10 Effective Ways to Clean Your Sofa (Master Cleaning)

Your sofa is the main point of focus in your living room. This is the place where you relax, watch movies or simply sit to chat with your near and dear ones, do any work on your laptop, or read books.

Sometimes, it might happen that you are reading a book or watching a movie or TV show on your sofa and fall asleep. So, you need to take care of the fact that your sofa remains clean.

But how can you keep your sofa clean? Well, it’s not that tough. Just follow these 10 effective ways to clean your sofa (Master Cleaning) in Bangladesh that we’ve discussed here and you’ll be golden.

How to Clean Sofa?

Whatever type of sofa you have in your living room, may it be an L-shaped sofa set, 3-seater sofa, 2-seater sofa, single-seater, Office sofa, Lounge sofa with divan, or ottoman, you need to keep it clean.

The ways mentioned below will help you do so:

1. Check Out the Fabric Type
2. Clean Out the Excess Dust with a Duster or Brush
3. Vacuum Out the Dirt
4. Remove Stains if There are Any
5. Steam Clean
6. Keep Other Parts of Your Sofa Clean
7. Now Dry Your Sofa
8. Vacuum Your Sofa Again
9. Sanitize Your Sofa
10. Wash the Cushion Covers (If possible)

Related To: Tips to Clean Your Fabric Office Sofa Without Damaging It

Let’s discuss all of these ways thoroughly:

1. Check Out the Fabric Type

First, check out what is the fabric type of your sofa before you start your cleaning process. You can find it on your sofa’s tag. You can get an idea about the way of cleaning from there. You’ll get to see these letters on the sofa tags and also have a look at the meanings they bear:

• S: Just apply dry detergent. It is mentioned only for materials that usually can’t be washed or come in contact with water. It is for solvent-based cleaning.
• W: You can clean these materials with water-based solutions.
• WS: Use dry-cleaning detergents that have only mild detergents or apply a steam vacuum. It is for water or solvent-based cleaning.
• X:  Use a vacuum cleaner only, usually for sensitive materials.

These are the common codes that most sofa manufacturers use. But you can also see other codes. Make sure you understand the meaning of those codes. It’s crucial because inks and materials vary in the way they react to water and heat. Certain materials are strong and you can easily clean them in or with water, while others are delicate and will be damaged if cleaned with water.

If you are confused, please contact the sofa’s manufacturer or the shop from where you bought the sofa. Consider taking a picture of your sofa’s tag because the writing on it can fade away or suddenly, you can feel like cutting it off.

2. Clean Out the Excess Dust with a Duster or Brush

Clean the excess dust or other debris with a duster or dust-cleaning brush, or a cloth. Try matching the color of the brush or cloth to your sofa’s color so that you won’t have any color stains. Brushing your sofa will help you in case, you don’t have electricity or there’s any power shortage because you can’t use a vacuum cleaner without the power supply. 

3. Vacuum Out the Dirt

To get better results, use vacuum cleaners to clean your sofa because it will help you to get rid of all the dirt and debris on your sofa surface easily. You won’t always need to use the deep clean option, you can do it using the lower settings. Vacuum cleaning will make your job easier if you want to clean your sofa with a cleaning solution later.

Consider using detachable parts available with your vacuum cleaner to clean the parts of your sofa that are difficult to reach. Again, some delicate sofa materials won’t let you do more than just vacuum cleaning.

4. Remove Stains if There Are Any

If your sofa gets any stains, try cleaning it as quickly as possible. Otherwise, it might become permanent. Use a chemical or home solution to clean the stain based on the stain type and of course, the type of fabric used to make your couch or sofa.

• Cleaning a synthetic or fabric sofa:

To clean a synthetic or fabric sofa, take vinegar in a cup and mix it with dishwashing liquid and warm water. Now, apply this mixture to the stain on your sofa, and try to remove the stain by scrubbing with a soft napkin or cloth. Generally, it’s applicable for sofas labeled WS and W.

• Cleaning a faux leather sofa or leather sofa:

If you want to clean a faux leather sofa or leather sofa, take 1/2 cup of olive oil, and ¼ cup of vinegar in a spray bottle, and spray on the stain. It can help you as a fabric sofa cleaner spray. Then scrub the place with a soft napkin or cloth.

If you can’t believe a homemade solution, buy a fabric sofa cleaner or chemical solution from a store and read the label carefully. Because all solutions are not suitable for all fabric types.

• Cleaning stains using baking soda:

When you have any stains on the sofa and you can’t use water to remove them, consider sprinkling some baking soda on that stain directly. Leave that for around 30 minutes to work on the stain and remove if there’s any odor. Now, suck up the rest with a vacuum. Use it on couches labeled S.

