Fabric sofas are chic and stylish by all means. Moreover the range of furniture offers unique cosiness. But when it comes to their cleaning, life may suddenly become quite haywire. Spills are bound to occur from time to time on the sofas. Until ofcourse you cover those up with nice and tasteful plastic covers. Cleaning a fabric sofa is a different story altogether compared to cleaning an ordinary sofa. In the following section of the blog post let us explore few easy and effective tips on the matter. These tips will certainly help reinstating your fabric sofas back into lounge with their full glow and glamour.
But before we start here are few words of caution!
These days, it is very easy to access a sofa cleaner. All you have to do is just search online with strings like sofa cleaning services near me. Your search will return hundreds of such service providers near you. But every such service does not offer the same level of service. Moreover cleaning fabric sofas is something special that every sofa cleaning agency cannot provide. Most importantly, it requires special care and concern. Therefore you should choose your sofa cleaner wisely. On the other hand you can go DIY instead of hiring professional hands to carry out the job. In that case it is important that you look first and then clean.
Actually there are certain things to consider while determining how to clean a fabric sofa the right way.
Study the manufacturer’s instructions carefully
Before trying remove stains from sofa sets or freshen up your couches it is vital to carefully go through the manufacturer’s instruction manual. If you ignore the manual chances are high that you bring about irreversible damage to your furniture or could void warranties.
The manual itself can put a lot of your questions related to cleaning to rest
Once you go through the manual, you will surely come across answers to a lot of questions related to the cleaning that you have in your mind. So do not neglect the manufacturer’s manual under any circumstance.
Tags can answer a lot of your questions on cleaning too
There is no need to fret over not finding the manufacturer’s instructions. There must be a tag on the sofa cushions. Those tags will definitely reveal few crucial facts related to cleaning of the sofa. One side of the tag may cover how to clean the sofa cover. The other side may shed light on washing the cushions. Read the tag correctly before getting on with your job.
Careful reading of a cleaning tag can save you from lot of unwanted complications
You are likely to find one of the following four letters on the cleaning tag of your favourite sofa set –
- W — indicates you can clean this item using water
- S — this means no water can be used for cleaning. You have to purchase a special solvent-based cleaner
- WS — it says you can use water as well as a solvent-based cleaner
- X — vacuum only
There is no way to try out anything else other than the recommended cleaning methods mentioned on the tag
Water is a harmless liquid. But if you use it to clean a sofa that is categorically instructed to be cleaned with a solvent based cleaner then you must be ready for an unpleasant surprise. Even innocuous water will leave stains on the piece of furniture. There is just no point whatsoever in taking these meaningless risks. Rather stick to the instructions on the tag. The manufacturer knows the best about your favourite couch.
Cleaning a ‘stained’ fabric sofa
VIP Carpet Cleaning London is undisputedly one of the most reliable sofa cleaning agencies in London. The easiest way to reach out to its trained and experienced experts is searching online anywhere from London or the neighbouring places with strings like sofa cleaning near me. Skilled sofa cleaners associated with this business suggest the following tips to clean a fabric sofa that is already stained.
If the tag on the sofa is just marked with an “X” it means you should only vacuum it with an attachment. On the other hand sofas that are marked with an “S” should be cleaned with solvent based cleaners. The cleaning product will come with specific instructions on how to use. There is no need to deviate from the instructions meant for users on both the products.
Things that you will need
- A vacuum cleaner that has an upholstery attachment
- A medium sized bucket
- At least 3 to 4 clothes made from microfiber (preferably light in colour)
- Liquid dish soap
- Distilled water – minerals present in tap water may leave trails behind
- Distilled white vinegar
Point to note – Always spot test every homemade solution. Apply a drop or two on a tiny, inconspicuous or unnoticeable area of the item before starting the actual cleaning.
- You should always vacuum your fabric sofa. This ensures no rubbing in dirt or debris at the time of cleaning.
- Take a bucket and prepare a solution using 2 cups of distilled water, 1 tablespoon each of vinegar and dishwashing liquid.
- Soak a piece of microfiber cloth in that solution.
- Gently blot the stained areas of your prized sofa with that cloth.
- But make sure not to rub and neither scrub. Just blot very gently. Rubbing or scrubbing is likely to damage the piece of furniture item.
- There is yet another round of blotting to do. Moisten another piece of cloth in distilled water and blot the affected areas of the sofa to wash away any remaining soap. This time there is no dishwashing soap or vinegar to add.
- Blot the area for the final using another dry and clean piece of cloth.
- To facilitate fast and thorough drying switch the fan on.
About steam cleaning your couch
If there is a “W” or “WS” tag on your sofa then you are likely to use an upholstery steam cleaner. But it is always better to be absolutely sure about it before moving ahead. Therefore you should go through the manufacturer’s instructions to get categorical information. The tags “W” and “WS” may not always withstand heat.
Trained professionals with years of experience in sofa cleaning in London suggest test clean an inconspicuous portion of the sofa to make sure steaming will not cause permanent damage to it. While steam cleaning your couch you have to stick to the instructions of the manufacturer by the words. You can also Call professionals of you area like Vip Carpet Cleaning London for a better experience.
