After a few hours of labor, you have finally managed to dust, disinfect, sweep and vacuum. But what about your furniture? While the rest of your home may look neat and tidy, you might find that your furniture looks dull and dirty, which can leave the rest of your house looking dreary by association. We’re going to walk you through a simple tutorial on how to clean couch cushions as well as the rest of the couch depending on the type of couch you have.
Before we begin
Use the attachment on your vacuum to get rid of any unwanted dirt and debris from the outermost layer of your couch, couch cushions, and in between the cracks down to the frame of the couch. Doing this will make the cleaning process easier as you go along. If you have pets, try to vacuum up pet hair and dander from your cushions as well before attempting to spot clean. Use the vacuum attachment with a brush to gather up hair as you go along. You will also want to make sure to carefully spot test an ambiguous area on your couch to test any treatments and make sure they are safe to use on your couch. You don’t want to damage an entire couch because of a missed opportunity to spot test.
...........................................................................................................Take off the cushions & casings
Once you’ve vacuumed up excess pet hair and dirt, it’s safe to pull the cushions up and out. Before beginning the true cleaning process, read furniture care instructions carefully to ensure that you won’t ruin the fabric. If your casings are safe to run through the washing machine, you can place each one in the wash with a delicate detergent on a cold water cycle. Using cold water can keep your cushion cases from shrinking while being cleaned. You may also follow up the wash with the sanitize setting on your machine if you happen to have one. While your cushion cases are being washed, you should leave your actual cushions out to get some air. Once your cushion cases are done being washed, you can throw them into the dryer on a gentle cycle, and pull out promptly when dried. Once clean and dry, you can put your cushion cases back where they belong on your cushions.
What if my cushion cases can’t be washed?
We have a few solutions that can help for cushion cases that cannot go through a washing cycle in the machine, or if your cushions are not exactly detachable. There are a few various methods to cleaning different types of couch materials including:
- Leather: Use a soft cloth and cleaning agent made especially for leather to solve spot issues on your leather sofa and cushions. You can also use a DIY recipe of 1 part water to 1 part white vinegar in a clean spray bottle to help get rid of those stubborn stains. Simply spray the solution onto the problem area and use a soft cloth to gently rub away any dirt or grime. Allow your couch to completely dry before attempting to sit on it again.
- Fabric: Make a paste of equal parts baking soda and water to focus on set in stains. Use a brush to scrub at the stain and loosen the mess. In addition to cleaning cushions and spots with your baking soda and water mixture, you can also use a generous sprinkling of baking soda on the entire couch to help remove stains and soak up less than appealing smells. After letting the baking soda sit for about 15 minutes, use the small attachment on your vacuum cleaner to pick up the remaining baking soda. You’ll be left with a clean and fresh smelling couch.
- Suede (microfiber): Use a paper towel to soak up liquid stains immediately as they happen. To spot treat suede, you can use a spray bottle filled with water and a few drops of dish soap to spritz onto the stain and loosen it up. Apply a suede brush to the stain and use gentle motions to remove the stain.
Again, check the label on your furniture before you begin giving it a deep clean.
...........................................................................................................Give it some breathing room
You want to make sure your couch and couch cushions are completely dry before letting people sit on them again. This means you will want to make sure your family and pets steer clear from the living area for a little while during the couch cleaning phase of your tidying up process.
If you have just cleaned a fabric or microfiber couch, you can give it a finishing touch by spraying some fabric freshener in a sweeping motion over your completed work. Let the freshener dry as well before sitting.
If you have any excessive damage to your sofa such as burns, set in stains, or rips and tears, you might want to consider purchasing new furniture or furniture sets that fit within your budget. When you shop with Texas Furniture Hut, you might even get more than you would think! We offer tons of luxurious sets and individual pieces at wholesale prices made to fit you and your lifestyle. We even offer furniture made out of top-quality stain resistant fabric. Still not convinced? Take a look at our website and browse both leather and upholstered living room collections at prices so low, you might even get some accessories to match.
