Here’s your ultimate guide for an in-depth evaluation of the importance of cleaning sofas at home, major pre-cleaning practices, and preventive measures. Moreover, we’ve explained the simple cleaning methods and some additional sofa care tips for further maintenance.
Sofas are undoubtedly the most used furniture pieces in a household. Whether you want to watch a movie or just spend some relaxing time, many people prefer sitting on their comfortable sofa. Also, your sofas are the first thing that any visitor will notice. It also determines people’s perception of you and can leave negative impacts.
Why Is It Important To Clean Sofa At Home?
What’s in this article?
Proper cleaning and adequate sofa maintenance boost the longevity of the upholstery used. This also enhances the visual appearance of the entire living space. Besides this, you can keep the sofas in their original state for longer periods with optimal maintenance. Here are some more specific reasons why it is important to clean the sofas at home:
- Eliminate Old Stains: The sofas quite often get numerous spills, stains, and dirt accumulation. Food spills and other such stains can become stubborn if left untreated. A regular deep cleaning schedule eliminates even the old stains and makes your sofa look like new.
- Removes Unwanted Odors: An uncleaned sofa can also become a residence of nasty smells. These unwanted odors fill up the entire living space. Inhaling bad odors for long periods can also lead to lung infection and respiratory issues. Proper cleaning eliminates all these odors and leaves a pleasant fragrance behind.
- Boosts Longevity: Cleaning the sofas at home also helps boost their longevity. It retains its color and the original quality. When sofas are properly cleaned at home, they can remain in the most pristine condition for an enhanced duration than expected. It protects the fabrics and material of the sofa.
- Prevents Health Risks: A contaminated place becomes the breeding ground for bacteria and other harmful microorganisms. These may become the culprits for health-related issues if not eliminated on time. Scheduled cleaning at home eliminates their accumulation and prevents numerous health risks.
Pre-cleaning Practices
Not all sofas are the same and their cleaning requirements may also vary. Before delving into the cleaning process, familiarize yourself with the worth-considering factors and pre-cleaning practices. Adhere to the following tips for optimum cleaning results:
- Determine the sofa type and its specific needs as they can be a combination of multiple materials. While different materials have specific needs, their particular specification are mentioned on the care tags, and manual guide.
- Always consider the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations before proceeding with any cleaning method. Make yourself aware of any specific care instructions or cleaning methods mentioned in the guidelines. This is essential to maintain the integrity of your sofa for an extended duration.
- Before you deep clean the sofas, consider eliminating all the surrounding objects for minimal obstructions. Also, get rid of loose dust and dirt particles to make your deep cleaning task easier and more effective. You can dust away the sofas using clean clothes or a vacuum cleaner.
- Apart from these major practices, you should also gather all the necessary materials and supplies at your designated workspace. This allows easy access to any of the items required. Check specific requirements and needs before preparing your toolkit.
How To Clean Sofa At Home
Regardless of the sofa type, some basic cleaning methods can effectively work on your sofas. Let’s learn how to clean sofas at home through multiple methods. In the following section, we’ve elaborated on the quick steps for various sofa cleaning methods. You may choose any one of the following as per your preference.
Method 1: Vacuuming the Sofa
The most preferred method to clean the sofa includes the use of a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment. The steps to use this method are as follows:
- Foremost, you’ll need a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment. Prepare it well with moderate pressure to blow away the loose debris from the sofa surface.
- If you’ve cushions or any other item kept around your sofa, consider keeping them somewhere else throughout the vacuuming process.
- Begin working from the topmost part of the sofa and go downward while removing the dust and residual particles.
- Pay extra attention to the complicated sofa parts including the seams, crevices, etc. Ensure a thorough cleaning at such spots as they can accumulate more dirt and dust when compared to other surfaces.
- Apart from cleaning the upper surface, vacuum alongside the edges and beneath the sofa as well. This will ensure thorough and proper cleaning.
