What means to clean the sofa at home

How to clean upholstered furniture at home

Cleaning methods are distinguished between dry and wet. Different methods are used depending on the complexity of the dirt, the frequency of cleaning and the time allocated for cleaning.

Gloves should be worn to protect hand skin from exposure to chemicals.

In addition to the sofa, you must also regularly look after:

• Armchairs
• Chair seats
• Cushions and poufs

They often forget to clean such furniture, but dust and hair of pets also accumulate here, which becomes a breeding ground for infections and bacteria. As a rule, dry cleaning is used to care for small upholstered furniture.

Dry cleaning

This method is the simplest, since it does not require the preparation of special solutions, drying of furniture. Dry cleaning is recommended once a week. For her use:

• Brush
• Vacuum cleaner
• A spatula for knocking out.

The easiest way to clean your furniture is with a brush. A product with stiff bristles is suitable for this. The brush cleans well velor, pile, fur capes.

The most convenient and durable brushes are those with a light plastic base and a durable handle.

It makes sense to use a vacuum cleaner for tapestry or matting. Combine vacuum and brush effectively.

Wet cleaning

Wet cleaning is recommended once a month. This rhythm will allow you to keep upholstered furniture always in a neat and new look. Regular wet cleaning will protect against heavy grease and old stains.

Wet cleaning has one feature - after it you need to dry the furniture, otherwise mold will start in it. Cover the sofa with a bedspread, rug or cape only after it is completely dry.

When using a vacuum cleaner, you need to put on a special attachment with a brush.

Different ways are used to dry furniture:

• Vacuum cleaner
• Dry towels
• Hair dryer
• Natural drying

The vacuum cleaner uses air circulation to help the moisture evaporate faster. This allows the sofa to dry naturally. At the same time, it helps to remove moisture from deep layers, if it gets there.

Dry towels only help dry the top layer of the upholstery. To do this, they are laid out on furniture, and after 1-2 minutes they are removed. The procedure can be repeated several times.

It is better to vacuum in a gentle, weak mode.

Dry deep and highly moist areas with a hairdryer. It is usually used when something is spilled on the product. In this case, it is better to dry with cold air. High temperatures can dry out the cushion filling. When drying, the hair dryer should also not be brought too close to the product, it is better to keep it at a distance of 20-30 cm.

Natural drying is best done with the windows open - this will dry the furniture faster. They always complete all drying procedures. However, this method is not as fast.

White upholstery must be handled with extreme caution.

How to get rid of odors?

Special furniture shampoos can be successfully used to remove odors from various drinks. Apply the diluted agent according to the instructions to the surface of the sofa and dry. In some cases, it is not possible to get rid of the smell so easily: the aroma of spilled beer or urine is very persistent. In those cases when it was not possible to treat the stain from the ingress of liquid immediately, the filler and upholstery soaked in it exude a strong and unpleasant odor, even if there are no traces on the surface.

The smell of beer or juice can be removed with a vinegar solution (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water). A piece of cloth, large enough to cover the dirty area, moisten well, squeeze out a little and spread on the sofa. Press down firmly on the fabric so that the vinegar-smelling moisture gets on the filler and soaks the upholstery. Repeat the treatment several times and dry the sofa.The vinegar aroma disappears on its own in 2-3 days. You can add some fabric softener to the solution if you like.

The smell of urine, especially cat urine, is much more difficult to remove. When decomposed in air, substances are formed that are practically insoluble in water. People have known how to clean the sofa in this case for a long time. To remove persistent odors from upholstery and foam, you can try the following folk remedies:

1. 1 The smell of human urine on dark furniture can be weakened with the help of iodine tincture: dissolve 15-20 drops of a pharmaceutical product in 1 liter of water. Clean the upholstery with this solution and try to moisten the filler as deep as possible.
2. 2 It is better to clean light upholstery with vinegar water, lemon juice, diluted in a proportion of 2-3 tbsp. l. 0.5 l of water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
3. 3 Traces of cat urine have a particularly strong odor and must be removed in several steps. First you need to wet the upholstery with vinegar solution (1 part 9% vinegar to 3 parts water), dry the furniture. After that, sprinkle the surface with soda and sprinkle with a solution of hydrogen peroxide from a spray bottle (combine the pharmaceutical preparation with water 1: 1). The product will foam strongly, it should be left on the upholstery for 2-3 hours, then remove the residue with a damp cloth and dry. After complete drying, collect the soda crystals with a vacuum cleaner or brush them off.
4. 4If the cat has "done its business" in the absence of the owners and urine has managed to get inside the sofa, you should dilute the foam for cleaning carpets "Vanish" according to the instructions. Spill the sofa with the solution so that the liquid penetrates as deeply as possible: you can put a heavy object on the seat or press with your hands, driving the solution into the depths. Blot the upholstery and dry the sofa for several days. After drying, vacuum it.

If the smell is very deeply ingrained into the fabrics and filler, it will not disappear after the first treatment. In this case, you will have to clean the sofa at home again by adding fabric softener to the used product.

Covers made of dense material that will not let grease and dirt get to the upholstery will help save furniture from pollution and increase its service life. Even traces of a feline "crime" are much easier to remove from the fabric than to clean the entire sofa, and if there is a child in the family, the cover can prevent the purchase of new furniture. A wide selection of fabrics in modern stores will allow you to choose a material for sewing a cover that can complement the interior and even repeat the upholstery itself. But you can remove dirt from the cape in a regular washing machine.

Traditional methods of cleaning greasy upholstery on upholstered furniture

Grease and scuffs that appear during use on the surface of the sofa can be removed with folk remedies.

Before choosing a recipe, consider the type of sofa upholstery. Not all fabrics can be wet or rubbed with a brush.

Stubborn stains are removed by a strong saline solution.

• In a liter of warm water, dilute 2 tablespoons of salt.
• The composition is applied to the stain and after a third of an hour is removed with a slightly damp sponge.

Spots that have appeared recently can be sprinkled with salt. After 15-20 minutes, it is removed with a vacuum cleaner.

Sodium chloride removes grease from the upholstery of the sofa. There are several ways to do this:

1. Blot stains with a damp sponge or cloth and sprinkle with baking soda. After 30 minutes, wipe the upholstery with a microfiber brush or cloth, wait until the treated areas are dry and vacuum the sofa. Wipe the surface with a damp sponge or cloth.

Rinse them out as often as possible to eliminate streaks.

Old stains can be removed with soda gruel.It is mixed with water in a 1: 1 ratio. It is applied to the rubbed area and gently rubbed into it with a soft-bristled brush. After an hour, if the sofa is dry, it is vacuumed. The remains of soda are removed with a damp sponge or cloth.
A mixture of baking soda, water and dishwashing liquid can remove stubborn dirt. In a liter of water, mix two tablespoons of soda and detergent. Stir and apply foam to problem areas. After 15 minutes, the composition is removed with a damp cloth.

Vinegar and soda

A mixture of 9% vinegar with the addition of baking soda removes grease and returns brightness to the upholstery.

What you need:

1. Spray bottle with a volume of 1 liter.
2. 100 milliliters of vinegar.
3. 0.5 l of water.
4. A tablespoon of baking soda.

Reapply it if necessary. After the stains have been removed, wipe the treated area with a cloth dampened in clean water.

For more detailed instructions on how to clean your sofa with baking soda and vinegar, click here.

Laundry soap

What you need:

1. A container with a volume of more than 5 liters.
2. Grater.
3. A bar of laundry soap.
4. Rag or brush.

It is necessary to rub the soap, dissolve the shavings in water, beat the foam. Rub it on problem areas and leave for 10 minutes. Wipe gently with a brush or microfiber cloth.

If you don't feel like messing around with the soap shavings, you can slightly moisten the greasy spot with a spray bottle and rub it with laundry soap. Leave on for 10 minutes, then remove with a damp cloth and brush.

This method requires less preparation time. It will take a little longer to remove soap from the sofa. Pile upholstery should only be cleaned in the direction of the pile.

Ammonia

To clean the upholstery from grease, you can use ammonia:

1. It is diluted with water 1: 1.
2. Rub the stains with a cosmetic disc or soft cloth.
3. After the grease is removed, wipe the surface with a damp, clean cloth.

Shaving foam

You can remove dirt from light-colored upholstery with shaving foam.

After 20-30 minutes, the foam is removed with a damp sponge, then the sofa is wiped with a dry microfiber cloth.

On old stains, the product can be left overnight. They start cleaning the sofa from the back, then go to the seats, then the armrests.

