Cleaning the sofa at home

Upholstered furniture in the process of operation gradually loses its attractive appearance, becoming covered with dirt, dust, pet hair, stains of various origins. The sofa, the central element of the interior of any home, is most susceptible to loss of presentability. It is worthwhile to study in more detail the methods and means of cleaning it at home.

Cleaning a sofa at home is a laborious, complex, painstaking, but still doable procedure. Its features and technique depend on a number of nuances that should be taken into account in order to avoid irreversible damage or damage to the upholstery material.

Methods, means and tools for cleaning a sofa at home are determined based on criteria such as:

• upholstery material and its features;
• the nature of pollution, the degree of their intensity.

For upholstery of upholstered furniture, modern manufacturers use 3 main types of materials: fabrics (natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic), as well as artificial and natural leather. Sofas with fabric upholstery, which accumulate dust, absorb moisture and unpleasant odors, are most susceptible to contamination.

The most capricious upholstery material is silk. This expensive fabric easily absorbs odors, quickly becomes covered with dust and greasy spots. For home cleaning of furniture with silk upholstery, use extremely mild and delicate stain removers.Remove stains from the silk surface with a soft, clean cloth or microfiber cloth.

Upholstered furniture upholstered in dense natural, synthetic and semi-synthetic fabrics easier to clean of stubborn dust and greasy stains. Many types of fresh dirt can be easily removed from such upholstery with a warm soapy solution, mild vinegar or soap and soda solution.

Upholstered furniture upholstered in velor, velvet and flock cleaned of stains and shiny traces with a microfiber napkin, moving in one direction - strictly along the villi. For cleaning a sofa upholstered in matting, tapestry or jacquard use a brush with thick synthetic or natural bristles.

Sofas upholstered in natural or artificial leather more resistant to dirt. To maintain a presentable appearance of such furniture, it is enough to regularly conduct a surface wet cleaning.

Cleaning sofa upholstered in leather or leatherette from dirt and greasy stains, it is carried out using a foam rubber sponge dipped in warm soapy water.

Some types of upholstery materials are easy to clean with simple home remedies: soda, washing powder, lemon juice, soapy water. To remove complex and old dirt, you can use both professional detergents and special cleaning compositions made by hand.

By choosing the means, tools and methods for cleaning the sofa, the origin of the contamination, its intensity, and the limitation period should be taken into account. Some types of stains are virtually impossible to remove at home. Attempts to remove them with aggressive detergents usually lead to damage to the upholstery.

Specialists of cleaning companies distinguish the following groups of contaminants, based on the characteristics of their origin:

• food: oils, coffee, wine, juice, tea, chocolate, sauce, berries;
• medicinal: iodine, brilliant green, potassium permanganate;
• household: ingrained dust, street dirt, paint, ink;
• cosmetic: powder, creams, lipstick, mascara, nail varnishes;
• vegetable: pollen and plant sap;
• waste products of humans and animals: sweat, urine, blood, wool, vomit.

All these contaminants have a different structure and chemical composition, which must be taken into account when choosing a cleaning agent.

Some types of stains on upholstery can be easily removed with household appliances and special tools. The use of such equipment makes it possible to significantly simplify the procedure for cleaning upholstered furniture.

• Vacuum cleaner - a functional household appliance that helps to remove dust, crumbs, small debris and wool accumulated on the surface of the upholstery, in the gaps between the seats, backrest and armrests of the sofa.

• Washing vacuum cleaner - an irreplaceable assistant in carrying out wet cleaning of upholstered furniture. With it, you can easily remove small surface dirt, stains from drinks, food, cosmetics.

• Steam cleaner (steam generator) - a household appliance that removes stains with a powerful jet of steam supplied under pressure.This device is used to remove surface dirt from upholstery that cannot be cleaned with conventional detergents. The steam penetrates deeply into the pollution and destroys its structure. After steaming, stains can be easily removed with a microfiber cloth.

• Brushes with thick synthetic and natural bristles - convenient and practical tools used for dry and wet cleaning of furniture. By using them, you can easily remove wool, hair, dried dirt, ingrained dust, and shiny stains from the upholstery.

