Are you stressed by a drink spill or an unexplained mark on your fabric couch? Finding out how to clean fabric furniture gives you the peace of mind to use fabric couches without worrying about stains ruining them. Fabric sofas are famous for their range of styles and colors, durability, and ease of cleaning. Upholstered furniture looks incredible and tends to be supportive and comfortable.
Many homeowners invest in a fabric couch only to find themselves confused about the best techniques for cleaning fabric furniture. Although fabric furniture is easy to care for, improper cleaning methods fade or destroy the material. Nobody wants to sit on a filthy sofa or use dirty upholstered dining chairs.
Clean your fabric sofa with simple remedies to keep it looking great without using harmful substances. Discover tips and tricks for how to sanitize fabric furniture without destroying it. Rely on familiar products from around the house and avoid spending money on unnecessary toxic chemical cleaners.
How to Sanitize Fabric Furniture Effortlessly
You’re not alone if you’re puzzled over how to clean fabric furniture correctly. Despite being one of the most favored types of furniture, many people are unsure how to care for upholstery properly.
Employ proven hacks for cleaning fabric furniture with liquid dish soap, distilled white vinegar, a steam cleaner, baking soda, and concentrated laundry detergent.
How to Clean Fabric Furniture With Dish Soap
While dish soap is often used in the kitchen to remove food residue and grease from pots, pans, and plates, it’s also ideal for tackling a couch stain.
Liquid dish soap is a mild detergent that won’t harm your fabric or leather couch. The surfactant in dish soap bonds to colors and breaks them down, making them wipe away smoothly. Blend liquid dish soap with clean water for a quick upholstery cleaning solution.
Combine the dish detergent and hot water in a basin and stir until bubbly. Dunk a clean cloth into the hot soapy water, squeeze it, and use it to scrub away the discoloration. Choose a colorless liquid dish soap to prevent accidentally dyeing your upholstery with the color additives in blue or green detergents.
Cleaning Fabric Furniture – Vinegar
Head to the pantry to make a sofa disinfectant spray with vinegar to remove stains from upholstered furniture. If you prefer to stick to natural cleaners in your home, white vinegar is an excellent solution to eliminate a tough stain from your upholstery fabric without relying on dangerous chemicals.
The acetic acid in white vinegar cuts through stains. However, it must be diluted to avoid unwanted effects as you clean upholstery.
Pour the vinegar and distilled water into the spray bottle and shake vigorously to mix. Spray the diluted white vinegar onto the blemish on your upholstery and use a clean cloth to rub it in.
Let the vinegar mix sit on your furniture for half an hour, and scrub the stain away with a damp cloth. Since white vinegar may brighten dark fabrics, test the vinegar before using it in a noticeable location on darker-colored furniture.
Sanitizing Fabric Furniture by Steam Cleaning
Disinfecting cloth furniture with a steam cleaner is quick and easy. If you don’t want to deal with sofa cleaning by hand, grab your steam cleaner and an upholstery attachment to enjoy a clean fabric sofa with minimal effort.
A steam cleaner uses hot steam to penetrate the fabric deep into the couch cushion padding to eradicate microorganisms, dirt, and debris particles. Remove the cushions from your sofa as you steam clean to give you access to both the front and back sides.
Start with the steam cleaner on the lowest setting, ensure no harm comes to your fabric upholstery, then move to a higher temperature. Work methodically, running the nozzle of the steam cleaner over all the fabric surfaces of the furniture.
Ensure your upholstery dries fully to avoid future issues with mold. Open the window, turn on the ceiling fan, or set up a box fan to increase air circulation and reduce drying time. Leave the cushions off your sofa until everything is completely dry.
Get Stains Out of Upholstered Furniture
Baking soda is an affordable and safe way to get permanent marker stains off the sofa and deodorize the fabric. Thoroughly sprinkle a fine coating of baking soda powder over your fabric couch, leave it overnight, and vacuum the following day to remove the unwanted odor or stain.
Erase a stubborn stain from your upholstery by mixing a simple baking soda cleaning paste with warm water.
Measure a cup of baking soda powder and combine it with warm water in a small bowl. Stir to make a paste, adding more powder or water to achieve a thick and spreadable consistency. Use a cloth to smear the baking soda paste over the mark on your sofa.
Let the paste rest for an hour or so before wiping it with a damp cloth and allowing the upholstery to dry. Baking soda paste may fade dark-colored upholstery and should be used with caution.
Concentrated Laundry Detergent Cleans Fabric Upholstery
Though you can’t wash upholstered furniture in the washing machine, there’s still a way to take advantage of the cleaning properties of liquid laundry detergent. Liquid laundry detergent is known for eliminating discoloration and leaving fabric fresh and clean.
Bulky upholstered furniture won’t fit in the washing machine, but liquid laundry detergent can still help. Detergent is heavily diluted as it mixes with water in the washer.
Get a deeper clean by applying laundry detergent directly to the stain on your fabric upholstery, leaving it for five to ten minutes, and clearing it away with a damp cloth. A laundry detergent without color additives is essential, as these potentially dye the fabric.
Commercial Upholstery Cleaning Solution
If you would rather use a store-bought cleaner, pick a product for upholstered couches; it will be the best option to deodorize smoke smell from fabric furniture. Look for a cleaner marked appropriate for the type of fabric you’re working with, whether cotton, nylon, or wool. The color of your upholstery may impact the suitability of certain cleaners.
If you’re uncertain that a chemical cleaner is appropriate for your furniture, perform a small test patch in an inconspicuous area before making a more obvious application. Use commercial upholstery cleaners per the manufacturer’s guidelines and follow safety warnings.
Did this article assist you in learning how to sanitize fabric furniture? Chores like carpet cleaning and deep cleaning furniture upholstery often get put off. Yet, they’re vital to keeping a clean household.
Fabric upholstery is easy to update as you redecorate a space. Don’t let the fear of ruining your sofa keep you from treating stains and ensuring it smells fresh. Tackle spills and stains quickly, and use our step-by-step guidelines to make cleaning fabric upholstery a breeze.
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