The sofa is meant to be one of the warmest, coziest and most welcoming spots in your home.
It is especially perfect for cozying up with your fur babies, human babies, a glass of wine and food. Occasionally, it’ll serve as an indoor trampoline when the jumping bug bites the kids.
Not surprisingly, stains seem to find their way onto the sofa every now and then — stains that don’t always come off when you want them to.
But before you attempt a stain-removing mission with a vengeance, be sure to check your furniture’s cleaning codes to make sure you’re using the right chemicals to get the job done.
Here are the codes to look out for:
WS: Use a mild detergent with a steam vacuum or a dry-cleaning detergent.
S: Use a dry cleaner detergent only.
X: Use a vacuum only, no water.
W: Use only water to clean it.
D: Dry clean only.
Once you have identified which chemicals and types of cleansing formulas you can and cannot use on your sofa, it’s time to go shopping for them.
Here’s a run-down of our favourites:
1. Adam’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
Adam’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner works well even on the most stubborn of stains.
To make it work, spritz it on the stained area, agitate with a brush or towel, and finally, wipe to remove offending stains on your sofa.
It is safe, non-toxic, and hypo-allergic, so you don’t have to worry about chemical side-effects that it may have on you or the people you live with.
You can also use it on your carpets, car seats, and rugs if they happen to have stubborn stains on them too.
2. Dr. Beasley’s Microsuede Cleanser
If your fabric is made of microsuede, Dr. Beasley’s Microsuede Cleanser is what you’re looking for since its able to remove tough stains without hardening or altering the colour of your sofa’s fabric.
After spraying the cleanser, use a brush or cloth to spread out the fluid evenly across the fabric. Then, let formula dry, which will likely take a few minutes.
Once the formula has dried, voila! You have a super-clean looking microsuede sofa.
3. Real Simple’s Clean Leather Furniture Cleaner and Conditioner
Got a leather sofa? Real Simple’s Clean Leather Furniture Cleaner and Conditioner is what you need.
The plant-based solution will get rid of dirt and grime, while simultaneously conditioning the leather on your sofa.
For best results, clean your leather sofa regularly to keep it looking its best.
4. Bissell’s SpotClean ProHeat Portable Spot and Stain Carpet Cleaner
Tired of scrubbing away at stains with your hands?
Bissell’s SpotClean ProHeat Portable Spot And Stain Carpet Cleaner is a compact, multi-purpose vacuum that delivers a deep cleaning to carpets and sofa upholstery.
It helps spray and brush away at stains using multiple tools like the vacuum hose or brush, and is designed to get to hard-to-reach places, especially on upholstery, carpets, rugs and car interiors.
Depending on the severity of the stain, whether human-made or pet-made, do make sure to purchase the right formula to go along with this cleaner.
5. Homemade Removers
More of DIY kind of person?
We’ve got 3 different cleaning solution recipes that you use to make own formulas.
If you have fabric upholstery:
- Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 3/4 warm water and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap
- Load the mixture into a spray bottle
- Mist the stained spots
- Scrub the stains with a cloth until they start to fade
- Use a clean, moistened cloth to remove the soap mixture
- Dry the cleaned area with a towel
If you have leather upholstery:
- Combine 1/2 cup olive oil with a 1/4 cup of vinegar
- Load the mixture into a spray bottle
- Spritz it onto the stained surface of your couch
- Buff these areas with a soft cloth and leave to dry
If you have synthetic upholstery:
- Combine a 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of warm water and 1/2 tablespoon of dish soap
- Load the mixture in a spray bottle
- Spritz the area that’s stained
- Scrub it gently with a soft cloth until the stain loosens and is removed
- Moisten another cloth with clean water to remove the soap mixture
- Dry the cleaned, moist area with a towel
The quickest solution for any fabric material:
- Make sure the affected area is dry
- Spill a little baking soda powder on the affected area
- Leave for 20-30 minutes
- Vacuum the baking soda off
Stains can be hard to look at and even harder to remove, so why not have them happen on something that can be easily thrown into the washing machine?
You can’t throw your whole sofa into the washing machine, but you can throw its slipcovers in for a quick n’ easy wash and put them back on like nothing ever happened.
You’ll also be able to give your couch a whole new look which can be easily switched up whenever the mood strikes. 😉
Get a sneak peek of our slipcover fabrics: