Every housewife strives to keep all corners of her home clean. However, cleaning upholstered furniture can be challenging. To avoid damaging the expensive upholstery, you can have your sofa dry cleaned. However, if you know a few tricks, you can handle the cleaning yourself. One of the most successful and popular materials for sofa upholstery is flock. It is pleasant to the touch and resistant to rubbing. In addition, cleaning a flock sofa at home can be done using traditional and specialized detergents.
Things to consider
- Before cleaning, remove dust from the sofa. To do this, go over the furniture with a vacuum cleaner with an open pipe or a special attachment. There is another option: wet a sheet, lay it on the sofa and beat it out with a carpet beater. The particles will settle on the sheet.
- If this does not help, proceed to the methods described below: they will help deal with the stains. It is better to first test any product on an inconspicuous area of furniture. This way you will make sure that everything will be in order with the upholstery.
- Hard fabrics can be rubbed with a brush, and for soft fabrics, leather and leatherette, use a sponge or clean cloth.
- After cleaning the furniture with your chosen product, allow the fabric to dry completely. Then it is advisable to vacuum the sofa again to remove any remaining particles of product, dust or dirt from the surface.
- If you do not trust cleaning yourself or the contamination is too strong, contact a specialist. They will choose the appropriate method themselves.
The main causes of soiling of sofas
The sofa needs to be vacuumed with a special nozzle at low suction power.
Upholstered furniture can get dirty for various reasons. Dust constantly settles on it. When it mixes with particles of human sweat or with moisture present in the air, gray stains appear on the fabric upholstery, which immediately catch the eye.
The habit of eating while sitting in the hall watching TV is another provoking factor. It’s difficult to carefully consume food while following the development of your favorite TV series. Drops of sauce or crumbs cause bright spots that are difficult to deal with.
Many parents allow their children to draw while sitting in armchairs or on sofas. This leads to the appearance of marks from felt-tip pens and fountain pens. Pets are another reason for soiling upholstered furniture. They love to bask on soft pillows and get them dirty quite quickly.
How to clean a sofa with a solution of soda, vinegar, glycerin and dishwashing liquid
The method is suitable for all types of upholstery, except leather and leatherette.
What do you need
- 1 liter of very warm water + for rinsing;
- 4 tablespoons dishwashing liquid;
- 2 tablespoons of soda;
- 2–4 tablespoons glycerin;
- 8 tablespoons vinegar 9%;
- brush, sponge or cloth.
How to do
Dissolve dish soap and baking soda in water. Pour in glycerin and mix thoroughly. Then add vinegar and mix thoroughly again. A lush foam will appear on the surface of the solution.
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Using a sponge, brush or cloth, rub the product into the sofa, paying special attention to dirty areas. It is better to do this with rubber gloves. Apply any remaining foam to the surface. Leave for 1 hour.
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After this, clean the sofa with a wet cloth or sponge. Rinse it frequently under running water or in a basin.
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Wipe off the product and any surface dirt until the water from the sponge or cloth runs clear.
Folk remedies
You can get rid of dirt by using a regular soap solution.
It is prepared using soap shavings and a small amount of water. It is better to take a household bar or dishwashing detergent. Antipyatin soap is on sale. Solutions prepared with its help can help get rid of even old stubborn dirt. They are applied to dark areas with a soft sponge. The foam is lightly rubbed into the dirt, left for 20 minutes, then its remains are removed with a dry cloth, and the material is then dried. Do not use too much soap solution on one area of the upholstery. Then you will have to rinse the fabric and thoroughly wet the furniture. And this is undesirable.
If there are small children growing up in the house or there is a bedridden patient, urine stains may appear. It is advisable to collect it immediately, absorbing excess moisture with old newspapers or soft rags. Afterwards, generously soap a damp sponge with baby soap and rub the resulting foam into the boundaries of the yellow spot. Then two tablespoons of table vinegar are diluted in a liter of clean water and the remaining soap is washed off with this solution. At the end of the procedure, dry the upholstery by placing a dry cloth on it and ironing it with a hot iron. If you don’t have the essence on hand, you can replace it with citric acid.
Tea and coffee stains are especially noticeable on white upholstery. They appear on it quite often. The following scheme helps to get rid of them:
- The dirty area is generously moistened with a damp sponge.
- Rub with a piece of laundry soap.
- The resulting foam is rubbed with a toothbrush and left for 15 minutes.
- Residues of soap are removed with a sponge and water, to which two teaspoons of salt were previously added.
Wine stains must be cleaned immediately before they are deeply embedded in the fabric.
Wine spilled on a light-colored fabric must be immediately collected with paper towels, then the blot should be generously sprinkled with table salt. After fifteen minutes, remove the residue with a stiff brush. Treat the stain itself with soapy water.