• Iron (with or without steamer) Is another popular household appliance that is often used when cleaning upholstered furniture upholstered in dense natural fabrics.

To clean your sofa at home you can use both store-bought household chemicals and do-it-yourself formulations.

Vanish - An effective stain remover used to remove old and fresh stains of various origins. The product is available in liquid, gel and powder forms. This stain remover can be used on sofas upholstered in natural and artificial fabrics. The product removes unpleasant odors, quickly and effectively removes stains from fat, drinks and food, cosmetics, sap and pollen of plants, as well as traces of blood, sweat and other waste products of humans and animals from the upholstery material.

Blis - an inexpensive, but effective remedy for eliminating unpleasant odors and removing stains from upholstered furniture. The product is available in the form of a spray that can be easily sprayed onto the dirty areas of the sofa. With this spray, you can clean the upholstery material from greasy stains, traces of a marker, felt-tip pen, ballpoint pen, drinks, blood.

Udalix Oxi Ultra - a universal product designed to remove stains and clean upholstered furniture. The product comes in the form of a powder that dissolves easily in hot water. This stain remover effectively copes with fresh and old pollution of organic and inorganic origin, without discoloration of the upholstery material.

Unicum - an effective detergent recommended for removing unpleasant odors and removing stains of various origins. The product is available in the form of a spray with a convenient dispenser, which simplifies the application of the product and facilitates the procedure for cleaning upholstered furniture. Spotting spray "Unicum" effectively removes stubborn dust, greasy and greasy stains, ink, cosmetics, wine, coffee, berry juice. The product does not discolor upholstery.

Shaving foam - a popular product that is often used to clean upholstered furniture. With the help of foam, you can clean a dirty and dusty sofa, remove traces of grease, and return an attractive appearance to the upholstery.

Soda Is the most famous food baking powder and is often used as a mild stain remover. Using baking soda, you can remove relatively fresh stains from upholstery made of textiles, leather, leatherette. This product is used for both dry and damp cleaning of upholstered furniture.

To remove traces of grease, dirt, stubborn dust, traces of tea and coffee with soda, it is recommended to use the composition prepared according to the following recipe:

• soda - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• crushed laundry soap - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• warm water - 1 liter.

All ingredients are thoroughly mixed, the resulting composition is applied to the contaminated areas and lightly rubbed with a toothbrush or foam sponge. After 10-15 minutes, the remains of the soap-soda solution are removed with a clean damp cloth, after which the treated area is wiped with a paper napkin.

Vinegar Is another popular home remedy used to remove unpleasant odors and dirt from heavy-duty sofa upholstery. To eliminate the smell of tobacco smoke, urine or mustiness, cover the sofa with a large piece of clean cloth dipped in 1% vinegar for 15-20 minutes.

And to freshen up the color of the upholstery fabric, remove stubborn dust and traces of dirt, you should prepare a cleaning solution from ingredients such as:

• vinegar 9% - 1 tsp;
• salt - 2 tsp;
• warm water - 1 liter.

In the resulting solution, moisten a sheet or a large piece of clean white cloth, and then cover the sofa with it. Then, a carpet beater is used to carefully pat the surface of the furniture, paying particular attention to the seats, armrests and upper back.

To remove stubborn dust, traces of grease or stains from street dirt, you should use a composition made from ingredients such as:

• table vinegar - 3-4 tbsp. spoons;
• Fairy dishwashing liquid - 1 teaspoon;
• water - 300-350 ml;
• baking soda - 1 tsp.

All ingredients are mixed in a plastic bottle and shaken. Then the foamed solution is sprayed from a spray bottle, applying it to the surface of the contaminants. After 7-10 minutes, the treated areas are carefully cleaned with an old toothbrush, after which they are wiped with a sponge dipped in clean water. After cleaning the sofa, wipe the upholstery fabric with a dry cloth.

Hydrogen peroxide - an inexpensive and affordable pharmacy product with which you can remove not only unpleasant odors absorbed into the upholstery material, but also some stubborn stains. Peroxide is suitable for removing stains from spilled drinks (beer, wine, fruit and berry juices, tea, milk) from dense and light-colored fabric upholstery.

