Don’t let tough stains and messy spills cramp your lifestyle – follow this easy, step-by-step process on the best way to clean a material sofa with baking soda, cleaning detergents plus more.

How to Clean a Fabric Sofa for Stains

Get to the stains quickly. As soon as a spill or stain occurs, arrive at cleaning it immediately. Waiting too much time before treating a stain – a good a few a few minutes – might cause the stain to put, so that it is harder to leave.

Check the manufacturer’s recommendations. Before using any cleaning detergents or solutions, look into the manufacturer’s instructions for care, which could usually be found around the sofa’s tags. Failing to use safe cleaning products could mean permanently damaged upholstery.

Check the cleaning codes to your fabric sofa. You know those random letters on the sofa’s tags? Those are in fact codes! Check out the table below for your list of codes – and what you mean.

fabric sofa

— Cleaning Code for Fabric Sofas Chart —

Cleaning Code What it Means

W Water-based cleaner. Only use a water-based cleaner to completely clean the upholstery. A water-based cleaner is a kind of solution that utilizes water since the main component.

S/W Solvents and water-based cleaners. It is stable both solvents and water-based cleaners.

S Solvents. Only use a solvent to scrub the upholstery. A solvent is a form of solution that utilizes a cleaning chemical as the main component.

4. Use a dry brush to take out loose particles. Go over the complete sofa which has a stiff brush with natural bristles to help loosen stains and produce dust and dirt on the surface.

5. Vacuum. Before scrubbing and cleaning your fabric sofa, make use of a hand-held vacuum to remove crumbs and then any other loose particles. This will allow it to be easier to identify while focusing on troublesome stains when it comes time to clean.

6. Clean with baking soda. Baking soda isn’t exclusively for baking – it’s also an effective cleaning treatment. In fact, sprinkling baking soda over the entire couch will help remove odors and further loosen stains. You can also work with a homemade baking soda solution for virtually any parts of deep-set stains; in the bowl, mix together equal parts baking soda and water. For either the dry or wet solution, let the baking soda sit for 15-20 minutes. Once the baking soda has fully absorbed the stain, vacuum it down which has a brush attachment. And as with all types of cleaning solutions, always spot treat an exam portion of the sofa before cleaning it fully.

7. Spot treat with all the recommended agent. Begin cleaning your couch using the recommended product. If you are unsure if the product falls inside the recommendations, test a little area for almost any discoloration before proceeding. Whether you work with a water-based cleaner or possibly a solvent (or both), do as instructed around the packaging. If the instructions say it's safe to do so, utilize a soft cloth to wipe away the perfect solution is.

8. Dry your fabric sofa which has a soft towel. Pat down any wet areas using a dry towel to soak up the remainder moisture. Gently brush off any remaining cleaning solution.

9. Let your fabric sofa air dry. Let the upholstery air dry overnight, and enjoy a brand new sofa each day!

Need to completely clean a leather sofa instead? Check out the Leather Sofa Cleaning Guide.

How to Clean a Fabric Sofa which has a Steamer

What you’ll need:

An upholstery steam cleaner. Make sure before using that the manufacturer’s recommendations state it can be safe for a cloth couch. Note, too, that simply because your sofa is water-safe doesn’t ensure it is heat-safe. As with other kinds of cleaners, always test spot an area prior to going full-steam (pun-intended)!

What to accomplish:

Read the manual. There’s reasons why a steam cleaner includes instructions. Read them carefully before commencing.

Vacuum first. Vacuuming your sofa – or anything, for that matter – before cleaning can make it a whole lot much easier to fix it. Dirt, dust and other loose particles won’t impede and may give your steam cleaner a clean canvas for you to use.

Keep air circulated. Turn on a lover and open all of the windows space for a powerful cross breeze. This will assistance to keep mid-air circulation strong, preventing moisture buildup and residue.

Spot test a location first. This step can be so important, it bears repeating. Pick a small hidden destination for a test the cleaner, such since the back or the within the sofa’s skirt (whether or not this has one, and when the inside material is constructed of exactly the same fabric as the outside of the sofa).

Let the sofa air dry. Don’t sit for the sofa while it’s still wet. Keep the windows open to aid dry out the room. Be aware that it may take leaving the sofa untouched overnight because of it to totally dry.

Vacuum last. Vacuuming again, once you’ve steamed the upholstery, might help make certain that any dirt that's loosened from the cleaner gets removed. Just remember to wait until the sofa is completely dry before vacuuming!