Eliminate the smell of new furniture

Upholstered furniture can smell unpleasant for one of three reasons:

• the material (usually chipboard), from which the frame of the sofa or chair is made, decomposes, releasing toxic substances into the air;
• a specific smell comes from leatherette upholstery;
• the seller kept the piece of furniture in a poorly ventilated warehouse with high humidity, which made the upholstery damp and saturated with a musty smell.

If the cause of the stench is chipboard, the furniture should be laid out, all removable pillows should be taken out to the balcony for ventilation (so that they do not burn out, they should not be exposed to direct sunlight), and the wooden box should be vacuumed from the inside, thoroughly cleaning it from sawdust. The room with upholstered furniture is ventilated for 10-24 hours.

Many people react painfully to the scent of new leatherette. Folk remedies can only spoil the coating, they cannot cope with the smell. Purchase a Leather good cleaner from OPTIMA or a similar product and apply it to the upholstery.

If there is a musty smell from the fabric upholstery, the furniture should be carefully inspected. If mold is found on wood parts (chipboard) or on the upholstery, the furniture will have to be returned to the seller.

If the piece of furniture is just a little damp, a dehumidifier or heater is turned on next to it.

How to clean a leather sofa at home

You will need:

• Soft rag (2 pcs);
• Warm water;
• Mild soap such as Dove
• White alcohol vinegar or ordinary vinegar 9%;
• Olive or linseed oil.
• Microfiber cloth.
• Toothpaste or hairspray (to remove stains)

Instructions:

Step 1. Make a warm, soapy solution with warm water and mild soap.

Step 2.Dampen your rag with soapy water and wipe the upholstery thoroughly with it.

Step 3. Wipe the sofa with a clean dry cloth to remove moisture.

Step 4. Now, we need to use a conditioner that will protect the skin and refresh its appearance. To do this, mix one part vinegar with two parts linseed or olive oil. Rub the mixture all over the leather upholstery and leave it on for 10 minutes.

Step 5. After 10 minutes, buff the skin with a dry microfiber cloth.

Do not use undiluted vinegar or wet wipes that contain alcohol, as these will draw moisture out of your skin and cause cracks.

Step 6. How to clean stains from a leather sofa? In order to remove any dirt, you need to locally apply a mild toothpaste or hairspray (after testing on an invisible area!), Then quickly wipe off the product with a clean cloth. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

Hairspray works especially well for removing ink from pens and felt-tip pens.

Methods for getting rid of stains

There are several types of stains that appear most often on the sofa. It is necessary to figure out in advance how to get rid of them.

Coffee

Some people messy with their coffee on the couch, which leads to stains. Coffee stains do not stick to the surface and are therefore easy to clean up. To do this, you can use a soapy solution, which is made from laundry soap and hot water. The stain is wiped 2-3 times, after which the wet surface is dried with a hairdryer.

Red wine

If you spill red wine on a sofa, it will not only stain it, but also an unpleasant smell. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the upholstery immediately after spilling wine. When cleaning wine stains, use regular salt. Pour 2-3 grams of salt on each stain, after which it is rubbed into the upholstery with a brush. Then the treated area is wiped with a damp cloth.

Oil stains

Oily contamination is the most dangerous, as it eats into the surface. As with red wine, you can use salt. However, before applying it, a paper sheet is applied to the upholstery and heated with an iron. After that, the heated area is sprinkled with salt, which is rubbed in with a brush.

Blood

You can clean the upholstery of blood with folk remedies. A vinegar solution is often used. To create a mixture for purifying blood, 60-70 milliliters of nine percent vinegar is added to a liter of water. After using the vinegar, the sofa is washed with soapy water and plain warm water.

Ballpoint pen

Many people think that removing the marks from a ballpoint pen is very difficult, but this is not the case. To remove ink stains from the surface, it is enough to wipe it with alcohol wipes. You need to rub until the upholstery is clean. After that, the wiped section of the sofa is washed with soapy water and dried.

Juice

Many people do not recommend drinking juice on the couch, as it leaves stains and an unpleasant odor. You can eliminate the traces left from the spilled juice with vinegar and ammonia. These components are mixed in a one-to-one ratio. Then the prepared mixture is applied to a cotton pad, which is used to treat the stain. One treatment is enough for the juice marks to disappear.

Beer

Traces of this intoxicating drink cannot be dealt with with ordinary water. To clean the upholstery, you will need to make a soapy solution. A third of a bar of laundry soap is added to a liter of boiling water. Stir the liquid thoroughly and insist until it cools down to room temperature.