To prepare the cleaning composition, mix the following:

• hydrogen peroxide 3% - 2 tsp;
• sodium bicarbonate - 1 tsp.

The mixture is applied to the contaminated areas for several minutes, after which it is removed with a brush or foam sponge. The treated area is wiped with a damp cloth, wiped dry with a cotton towel and dried with a hairdryer.

Ammonia - a transparent liquid with a strong specific odor, which is often used in everyday life as an effective stain remover. This tool copes well with traces of grease, stains from drinks, food, cosmetics. With its help, you can destroy mold, remove unpleasant odors absorbed into furniture upholstery. Furniture with dense and durable textile upholstery is cleaned of dirt with ammonia. This product is not suitable for removing stains from upholstery made of silk, leather, leatherette, flock, delicate materials.

Deep cleaning of the sofa - a complex procedure that includes several stages. To carry it out, you will need to prepare the following tools and tools in advance:

• vacuum cleaner (regular or washing);
• thick-bristled brushes;
• a few pieces of clean, dry cotton cloth;
• napkins;
• stain removers.

Initially, the sofa will need to be prepared for the upcoming procedure. To do this, the upholstery material is cleaned with a stiff dry brush, removing dust, small debris, wool, hair. After that, the upholstery of the sofa is thoroughly vacuumed. If there are traces of ingrained dust on the upholstery, cover the sofa with a damp, clean sheet and pat it with a carpet beater. Sofas made of leather and leatherette are simply wiped with a sponge dipped in warm water.

After removing the dust from the upholstery, they begin to clean the solid dirt. Adhered chewing gum, drops of candle wax or paraffin wax, traces of paint or nail polish are carefully scraped off with a mild knife.

At this stage use products that eliminate unpleasant odors and remove stains. The choice of means is carried out based on the characteristics of the existing contaminants, the degree of their intensity and the type of upholstery material. Most fresh organic stains can be easily removed with Vanish stain remover, laundry soap and baking soda. Greasy and greasy stains can be easily removed with dishwashing liquid.

You can eliminate the unpleasant odor with a steam cleaner.... An ordinary soap and soda solution copes well with this problem. It is sprayed over the surface of the upholstery and cleaned off after 10-15 minutes.

At the final stage, carry out wet cleaning the sofa. To do this, you can use a washing vacuum cleaner or a thick bristle brush dipped in soapy water. At the end of the work, the upholstery material is wiped with a dry cotton towel and dried with a hairdryer.

Before trying to scrub or wash off an old stain that has stuck in the upholstery yourself, it will be correct test the stain remover used on an inconspicuous area. If after 5-10 minutes the treated area turns pale or changes color, you cannot use this product to clean the sofa.

When preparing cleaning solutions from ammonia or vinegar essence, it is necessary use rubber gloves. To protect the respiratory system, you can use a medical mask.

Finally, let's take a look at some helpful tips from the experts.

1. Soap stainsremaining on the upholstery material after cleaning can be wiped off with a clean cloth dampened in warm water. Then the wet area of ​​the upholstery should be dried with a hairdryer.
2. To remove traces of plasticine or slime use a mild knife, Vanish stain remover, or dishwashing liquid. First, the main part of the dirt is scraped off with a knife, after which the remaining trace is washed off with a stain remover.
3. Greasy stains traces of grease can be easily removed with dishwashing liquid. To clean light-colored furniture, it is better to use colorless foaming liquids that do not leave marks.
4. Upholstered furniture with removable covers is very easy to use. If heavy dirt appears that cannot be cleaned normally, the covers can be washed in a typewriter or replaced with new ones.
5. To remove marks from a pen or felt-tip pen it is allowed to use cologne with leather upholstery.It should be borne in mind that after wet cleaning a sofa made of leather or leatherette, it is necessary to wipe the upholstery dry. Under the influence of moisture, natural and artificial leather begins to warp, deform and lose its presentable appearance.

For information on how to clean a sofa at home, see the next video.