Sofa

Any house or apartment has a soft, cozy sofa, which is the central element of the guest area. Its upholstery often gets dirty and requires urgent and effective cleaning.

Naturally, such oversized furniture cannot be taken to dry cleaning every time. Therefore, it is so important to be able to remove a variety of contaminants yourself.

In this article we will talk about folk and industrial remedies with which you can get rid of all kinds of stains on the upholstery of the sofa in your home, without dry cleaning.

Folk remedies for cleaning the sofa from dirt and stains

Often, folk remedies made from the simplest and most affordable components are quite effective. Their advantage is that they do not contain harsh chemicals that can damage upholstery fabrics.

In addition, cleaning agents made according to folk recipes are much cheaper than special formulations sold in the store.

The top 5 traditional cleaning products include:

• soap solution from dishwashing detergent;
• vinegar with laundry soap;
• baking soda;
• lemon juice;
• hydrogen peroxide.

Dishwashing liquid

For an effective, yet fabric-friendly cleaning agent, you need to stir one tablespoon of dish detergent and two glasses of cold water.

This solution should be applied to the contaminated area with a cotton swab or clean towel (depending on the size of the stain).

The stain can then be rubbed gently with a clean sponge or toothbrush. When the stain has disappeared, blot it several times with a clean, damp towel and then wipe it with a dry cloth. The advantage of this option is that it can be applied at any time.

For example, if someone in the house is injured and blood got on the upholstery, it can be cleaned very quickly with a soapy solution.

Vinegar and laundry soap

This method is ideal when you want to remove tough, non-greasy stains from your sofa. For example, if a child painted the upholstery with a pen.

To make a vinegar-soap mixture, you need to take a small piece of laundry soap and soak it with water. You should get a mushy mixture.

It should be filled with a glass of cold water. After that, add 2 teaspoons of vinegar to the mixture.

The mixture is applied to the contaminated areas for 10 minutes with a soft cloth... Then with another, tougher cloth moistened with clean water, the applied solution is wiped off the upholstery. As a result, stains or streaks of ink should be rubbed off along with the solution.

For information on how to clean a handle from a leather sofa, read this article... To remove ink stains from upholstery made from other materials - here.

How to wash with baking soda?

Baking soda can be used to both clean fabric surfaces and to remove stains from leather upholstery. Leather and leatherette are easily cleaned of all kinds of dirt that are difficult to remove from the fabric. But if ink gets on it or, for example, brilliant green, it should be cleaned thoroughly soon.

After about 30 minutes, the dried soda along with the dirt must be removed with a cloth and warm soapy water. At the end of the procedure, the stain is treated with a sponge dipped in clean water.

Read about how to quickly, effectively and safely clean a sofa with soda and vinegar at home. here.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice or diluted citric acid is a product that can help remove a fresh stain that has an unpleasant odor.

For example, if vomit on the sofa, you need to quickly remove it with something dry, and then process the upholstery with a lemon mixture.

After that, if necessary, the stain is additionally treated with soapy water.

Hydrogen peroxide

With the help of peroxide, you can remove a variety of contaminants, including stubborn and old ones. It is a strong enough substance, and you need to use it in combination with soda and water.

You don't need to wipe it off, just let it dry naturally. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

Household chemicals - quickly, efficiently and without streaks!

It is not always possible to remove especially difficult stains with folk remedies. Chemical fluids are more reliable, versatile and easier to use.

Vanish

Vanish is one of the most famous chemicals for removing stains. from fabric and different surfaces. It is also suitable for cleaning sofas. The price of the product is from 120 to 300 rubles, depending on the volume.

You can learn more about this tool from of this article.

Bagi Shtihonit

This Israeli remedy perfectly copes with all the problems associated with the cleanliness and hygiene of upholstered furniture.

It removes any dirt and odors, disinfects the upholstery, and even restores its original color. Sold as a spray.

Moisten the surface with water before applying the product. Then spray the Bugs and wipe the dirt with a cloth, sponge or brush (depending on the degree of dirt and the type of upholstery).

Nordland

Foam for cleaning soft surfaces. Copes ideally with all types of dirt. It can be used to wash any surfaces, so in many homes it becomes a versatile hostess assistant.

Foam is applied to the surface and then washed off with a damp sponge... The treated areas can be dried with a hairdryer.

For sofas, you should use products in the form of a liquid composition or foam. It is not recommended to use powders, as they can leave stains and streaks.

