How to clean sofa upholstery - store-bought products VS traditional methods

Due to frequent use, the fabric upholstery of the sofa and armchairs quickly becomes dirty, so a good housewife should know how to clean a sofa at home, fortunately, there are many industrial and folk remedies for this.

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A sofa or chair with stained seats, covered with a layer of dust that lasts for many days, will spoil the impression of the most sophisticated interior. Upholstered furniture gets dirty quickly and therefore needs regular cleaning. Manufacturers of household chemicals offer a variety of products in the form of spray, gel, shampoo, which allow you to get rid of stains and deep clean fabric or leather surfaces at home.

Choosing the right tool is not an easy task. After all, you want to not only get rid of stains and dirt, but also preserve the color and integrity of the upholstery material.

Before buying the drug, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

1. Read the instructions to see what types of fabric the selected sofa cleaning product is suitable for. For example, silk and viscose are afraid of water; for them it is better to take a powder or spray.
2. The drug should not emit a strong unpleasant odor.After cleaning with this product, the fabric will absorb a chemical “aroma” that will be difficult to get rid of.
3. The chemical should not cause an allergic reaction.
4. The cleaning composition should act gently and carefully, without destroying the fabric surface. To avoid damage to your favorite sofa, you need to try the product on an inconspicuous piece of upholstery.

Shampoos are least suitable for cleaning fabric surfaces, as they are quickly absorbed into the upholstery and penetrate into the filling. Furniture takes a long time to dry after this treatment.

Here are a few products designed for cleaning upholstered furniture, which are noted by customers as the most effective and easy to use.

"Bagi Shtihonit"

The best disinfectant from Israeli manufacturers is available in spray form. The product not only does an excellent job of deep cleaning the surface, but also allows you to remove stains of various origins: blood, wine, urine, traces of pets. Shtihonit spray will return the upholstery’s rich color and give the furniture a pleasant smell.

When working with this product, you will not have to cover leather, wood or plastic elements, since the product is absolutely neutral to any materials except fabric.

VANISH

The stain remover, developed by a Russian manufacturer, can easily clean furniture upholstery from dust and dirt, while maintaining the color and structure of the fabric. “Vanish” can remove stains from a ballpoint pen, blood, coffee, remove oily stains, and get rid of unpleasant odors.

The spray is not recommended for use on wool, velvet and silk fabrics.

TUBA

Tuba cleaning foam is made in Germany.The product is designed specifically for quickly cleaning furniture surfaces made of synthetic and natural materials. The foam contains a minimal amount of moisture, so after dry cleaning with your own hands, the furniture will not have to dry for a long time. By gently acting on the fabric fibers, Tuba leaves an invisible protective layer that prevents re-contamination.

UNICUM

The concentrated product is intended for comprehensive cleaning of upholstered furniture. An effective and very economical product has a pleasant aroma, foams well and dries quickly, so you don’t have to wait long for cleaning results. Like the previous product, Unicum leaves behind a very thin protective film.

NORDLAND

A universal product for cleaning sofas upholstered in natural materials. The foam penetrates deep into the fibers of the fabric and removes grease, dirt and dust without leaving a trace, and neutralizes the smell of tobacco. The drug from Germany copes well even with old stains, the origin of which is unknown.

Each of the products described above is good in its own way and is suitable for specific upholstery materials, as indicated in the manufacturer’s instructions.

Preparation and processing proceed according to the following scenario:

1. Use a vacuum cleaner with a special attachment to remove dust, crumbs, and hair, trying to get into every crevice and fold of the upholstery. If there is no vacuum cleaner, the furniture is covered with a damp sheet and knocked out by hand.
2. Dried clods of dirt are scraped off with a dull knife. For more effective cleaning, the area of ​​contamination can be pre-soaked with soapy water.
3. According to the instructions, treat the furniture upholstery with the selected preparation.
4. A refreshing cleaning is carried out using a specialized product, after which the sofa is left to dry completely.

At the end of the treatment, the surface of the armchair, chair or sofa is thoroughly cleaned again using a vacuum cleaner.

Folk remedies

If you don’t have a special industrial preparation in your house or don’t want to use chemicals in cleaning, you can use proven folk remedies.

• Laundry soap and vinegar

You can clean a chair with fabric upholstery or a dirty sofa using regular laundry soap and vinegar. The soap bar is ground on a grater and dissolved in warm water at the rate of 4 tbsp. l. shavings per 3 liters of liquid. Add 150 ml of table vinegar and whip up a fluffy foam. Using a sponge, apply foam to the furniture surface, and after half an hour, vacuum the dried upholstery.

• Vinegar and salt

Pour 2 liters of water, 2 tsp. into a small bath or basin. 70% vinegar essence and add 4 tsp. salt. A cotton sheet is moistened in the resulting solution, wrung out thoroughly and covered the surface of the chair or chair. Now you need to knock out the dust until the sheet stops absorbing dirt.

• Vinegar, soda and powder

This method is especially effective for cleaning furniture with light-colored upholstery. A homemade spray is prepared as follows: pour 1 tbsp into the spray bottle. l. washing powder and 1 tbsp. l. soda, add 100 ml of table vinegar and the same amount of water. The mixture is shaken until foam forms and sprayed onto the fabric surface.

