From coffee stains to pen leakage or food spills, sofas and couches very often get dirty as they are used a lot during the day. As they are the centerpieces of your lounge, they must be cleaned immediately to not give a bad look to the whole lounge. Therefore, sofa cleaning is an important house management skill that one must know. Below are some important tips that tell you how to remove stains from a sofa by yourself. Before anything else, you should check the care tag for your sofa that can tell you it’s cleaning requirements.
- W means that it is okay to clean it with water or water-based cleaning solutions, but solvents should be avoided. Usually, a mixture of water and soap is best for these. Vacuuming is also fine for these sofas.
- S shows that these sofas require special dry solvents and should not be cleaned with water or water-based solutions. The dry-cleaning solvents can be bought from superstores or online. These sofas can also be vacuumed.
- SW means that you can use either of the above-mentioned techniques to clean this type of sofas. Usually, it is better to use dry solvents before going to water-based solutions. This type of sofas is quite rare, so it is advisable to consult a professional for its cleaning.
- X means that the sofa should not be cleaned with either water-based solutions or with commercial dry solvents. These types of sofas can only be cleaned with a vacuum, and if that is not enough, you will need to get professional help for their cleaning.
After checking the care tag of your sofa, you can proceed to clean it. Below are mentioned some common stains that affect sofas and effective methods to remove each type of stain.
- Food stains:
Common food stains can be cleaned using water with soap and a sponge. For protein stains, cold water is better, while for dairy products, warm water is more helpful. Alternatively, a liquid detergent can also be used with a sponge to clean.
- Ink stains:
Blotting at the stain from outward to inward with rubbing alcohol or a dry-cleaning solvent is most effective. Rubbing is not recommended because it can further spread the stain.
- Beer stains:
To remove the beer stain, rub it with an ice cube and then pour a teaspoon of liquid detergent mixed with warm water on it and blot with a paper towel.
- Coffee stains:
For a coffee stain, blotting the stain after pouring a mixture of liquid detergent and warm water on it is recommended.
- Greasy stains:
Mix baking soda and water and use this mixture on the stain and let it soak all the moisture. Then vacuum out the baking soda and blot out the stain.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, one size does not fit all. You need to choose one of the above methods considering the material of your sofa and the nature of the stain to perfectly clean it.