Grease stains are removed in the same way: they are first sprinkled with salt, when the powder has completely absorbed the grease particles, it is cleaned from the surface of the upholstery with a brush, and a thick layer of dishwashing gel is applied to the remaining stains. After fifteen minutes, wash off with water and a sponge.
If you cannot achieve the desired effect the first time, the cleaning procedure must be repeated. If in this case stains remain, it is worth trying stain removers.
How to clean a sofa with laundry soap or dishwashing liquid
The method is suitable for all types of upholstery.
What do you need
- Laundry soap or dishwashing liquid;
- 1 liter of very warm water + for rinsing;
- brush, sponge or cloth.
How to do
Lather the soap or liquid in water. The solution should be quite saturated.
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Clean the sofa with it, thoroughly rubbing the foam, especially into dirty areas.
Then replace the water with clean water. Rinse the brush or sponge and wipe the furniture to remove the product. Do this until the water is completely clear. Change it periodically and rinse the brush or sponge often.
Wet method
Before you start cleaning the upholstery surface, you need to think about what products are needed to get an effective result. There is a wide variety of household chemicals, the action of which is aimed both at removing various stains and at getting rid of dust and dirt (for example, Vanish for upholstered furniture).
First, you should treat the contaminated areas with Vanish and wait for some time specified in the instructions for use of the detergent. Only then use a vacuum cleaner.
It would be a good idea to first apply the solution to the back of the sofa material to ensure that there is no discoloration or deterioration of the fabric.
All washing units have special attachments designed for wet cleaning of soft chairs and sofas. Thanks to the special design of these nozzles, gentle, high-quality cleaning is carried out, during which moisture penetrates only into the upper layers of the upholstery material.
After such cleaning, the fabric must be thoroughly dried.
A leather or suede sofa can be easily cleaned using a special brush attachment for a vacuum cleaner, which will collect all the accumulated dirt. Or you can simply take a damp cloth to wipe the leather upholstery with it - this will be enough, since leather does not absorb dust.
How to clean a sofa with a commercial cleaner
There are different products for different types of fabric, so check the label before purchasing.
What do you need
- A special cleaner for furniture and carpets (for example, “Shtihonit”, Unicum, “Big Wash”, “5+”) or a cleaner for car interiors (the Profoam cleaner is especially praised on the forums);
- water for rinsing - optional;
- brush, sponge or cloth.
How to do
Each product may have different uses, so follow the instructions on the package. Most often, the cleaner is applied directly in the form of foam or diluted in water to form a foam.
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Then it is usually spread over the sofa, left for a while and cleaned off with a dry or wet cloth.
Professional dry cleaning of sofas
Professional dry cleaning can also solve the problem of cleaning flock sofas. This will minimize the risk of damage to the fabric, and also guarantee high quality cleaning and removal of even the most difficult stains. By contacting our company, you can order flock sofa cleaning services at home. The benefits of professional cleaning include:
- use of environmentally friendly and safe cleaning products;
- high speed of work;
- affordable cost of all types of services;
- guarantee of preservation of the external qualities of even the most sensitive upholstery;
- use of professional equipment.
By contacting our company, you can order high-quality cleaning of flock sofas at the best price.
How to clean a sofa with a solution of lemon juice and baking soda
The method is suitable for all types of upholstery, except leather and leatherette.
What do you need
- 1 glass of very warm water + for rinsing;
- 5 tablespoons lemon juice;
- 5 tablespoons of soda;
- brush, sponge or cloth.
How to do
Dissolve lemon juice and soda in water. They will react and foam will appear on the surface.
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Apply the product to the stains and leave for a few minutes. Then scrub the fabric thoroughly with a brush, sponge or cloth. Rinse and remove any remaining product from the sofa.
Sofa cleaning products and their features
The chemical industry offers many household chemicals for cleaning textile upholstery. Below we will talk about the features of the products that are most popular in Russia.
Tuba
Active foam Tuba (Germany) was created specifically for cleaning upholstered furniture. The convenient bottle guarantees economical use. The product hardly moisturizes the upholstery and does not create dampness inside the sofa. The foam is effective, does not leave streaks, and forms a protective layer on the surface of the textile against the penetration of dirt.
Unicum
The concentrated preparation Unicum (Russia) is used as a stain remover and a means for general cleaning of upholstery. Copes well with dirt, stains, and unpleasant odors. Colors become vibrant again and upholstery smells fresh. Economical, easy to use.
Vanish
The line of preparations for textiles Vanish (Russia) is one of the most popular in the country. Products for vacuum cleaners and hand cleaning, stain remover spray, dry cleaning powder, active foam - such an arsenal of products allows you to effectively and effortlessly clean furniture with textile upholstery.
