THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN A COUCH

Upholstery Cleaning Specialist Orewa – Couches help bring comfort and style to living rooms, but they receive more wear and tear than you think. From eating dinner in the family room or watching a movie with your dog snuggled up against you – the couch can capture body oils, cooking odors and airborne dust and dirt.

For upholstered furniture, learning how to deep clean a couch may seem like an impossible challenge. Luckily, we have some tips and tricks to make couch cleaning a breeze.

Deciphering Couch Codes Before Cleaning

Before you begin cleaning your couch, it is important to know what type of fabric is used in the upholstery and what the codes mean before you begin cleaning.

Codes generally used on tags include:

• W – This indicates water can be used in cleaning
• WS – A dry cleaning detergent or mild detergent and steam vacuum can be used
• X – No water, vacuum only
• S – Clean with dry cleaner detergent

How to Clean a Couch

Regular couch cleaning and maintenance should be done weekly to prevent the long-term impact of spills or damage from regular wear and tear.

Follow these three simple maintenance tips to help extend the longevity of your couch:

1. Dry brush – use a dry brush to loosen up any pieces of fabric, dirt or debris.
2. Vacuum – on a low setting, use your vacuum to remove the items you were able to shake free with your dry brush along with items that have been deeply embedded into your couch.
3. Switch cushions – flip the cushions around to lessen the appearance of being worn down.

How to Deep Clean a Couch

Sometimes regular maintenance can’t take care of deeply embedded dirt and stains. To properly deep clean a couch, you will need cleaning cloths, a stiff brush, baking soda and a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment.

Follow these steps to learn how to clean a couch with baking soda:

1. Test your fabric – Baking soda is great for a lot of things, including the removal of grime and embedded dirt in your couch. Test the fabric first in an inconspicuous area, but baking soda is safe for most types of upholstery.
2. Brush the couch – Use the stiff brush to brush away crumbs, dust, and other debris.
3. Apply baking soda – Sprinkle the couch with baking soda and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes. You may want to consider mixing the baking soda in dry carpet cleaner for an even deeper clean.
4. Vacuum the baking soda – Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to thoroughly remove the baking soda or mixture.
5. Remove embedded stains – For any tough stains that are still present, you can use a solution that will work for the type of fabric along with a clean cloth for blotting away stains. For instance, fabric upholstery can be cleaned using a mixture of:
   1. 3/4 cup warm water
   2. 1/4 cup vinegar
   3. 1 tablespoon of dish soap.
   4. For synthetic upholstery, use a mixture of one cup warm water, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon of dish soap.
6. Apply the mixture – Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and spray onto the stains.