Take baking soda, add some dish soap and water to it, and make a powdery paste. You can use this paste for removing stains. After applying this paste clean up the residue with a dry/wet vacuum cleaner; a damp napkin or cloth can also help you in this regard. You can use this technique on couches labeled WS and W.

Now, you must have got your answers to the questions like, How to clean a fabric sofa naturally? How vinegar can clean your fabric sofa? How can you clean a fabric sofa without using water? and, How to clean a leather sofa?

Read Also: How to Clean Non-Removable Sofa Cushions

5. Steam Clean

Steam cleaning is for sofas labeled W and WS only. You can use an iron having a steaming function, a steam cleaner, or a garment steamer on a hidden and small area of your couch. First, check whether your sofa can tolerate enough heat or not, and then apply this steam clean entirely. Otherwise, there is a chance of the sensitive material getting damaged.

Steam cleaning helps to take away remaining debris, along with eliminating bacteria and germs and disinfecting. It also kills dust mites hidden in your sofa.

6. Keep Other Parts of Your Sofa Clean

While cleaning your sofas, you mostly focus on the upper areas and avoid the remaining non-fabric portions. But luckily the other parts like sofa feet and the rest portions are easier and simpler to clean. Just mix dishwashing liquid with warm water and soak a soft cloth in that solution and do the scrubbing. After the soapy feeling is gone from the sofa parts, wipe them off with a clean and dry cloth.

Also, remember to clean the cushion and pillowcases.

7. Now Dry Your Sofa

Whether you are cleaning your sofa with soapy solutions, or steam cleaning, drying is also another crucial part of that. Steam will help to loosen bacteria and dirt, but if you don’t extract the sofa parts after cleaning, that becomes meaningless. Just leave the sofa in the air, so it gets dry, it will also keep bacteria and dirt away, and prevent mold growth as well.

You can dry the sofa by extracting as much water as possible from it while cleaning. You can also turn your ceiling fan or pedestal fan on to get your sofa dry. But if you like to get professional outcomes and also the complex hot water extraction process- consider appointing a professional upholstery cleaner.

8. Vacuum Your Sofa Again

After you have dried your sofa fully, vacuum your whole sofa again to get rid of the excess dirt and debris.

9. Sanitize Your Sofa

When you have completed cleaning your whole sofa, to give it a better finish spray the whole sofa with a quality fabric sanitizer. This will do the following:

• Remove any extra odors.
• Prevent and kill germs (if there are any remaining) and
• Make your living or sitting room aromatized!

10. Wash the Cushion Covers (If possible)

You can do it if it’s possible to do so. The steps mentioned below will help you do it:

a) First, check out the tags of your sofa to determine whether you can machine wash your sofa’s cushion covers. We have already mentioned above how can you understand from the tags how you can wash your sofa’s cushion covers. You can also find lines like, “machine wash”, “machine cold wash” or “dry wash”.

If you wash the covers in the laundry, your task will become simpler. But you can only do it if it’s mentioned on the tag that they are washable.

b) Remove a few covers of the cushions at a time. Pull the covers totally off the sofa cushions. Remember which cover goes on which cushion of your sofa. Put 3-4 cushion covers at a time in your washing machine because your machines might not be able to handle more and you can easily remember to put which covers on which cushions.

c) Now, throw these cushion covers in the washing machine with a suitable detergent. Ensure that you follow the instructions mentioned on the manufacturer’s tags.

d) After the cushion covers are washed, put them in the dryer. Read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to dry them accordingly. Putting the covers in the dryer can shrink them slightly. So, follow the instructions carefully, for instance, protect the fabric by using the lowest settings for heat.

e) After you’re done washing the covers put them on the cushions. Pull off the other cushion covers and follow the same procedure.

Recommended Reading: How to Remove Odor From New Wood Furniture

Final Words:

Now, you must be confident about these 10 effective ways to clean your sofa (Master Cleaning) in Bangladesh. So, follow the ways suitable for your sofa and make your sofa look clean and stunning, and make your sitting room look great and aromatize the room as well.

Contact BION Style to get a stylish sofa online if you want to give a new look to your living room.

FAQ

1. How often should I clean my sofa?

It is recommended to vacuum your sofa weekly and perform spot cleaning as soon as stains occur. Deep cleaning should be done every 6-12 months, depending on usage and the fabric's care instructions.

2. Can I use bleach to clean my sofa?

No, bleach is too harsh for most sofa fabrics and can cause discoloration or damage. Stick to gentle cleaning solutions recommended for your specific fabric.

3. How long does it take for a sofa to dry after deep cleaning?

Drying time varies depending on the fabric and the cleaning method used. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a full day for your sofa to dry completely.