protected by gloves, massage the product to make it penetrate stains.
• Leave on overnight before vacuuming.

NB: The same result can be achieved by using flour or talc instead.

For a dry, greasy stain, place a sheet of absorbent paper (paper towel) on the dye and iron with a hot iron.

3. Clean a sofa with ammonia

To use ammonia as a sofa cleaner:

• Combine warm water, a few drops of liquid dish soap and about 150 milliliters of ammonia.
• Using a white, clean, lint-free cloth, dampened with the solution but wrung out well, clean the sofa, emphasizing the stains.
• Then dry with warm air from a hairdryer.

Do not forget to wear gloves and ventilate the room well during cleaning with ammonia because this is powerful and has a strong odor.

4. Clean a sofa with soda crystals

As you know, soda crystals are very popular when it comes to tips and homemade recipes. So here is how to use it to clean the sofa:

• In a bucket of warm water, add a cup of soda and let it dissolve.
• Soak a white, clean, lint-free cloth and wring thoroughly. Clean the entire surface of the sofa, emphasizing the stains before rinsing with clean water.
• Dry in chilly air with the help of a hairdryer.

Gloves are strongly recommended when using soda crystals as they can be irritating to the skin.

5. Clean a sofa with vinegar

White vinegar is so useful when it comes to household chores in the house, so why not use it to wash the fabric sofa in the living room?

• In a bucket, combine 500 milliliters of pure white vinegar, 200 milliliters of warm water and one tablespoon of liquid dish soap.
• Using a sponge, clean the sofa, emphasizing stubborn stains.
• Then rinse and dry with warm air from a hairdryer.

6. How to deodorize a fabric sofa?

When it comes to bad smells, baking soda is often very useful.

So the best way to deodorize a fabric sofa is to sprinkle baking soda over the entire surface and leave it on overnight. The next day, you just have to vacuum the sofa to remove all the baking soda.

7. How to clean a leather sofa

Natural leather must be cleaned, being very careful not to rub to preserve its appearance. Besides, it will require regular maintenance to ensure its longevity. Here are some tips and tricks for cleaning and caring for a leather sofa:

• Microfiber cloth: for a couch that only needs to be lightly cleaned, gently pass a barely damp microfiber cloth.
• Makeup remover and vinegar: to clean more thoroughly while treating the leather, soak a soft, lint-free cloth or a cotton ball of cleansing milk and add a few drops of pure white vinegar. Pass the laundry over the entire surface, with circular movements. It will also deodorize your sofa.
• Makeup remover and ammonia: follow the same steps as for the previous tip, but be careful to wear gloves and ventilate the room during cleaning.
• Claystone: pass on the sofa a barely damp sponge on which you will have sprinkled claystone, but without rubbing.

8. How to remove a stain on a leather sofa

Have you just stained your leather sofa? It is best to clean the stain as soon as it appears, if not, try these tips:

Cleansing milk: clean the stain with a cotton ball soaked in cleansing milk or baby cleansing lotion.

Cleansing milk and vinegar: clean coffee or tea stains with a cotton ball soaked in cleansing milk to which you will also have added a few drops of white vinegar.

Lemon: to remove stains caused by water, pass a soft cloth impregnated with cleansing milk to which you will have added a few drops of fresh lemon juice.

70% alcohol: to get rid of ink stains, dab them with a soft cloth dampened with 70% alcohol and wrung out. As alcohol has a drying effect, it will then be necessary to wax the leather to nourish it.

9. How to clean a suede sofa

Even more fragile than leather, suede requires special care. Here’s how to clean and maintain a suede sofa:

• Talc or Terre de Sommières: to maintain and deodorize your suede sofa, sprinkle it with talc or Terre de Sommières. Leave on overnight before vacuuming.
• Ammonia: for a filthy suede sofa, scrub the entire surface of the sofa with a crepe brush soaked in a mixture of equal parts of water and ammonia. Then dry with a clean, lint-free cloth. Remember to wear gloves and ventilate the room well!
• Vinegar: if water stains have appeared on your suede sofa, rub them with a nail brush soaked in pure white vinegar. Then rinse with a clean, damp cloth and allow to dry.
• Liquid soap: to remove a stain on a suede sofa, simply rub it with a nail brush and a little warm water to which you will have added a little liquid soap.

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