Nordland
Nordland (Germany) universal microactive foam for dry cleaning is used when caring for furniture and car interiors. It gently penetrates deep into textiles, removes dust, grease, and the smell of dampness and tobacco. Removes old stains. Disadvantages - the product is expensive, the consumption is quite high.
Pros and cons of cleaning yourself
It is possible to clean upholstered furniture at home when you are sure that the consequences of the procedure will not worsen the condition of the upholstery. The complexity of the work is determined not so much by the type of dirty mark, but by the material. It can be difficult to purchase a chemical composition for upholstery without skills in removing dirt from surfaces. But for simple stains, other methods are suitable.
Before cleaning the furniture upholstery, they outline an action plan, assessing the condition of the fabric and the dirt itself. Contaminants are approached based on their origin. Especially when cleaning is carried out in a traditional way. Cleaning methods by fabric type:
- Velor fabric. When cleaning this material, do not use napkins with lint. Fine rags or a vacuum cleaner can damage the velor. Powder formulations, bleaches and solvents are not recommended for use. Velor sofas and armchairs are cleaned in the direction of the fibers. To remove contaminants, soft water cleaning is carried out.
- Suede leather. The technology for dry cleaning upholstered suede furniture depends on the material. First, they determine whether it is natural or artificial. Natural suede is easier to clean. Artificial dirt does not come off well. Caustic, heavy stains - traces of blood, alcohol, bodily fluids are difficult to remove without leaving a trace. In such cases, contact a cleaning service.
- Nubuck. Cleaning upholstered nubuck furniture at home is not particularly difficult. There are general recommendations for this material. Dust is removed from the surface with a rubber brush. And for chemical treatment, you can use an alcohol-based solvent. Contaminants are removed with a steam generator. The upholstery can also be dry cleaned.
The family may have their own reasons for not contacting the service. Then they resort to universal methods. For upholstered furniture, cleaning is carried out by choosing products from simple, durable materials. They are often at hand. Their use seems reasonable.
Home dry cleaning of upholstered furniture has its own list of pros:
- Saving money. The most obvious point. Carrying out independent removal of contaminants does not involve “extra” costs. The difference is noticeable when cleaning a sofa or chair made of delicate fabric. Special chemical compositions for upholstery materials have their own application techniques. And the cost of cleaning in this case increases.
- Speed of work. Cleaning service employees, called for a specific purpose, can work on a large sofa for a long time. Processing furniture on your own will take half as much time when the processing technique does not involve complex chemistry.
- Availability of tools. You don't need any special equipment to clean upholstered furniture. A treatment kit consists of rags, a vacuum cleaner or brush, and a universal chemical composition for removing dirt from upholstery.
- Personal convenience. You can start cleaning at a convenient time, in a familiar atmosphere, without contact with strangers. Then you don’t have to set aside hours to adjust to the work of the cleaning staff, or be distracted by monitoring the progress of work. Independence from the efforts of others is the main reason for many owners to do everything themselves.
Home cleaning looks simpler, it is inexpensive, convenient, but it has a list of disadvantages:
- Ineffective. Cleaning service employees have an arsenal of tools, stain removers, and processing equipment. Washing upholstered furniture at home will not produce the same result. Complex stains may leave marks. Low-quality cleaning compounds too. When processing upholstery made of complex material, without sufficient skills, you may not be able to fully cope with the task.
- Destruction of furniture upholstery. When cleaning is done with the wrong method, the upholstery may react severely. Household chemicals are often made with caustic substances. Bleach can damage textiles and leave large marks. The reason may be an error in the amount of substance applied. When a chemical is left on fabric for a long time, it can burn through it. The use of all-purpose cleaners always poses a risk to the surface.
There is always a chance that the upholstery will be damaged and you will have to buy a replacement.
Is it possible to clean a sofa with a vacuum cleaner?
Answering the question: “Is it possible to clean a sofa with a washing vacuum cleaner?”, the question is unequivocal - it is possible, but in this case the upholstery will come into contact with water, and in some cases it will get very wet. Therefore, before using this cleaning method on your furniture, determine what material the upholstery is made of. As a rule, it is not recommended to use the device for the following fabrics:
- silk;
- velours;
- velvet;
- linen.
If you decide to take a risk and still wash such upholstery with a vacuum cleaner, then be sure to carry out a preliminary check. Try cleaning the back of the furniture with the wet method, wait until the upholstery dries, and evaluate the effectiveness. If you notice that the fabric has deteriorated even a little, then it is better to refuse cleaning with a washing vacuum cleaner.
