How to clean a stain on a fabric sofa?
When you just got home from work or when you have friends over, it’s always nice to relax on a clean sofa. To keep your sofa spotless and odor-free, it will need to be cleaned. Sofas can be made of many materials, from cotton to leather, and knowing exactly what fabric yours is made of is important for knowing how to clean it.
So before you start the chore of cleaning your couch, go read the label that includes 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. This will allow you to see if the dyeing of the fabric is resistant to the product or homemade trick that we are offering you 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 getting them wet and instead to 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!
To remove greasy stains from sofa fabric:
- Sprinkle the sofa with Terre de Sommières.
- With hands protected by gloves, massage the product into the stains.
- Leave to act overnight before vacuuming.
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 stain and iron with a hot iron.
If you don’t have soil from Sommières at home, 10 Tips offers some below at an excellent price. This product is also ideal for cleaning red wine stains or other greasy and liquid stains.
land of sommieres
- Removes grease stains from fabric
- Dry-strip textiles
- Neutralizes bad odors
- TOP quality price!
If your sofa is microfiber you can use this product but also other things as you will discover here: How to clean a microfiber sofa?
3. Clean a sofa with ammonia
To use ammonia as a couch cleaner:
- Combine warm water, a few drops of liquid dish soap, and about 150 milliliters of ammonia.
- Using a clean, white, lint-free cloth soaked in the solution but wrung out well, clean the sofa, paying particular attention to any stains.
- Then dry with the warm air of a hair dryer.
Remember to wear gloves and keep the room well ventilated when cleaning with ammonia as the product is strong and has a strong smell.
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’s how to use it to clean the sofa:
- In a bucket of lukewarm water, add a cup of soda crystals and let dissolve.
- Soak in a white, clean, lint-free cloth and wring well. Clean the entire surface of the sofa, insisting on the stains before rinsing with clear water.
- Dry in lukewarm air with the help of a hair dryer.
Wearing gloves is strongly recommended when using soda crystals as they can be irritating to the skin.
5. Clean a sofa with vinegar
White vinegar is so effective when it comes to household chores around 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 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap.
- Using a sponge, clean the sofa, paying particular attention to stubborn stains.
- Then rinse and dry with the warm air of a hair dryer.
Did you know that white vinegar can also be useful for carpet cleaning? Here is an article about it: Clean the carpet with white vinegar.
When it comes to bad odors baking soda is often very effective.
So the best way to deodorize a fabric sofa is to sprinkle baking soda all over the surface and let it sit overnight. The next day, just vacuum the sofa to remove all the baking soda.
If the smell comes from a small incident of spilled milk, I recommend reading this article: Milk stain on fabric sofa.
Natural leather should be cleaned very carefully not to rub in order to preserve its appearance. In addition, it will require regular maintenance to ensure its longevity. Here are some tips and tricks for cleaning and maintaining a leather sofa:
- Microfiber cloth: For a sofa that only needs light cleaning, gently wipe with 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 in cleansing milk and add a few drops of pure white vinegar. Pass the cloth over the entire surface, with circular movements. This will also deodorize your couch.
- 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.
- clay stone: wipe the sofa with a barely damp sponge on which you have sprinkled clay stone, but without rubbing.
Did you just stain your leather sofa? The best is to clean the stain as soon as it appears, if not, try these few tips:
Cleansing milk: Clean the stain with a cotton ball soaked in cleansing milk or baby cleansing lotion.
Cleansing milk and vinegar: clean coffee stains, tea stains or chocolate stains on fabric sofa using 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 have added a few drops of fresh lemon juice.
Alcohol 70%: to get rid of ink stains, dab them with a soft cloth soaked in 70% alcohol and wrung out. As alcohol has a drying effect, it will then be necessary to wax the leather to nourish it.
Even more fragile than leather, suede requires special care. Here’s how to clean and care for a suede sofa:
- Talc or Terre de Sommières: to maintain and deodorize your suede sofa, sprinkle it with talc or Terre de Sommières. Leave to act overnight before vacuuming.
- Ammonia: for a very dirty suede sofa, scrub the entire surface of the sofa with a crepe brush soaked in a mixture of equal parts 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 let dry.
- Liquid soap: to remove a stain on a suede sofa, just rub it with a nail brush and a little warm water to which you have added a little liquid soap.
If you are looking for tips specifically for a beer or alcohol stain on a sofa then this article is worth reading: Clean a beer stain from fabric.