Ahhhh the humble sofa, a place we eat, drink, rest and relax throughout the course of the day. A cup of tea in the morning, a glass of wine in the evening or some well earned down time with a duvet day, either way, it’s no surprise that our sofa is the favourite spot in the house, but is alarmingly one of the most overlooked pieces of furniture when it comes to cleaning. You think nothing of vacuuming, dusting, washing and tidying, but what about your sofa, when was the last time you gave it the same attention? Be honest now . . . when it was new? When you lost the remote? Or when you reached beneath the cushions only to be greeted with a whole host of forgotten nasties!
With so much activity it’s easy to see how your sofa builds up a multitude of dirt, dust, oils and smells over time, and that’s just the things we can see, urgh. If left untreated, your sofa becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, so without further ado, let’s discover the best way to deep clean your sofa with our expert advice.
How To Deep Clean A Fabric Sofa?
Step 1
If you’re able to, remove the outer covers and pop them in the washer taking care to follow the washing instructions as per the labels.
Step 2
Take the inner cushions/seat pads outside and give them a good shake to remove any loose particles. Then give it a good hoover and spritz lightly with a diluted disinfectant solution to kill any bacteria while leaving a lovely fragrance.
Step 3
For the remaining areas such as the arms of the sofa, a fixed back or for seating pads you can’t remove, then baking soda is your new best friend! The perfect solution for tackling grease, stains and embedded dirt, simply sprinkle on the fabric and leave it for up to 30mins to work it’s magic. Baking soda works by drawing unwanted residue to the surface, which can then be vacuumed away to reveal beautiful looking fabric.
Step 4
For any stubborn stains left behind, try using an upholstery cleaner, making sure you test on an inconspicuous area first. Alternatively, for a home made solution try mixing warm water with washing up liquid and a ¼ cup of vinegar for sparkling results.
How To Clean A Leather Sofa
A leather sofa is a classic with a timeless appeal that of course, you want to maintain, but if yours is looking a little lacklustre then follow these simple steps below to restore your sofa to its former glory.
Step 1
Vacuum any visible dirt using your vacuum attachments to tackle those forgotten spaces.
Step 2
To disinfect your sofa, mix a solution of diluted disinfectant and wipe over the sofa with a damp cloth and allow it to dry naturally.
Step 3
To remove any stains or grease marks, baking powder works wonders on leather too. Simply sprinkle onto the affected area, allow it to sit for up to 60 minutes then gently brush away the excess (or vacuum) followed by a wipe over for a damp cloth.
Step 4
Although leather is extremely hard wearing, accidents do happen, so for more sinister damage such as ink stains, speed is of the essence so try to act as quickly as possible. For fresh ink stains take some sellotape, sticky side down, and gently blot the leather to remove the ink before it gets a chance to soak in. Another tip is to use a chemical alcohol compound such as surgical spirits and gently dab (not rub) with a cotton pad.
Step 5
Then, for the ultimate restoration, it’s time to seal your hard work by conditioning the leather, but don’t worry if you’ve never done this before, there are plenty of products available to buy with easy to follow instructions, or you can whip up your own solution using one part vinegar with two parts oil, such as linseed oil or olive oil. Just make sure you give it enough time to dry and soak in, overnight should do the trick. Ideally, this should be done every 6 – 12 months.
Tips For Maintaining and Cleaning Your Sofa
- Regular vacuuming will rid your sofa of any loose particles and is also beneficial when keeping allergies at bay.
- Use a steam cleaner every 6 – 12 months for a deeper clean.
- Create some house rules such as no eating on the sofa.
- Use an anti-bacterial spray as frequently as possible, just make sure it is suitable for the material of your sofa.
- Wash the covers more often. They may look clean but a 60-degree wash will soon rid your sofa of any hidden bugs.
We hope you found this blog useful from Pay Weekly Carpets and Vinyls, the number one supplier of pay weekly sofas, flooring and pay weekly blinds at low weekly payments.