• Ammonia and vinegar

A preparation made from vinegar and ammonia can help renew greasy upholstery and remove stains, stains and general dirt. Fill a 1/2 liter jar with warm water and add 1 tbsp. l.alcohol and 1 tbsp. l. vinegar. Using a sponge soaked in the solution, treat the entire surface of the furniture, paying special attention to the most contaminated areas.

Cleaning a sofa from stains

It is not always possible to get by with just general preventive cleaning of the sofa; sometimes you also have to remove old stains that have become ingrained into the fabric. The work will go much faster if the origin of the stain is known exactly.

Here are a few proven techniques to remove stains from sofa upholstery:

Coffee

Traces of tea and coffee appearing on the sofa in the living room or kitchen are a common occurrence. To remove such stains, just soak the soap in water, whip up the foam and apply it to the stain. After 20–30 seconds, the foam is collected with a damp cloth, and the upholstery in this area is dried with a paper towel.

Sweat

Often the sofa is used as a sleeping place. In this case, it is possible that the upholstery will become saturated with sweat, and the furniture will acquire a characteristic unpleasant odor. There are several inexpensive remedies to deal with this problem:

1. citric acid, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, is sprayed onto the area of ​​contamination with a spray bottle;
2. salt or ground coffee is scattered over the surface of the sofa, and after a few hours it is removed with a vacuum cleaner;
3. a weak solution of manganese or iodine can be used on furniture with dark upholstery.

Red wine

A fresh trace of red wine should be sprinkled with salt until it absorbs all the moisture along with the dye. It is better to treat the old stain with ethyl alcohol and then wash it with soapy water.

Tobacco

You can remove the smell of nicotine using 70% acetic acid, which in an amount of 2 tbsp. l. diluted in 1 liter of water.Use a soft sponge soaked in the solution to treat the area of ​​contamination, and, if necessary, the entire sofa. Acetic acid can be replaced with citric acid.

Blood

Fresh blood stains should be quickly wiped off with wet cloths soaked in cold water. For extensive dried stains, the best remedy is hydrogen peroxide. The liquid is poured onto the stain and collected with a paper napkin, moving from the edge to the center.

Ball pen

Alcohol will help remove ink stains and get rid of “autographs” left with a ballpoint pen on the sofa seat. A cotton pad is moistened with medical alcohol and the ink scribbles are carefully removed.

Oil stains

Grease and oil stains are the most common guests on furniture upholstery, so the question of what is the best means to remove such stains is relevant for every housewife.

Here's a simple but effective way to deal with grease stains:

1. the area of ​​contamination is sprinkled with salt, chalk or talcum powder (whatever is available on the farm);
2. wait 5–10 minutes until the bulk substance is saturated with fat;
3. shake off the powder with a brush.

Now all that remains is to wash the affected area with Fairy and dry it.

Juice

To remove traces of spilled juice, you can use a solution consisting of 1 tbsp. l. table vinegar and 1 tbsp. l. ammonia. The mixture is rubbed into the soiled area and left until completely dry.

Beer

The fabric upholstery of a chair that has been stained with beer can be easily revived using a regular soap solution. Washing powder, liquid soap, and dishwashing gel are suitable for its preparation.

If after cleaning there is a thick beer smell left, you need to spray the furniture with diluted vinegar (3 tablespoons per 1 liter of water).

The easiest way to wash a soiled removable cover is with conditioner.

Urine

Pet owners know how difficult it can be to remove urine stains and smells from sofa upholstery. However, even in this difficult situation, proven folk remedies will help.

Cleaning algorithm:

1. quickly blot the fresh puddle with a paper towel;
2. treat the stain with vinegar and water, combining them in a ratio of 1:3;
3. wait 3 hours for the product to take effect;
4. Sprinkle baking soda on the dirty area to remove excess moisture and immediately brush off with a brush;
5. treat the stain with hydrogen peroxide and cover it with baking soda again;
6. When the fabric is dry, remove any remaining powder with a brush or vacuum cleaner.

It is almost impossible to eliminate old urine stains without a trace at home, so you will probably have to resort to the services of professionals.

Nuances of different types of fabrics

In the modern furniture industry, a variety of materials are used as upholstery for armchairs, chairs and sofas, and each of them requires an individual approach.

• Leather. A luxurious leather sofa requires careful care. Dust and sand get clogged into the pores and folds of natural material. Crumbs and specks with sharp edges scratch the delicate leather surface. To maintain the respectable appearance of the sofa, its surface must be regularly wiped with a damp cloth and lubricated with cosmetic Vaseline.
• Velours. Products upholstered with this delicate velvety material must be cleaned extremely carefully, moving in the direction of the pile. You should not use a vacuum cleaner to avoid getting “bald” areas. A solution with salt and vinegar is safe for velor.
• Tapestry. Fabric upholstery of this type is afraid of getting wet.Liquid that gets into the sofa filler can permanently damage the product and cause an unpleasant moldy odor.
• Viscose. The best cleaners for viscose upholstery are acetic acid and citric acid, which will prevent discoloration in the cleaning area.
• Silk. The silk surface can be easily cleaned with a solution made from water and mild washing powder. However, before the procedure, it is necessary to test the composition on an inconspicuous corner of the fabric, since some types of dyed silk can fade.

If you regularly and properly care for your favorite sofa, it will last for decades and will retain its original appearance throughout its entire service life. There are many simple methods and means used to carry out preventive cleaning and remove complex stains from upholstery fabric. Well, if not one of them suits, you will have to go to the dry cleaner.