Chewing gum or plasticine

There are times when gum or plasticine remains on the surface of the sofa. There are several effective methods to help clean upholstery:

• treatment with petroleum jelly;
• warming up with a hair dryer for drying hair;
• using a liquid that removes nail polish;
• the use of tools for working with upholstered furniture.

Sweat

After prolonged use of the sofa, traces of sweat appear on its upholstery, which smell unpleasant. Baking soda and vinegar will help get rid of sweat and odor. First, soda is poured onto the contaminated surface area.

It is carefully rubbed into the upholstery, after which it is poured with vinegar and left in this form for 8-10 hours so that the stain has time to dissolve

Tobacco

There is an effective folk way to remove traces of tobacco from a fabric surface. To do this, cover the sofa with a terry towel soaked in warm water. After 3-4 hours, it is re-moistened and the sofa is covered with it. After four hours, the towel is removed, and the stains are sprinkled with powder and wiped off with a brush.

How to clean natural and artificial leather

Parents of every kid know perfectly well that a leather sofa literally attracts a child. Therefore, its surface is periodically covered with children's art. Consider how you can quickly clean a sofa made of eco-leather, leatherette or natural material:

• Professional products for cleaning leather furniture, such as Bugs Super Leather, HG, ECOMIST, Leather Ultra Clean. Such tools are universal, and equally effectively wipe both a leatherette sofa and eco-leather - white and dark.
• Concentrated soap solution. It will effectively help if a pissed white leather sofa is stained with dog or cat urine.
• If you have mud deposits, it is best to use a nourishing face cream.
• When you need to wash the felt-tip pen, you should carefully clean the contamination with a cotton swab moistened with medical alcohol.
• If you need to quickly clean a light leather sofa, you need to treat its surface with heated cow's milk.

Cleaning the sofa from different types of stains

As a general rule, it is better to wash or dry clean any stain, while it is fresh and has not had time to be absorbed. The older the pollution, the more difficult it is to deal with.

From wine

Try the following methods:

1. Blot a fresh stain with a napkin, add kitchen salt, wait 20-30 minutes, sweep away the salt soaked in dirt.
2. Regular laundry soap works well with red wine. The water is only cold! Hot will only help the stain to quickly absorb into the upholstery of the sofa.
3. An aqueous solution of vinegar essence (1 to 2 ratio) can also help.

The wine stain must be blotted off immediately with a napkin.

If all else fails, use an all-purpose stain remover or cleaning products designed for the fabric of your sofa.

From blood

There are several ways:

1. A tablespoon of salt per half liter of water. After 30-40 minutes, wipe the place of contamination with a sponge or cloth moistened with the same solution.
2. Alcohol solution 1: 1, vinegar is more potent.

There are several ways to remove blood from your sofa.

Blot the fresh stain immediately with paper towels. Only after collecting all the blood, begin to scrub the stain from the edges to the center. Do not pour liquid over the contaminated area. Soak a soft cloth or sponge in the cleaning solution and gently remove the blood without pressing. After cleaning, you can sprinkle with salt and gently brush it off after 20-30 minutes.

It is better to entrust the cleaning of pile fabrics to professionals. It is too easy to overdo it and "decorate" the upholstery with bald patches.

Blood can be easily removed from flock and chenille with ammonia (work with gloves!). Please note this method will not work with most other upholstery materials.

From coffee

Wipe the coffee stain with a sponge soaked in warm water. Apply a solution of vinegar essence (1: 1). After 10-15 minutes, rinse the surface with warm water.

All you need to clean a coffee stain is warm water and vinegar.

From a ballpoint pen

Fresh ink can be easily removed with rubbing alcohol. Turpentine or methyl alcohol do a good job with dried spots. Then the cleaned surfaces are gently rinsed with water. Consider the material of the upholstery. In some cases, it is better to use special cleaning agents.

Ballpoint pen marks can be cleaned with both folk and chemical means.

From beer

Dampen a piece of cotton cloth with vodka. Apply to beer stain. After about 20 minutes, carefully remove the cloth and wash the place of contamination with soapy water, and then with plain water.

The beer stain can be washed off with ordinary vodka.

From juice

Juice stains can be easily removed on most upholstery with a vinegar solution (1 to 2). Blot liquid, rinse with water, let dry. If the stain persists, try scrubbing it off with a hydrogen peroxide sponge.

The vinegar solution will help cleanse the sofa as well.