- Once done, replace all the cushions, rugs, and other surface elements. Use clean cushions, rugs, etc. after the cleaning session, and consider washing the replaced ones for further use.
Method 2: Spot Cleaning
Besides surface cleaning, you need to address some spots and stains. For this, deep cleaning or spot cleaning method is highly recommended. Consider following these tips to eliminate any sort of sofa spots:
- Take a bowl or container and prepare a cleaning solution. You’ll need a mild soap or detergent mixed well in water for spot-cleaning the sofa stains.
- Before applying the cleaning solution to the major spots, consider testing its compatibility in a small area. Check if the cleaning solution causes any discoloration or any other damage to the fabric.
- If the prepared solution is compatible, take a clean cloth or sponge and dip it inside the cleaning solution. Make certain to wring out excessive liquid as it may cause moisture retention.
- Blot the affected area using the dampened cloth properly. Be gentle and avoid rubbing the surface as it can make the stains even harder.
- Repeat this step until the stains are vanished. You can proceed with this step using a fresh cloth and more cleaning solution for better stain removal.
- Once the stains and spots are removed, rinse and dry the surface using another clean cloth. Always apply moderate pressure while blotting or drying the surface.
Method 3: Steam Cleaning
Though this method is not preferred for all sofa types, you must check the manufacturer’s recommendation before proceeding with the steam cleaning method. If applicable, then you can opt for these steps:
- Check the manufacturer’s instructions for your steam cleaner. Ensure that it is suitable to use and remains compatible with the particular sofa fabric.
- Fill the steam cleanser’s reservoir with water. Adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions for the quantity and temperature of the water.
- After that attach the correct upholstery cleansing attachment to the steam cleaner. Plug in the steam cleaner to the power source and allow it to get heated as per the manufacturer’s instructions,
- Starting from the top of the sofa, slowly move the steam cleaner over the surface. Consider moving the cleaner to one spot multiple times to ensure thorough cleaning.
- While applying the steam to the sofa components, ensure not to oversaturate the material with steam. This can lead to moisture buildup and fabric deterioration.
- Once you’ve cleaned the entire sofa surface, allow it to air dry completely before using it all over again. Don’t use any heat source and prefer a natural drying process.
Sofa Maintenance and Care Tips
Opting for care tips and some additional tips is necessary to maintain the cleanliness of your sofa. Optimum maintenance after a thorough cleaning process boosts the lifespan of your sofa and also keeps it fresh for further use. Follow these tricks to maintain your sofa well:
- If you notice any spots or stains on your sofa, consider removing them right away. Leaving the stains to clean afterward can make them stubborn and it’s quite troublesome to remove them completely.
- Always wash the upholstery and rugs weekly. This will remove any dust and residual particles effectively. Weekly cleaning allows the fabric to smell fresh and look good all week around.
- Don’t wait until your sofa gets extremely dirty. Instead, consider dusting the sofa and giving a normal cleanup every day. This will eliminate the risk of stubborn residual buildup.
- If you also love to put your legs on the sofa, place rugs on the entire surface. This will not let your dirty legs leave stains and marks on the surface. Rugs are easily washable and you can clean them more often and quickly when compared to cleaning the entire sofa.
- If you’re worried about minor stains often, think of placing the necessary cleaning supplies near the sofas. This helps in quick access while allowing you to clean the minor spots right away.
- Schedule a professional cleaning regimen at least two to three times a year. This is important to clean the sofas and other furniture with specialized tools and sets of equipment. Professional cleaning also includes the thorough inspection of the entire sofa pieces and troubleshooting any persisting issues.
Conclusion:
Now that you’ve learned how to clean sofa at home using various methods, maintaining them well should not be included in the list of tedious tasks. The above-mentioned sofa cleaning methods are highly recommended because of the ease they offer and the minimal supplies and tools you need. Adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations and care tags for a safe cleaning experience and maintain their longevity and integrity for the desired time.