Cleaning with a steam cleaner or steam generator

Steam cleaning removes all dirt from the upholstery, including stubborn stains and dust.

Regardless of what kind of steam generating apparatus is used, the process steps will be the same. Before starting the steam cleaning procedure, brush off small debris with a brush from the sofa that can accumulate in folds and corners.

After that, you need to pour water into the steam generator. It is advisable to protect the water in advance, in this case it will definitely not leave stains on the upholstery fabric. You can add a little liquid detergent to the water.

The sofa is cleaned sequentially by segment. Better to start with the cleanest areas... After steaming a separate area, you must immediately wipe it with a clean, soft cloth. For this you need to have microfiber.

The most difficult spots will have to be treated several times. It is important not to get the fabric wet. A well-chosen nozzle and a well-regulated steam supply will help to avoid this.

If during the cleaning process hot steam gets on parts made of plastic, metal or wood, they must be quickly wiped dry. Particular care should be taken to protect pressed wood and plastic parts..

Use special nozzles for hard-to-reach areas.

Which vacuum cleaner is better: regular or washing?

The sofa can be cleaned with a washing vacuum cleaner. This is a wet cleaning method that is much more effective than conventional manual cleaning.

The first step in the process is dry cleaning sofa. After that, you need to wet the upholstery.

But if there are complex stains, it is better to pre-soap them with a detergent or a special agent for cleaning upholstered furniture.

We take into account the type of upholstery

There are many ways to clean your sofa. You need to choose a cleaning method taking into account the material with which the sofa is sheathed.

Flock

This is a very practical type of upholstery. It can be cleaned in any way... But stubborn stains may not come off well.

Therefore, the main rule of caring for a flock sofa is to regularly clean it with a dry and sometimes wet method.

Large stains can be removed with upholstery shampoo or for car interiors.

Faux suede

Artificial materials are not as capricious in their care as natural ones. The suede material can be processed by all known methods.

Natural suede

To keep your suede sofa presentable for as long as possible, you need to treat it with a special protective agent... It will avoid frequent aggressive cleaning.

You can wash such a sofa with folk or chemical means, while using brushes and rags designed to care for suede. You can buy them at a shoe store.

Velor

In order not to spoil the velor when cleaning the sofa, you must remember the safety rules.

This fabric cannot be vacuumed.... It is not recommended to use fluffy rags and napkins.

The sofa can only be cleaned in the direction of the pile. The ideal option in this case is wet cleaning using a mild soap solution and microfiber.

Genuine Leather

The skin easily tolerates various kinds of impact, and it's easy to clean. Difficulties can only cause stains from ink or, for example, brilliant green.

You can find out exactly how to clean a sofa made of genuine leather from of this article.

Eco leather, leatherette

Faux leather is very practical.Almost no dirt remains on it and it can be cleaned by any means. You can not only apply:

• rough brushes,
• sponges,
• scrapers.

Plain fabric

To choose the right way to clean a fabric sofa, you need to consider:

1. composition,
2. Colour,
3. texture of the material.

The thinner and lighter the fabric, the more careful it should be treated... You can read more about this in this article.

How can you eliminate unpleasant odors at home?

To eliminate the unpleasant smell that has eaten into the upholstery of the sofa, both folk and industrial means are used.

The first includes:

• soda,
• salt,
• vinegar,
• lemon juice,
• hydrogen peroxide.

For more information on removing sofa odors, see this article.

Life hacks on the topic

Small household tricks shared by experienced housewives will help to cope with pollution of any complexity:

1. Spilled coffee or tea stains are best wiped off with regular soapy water.
2. If gum is stuck to the upholstery, place an ice cube on top of it. When it melts, the gum can be easily removed without damaging the fabric.
3. Jam or jam is easier to clean off with soapy water and a drop of vinegar.
4. To remove stains from fresh berries, you need a mixture of vinegar and ammonia, mixed one to one.
5. If wine is spilled on the sofa, the stain should be covered with salt for a few minutes.
6. Oily stains are covered with soda, starch or salt for 10 minutes.
7. Housewives are advised to use cold water with an aspirin tablet dissolved in it to remove blood stains.

This article Let's talk about how to clean the upholstery of a sofa from grease.

Conclusion

All of the above methods for cleaning sofas are quite simple and effective. For each individual case, it is necessary to choose the most suitable option and test it in practice.

If it turns out to be effective, it should be adopted and used not only if necessary, but also as a preventive cleaning.