Recommendations for proper sofa care

The furniture must be constantly looked after. In order for the sofa to serve for a long time and look attractive, you should follow simple rules:

knock out the sofa every month and wipe it with special solutions for upholstered furniture;
if liquid is spilled, it is important to remove all traces as soon as possible - blot the stain with a dry cloth or paper napkin, preventing deep penetration to the wooden base or chipboard frame;
do not let pets on the sofa, do not allow them to sleep in the living room at night;
when small children or pets appear in the house, it is necessary to cover the furniture with special covers that can be easily washed in a typewriter;
to prevent the appearance of fungus and other problems associated with high humidity, it is worth maintaining a dry environment in the room and getting rid of all sources of dampness.

Upholstered furniture in an apartment or house is often saturated with unpleasant odors, which is why it causes a lot of trouble to the owners. The new sofa smells and you definitely need to do something with it. If you approach the solution of the problem wisely and first understand the reasons for this phenomenon, the sofa will acquire a pleasant aroma and will delight the household for a long time.

Cleaning sofas with different coverings

Depending on the upholstery material, stains are removed from the sofa in different ways

It is important during work not to spoil the coating with a product that cleans upholstered furniture.

After removing the stains, they begin to clean the entire surface.

Natural wool

First of all, such a coating should be thoroughly vacuumed. For further processing of natural wool upholstery, you need to take a cleaning agent, how to clean and dilute, it is written on the package.

Carpet shampoo is also good. In most cases, the substance is simply added to the water and whipped into a foam, which is applied to the surface.

The foam is washed off with a damp cloth, after which the sofa is vacuumed and dried again, which takes about 20 hours.

Silk

A sofa with natural silk upholstery is considered an elite piece of furniture that always looks luxurious, perfectly decorating the room.

This delicate finish requires careful handling and care.

Stain removers and household chemical cleaners cannot be applied to it. For everyday cleaning of silk surfaces, use a soft cloth brush.

If more thorough processing is required, then it is better to entrust it to professionals.

Synthetic

Regardless of whether it is genuine leather or synthetic, damage appears on it over time: scratches, greasy spots, microcracks.

For a sofa with artificial turf to last as long as possible, it needs proper care. Cleaning this upholstery is easy.

Light dirt from synthetic leather is removed with a suitable detergent to which ammonia is added.

To do this, a sponge is moistened in the solution and the surface is thoroughly wiped, after which the artificial leather must be well dried so that moisture does not destroy the coating.

To prevent stains from absorbing into the surface of the sofa, it should be covered with specially designed products, having carefully studied the instructions for caring for synthetic leather.

It is strictly forbidden to use chlorine-containing products for cleaning.

Leather

Before starting work, you should provide easy access to furniture and clean the leather sofa with a soft flannel cloth, without using hard brushes.

Daily wiping with a slightly damp flannel will be enough to remove dust from the leather cover. If there are stubborn stains, it is permissible to use detergents in the form of a gel or cream.

Do not use abrasive powders. Alcohol and gasoline are also suitable for removing stubborn stains, but it is recommended to wipe the surface immediately with a damp cloth after such treatment.

You can also wash the natural leather surface with soapy water. But often resorting to this method is undesirable, since it dries the skin and provokes the formation of cracks.

Therefore, after cleaning, it is necessary to polish the sofa by treating the sofa with vegetable oil, glycerin, whipped protein or milk, which will restore the surface, which will increase the life of the leather sofa.

Velor

For velor upholstery, it is allowed to use vinegar, which is diluted in water (1 tsp of vinegar is taken for 1 liter of water).

The microfiber is moistened in the solution and the upholstery is cleaned in the direction of the pile, then the rag is wrung out in clean water, the sofa is wiped and blotted with a dry towel.

Old stains are cleaned with a special brush, one side of which is rubber, the other is harder, used for hardened stains. Glossy places are treated with the rubber side.

Basic Precautions

When working with solvents and other harsh chemicals, wear gloves and try to protect your hands, face and especially eyes. If toxic liquid does come into contact with your skin, immediately rinse the affected area well with warm water. Before using harsh chemicals, place plastic bags or old newspapers on the floor around the sofa.

Gloves must be worn when working with household chemicals.

Most of the dirt can be easily removed from the surface of the sofa, even without the use of special cleaning products. The main thing is not to delay cleaning and try to remove the stain as quickly as possible. Without waiting for it to be absorbed into the surface.