The right way to clean a couch depends on how it’s made. In particular, it depends on whether it’s a real leather couch, a vegan leather couch or a fabric couch. If you buy a new couch, you should get care instructions with it. Couch cleaning services in Sydney should also be able to figure it out. Alternatively, here are some tips on how to clean a couch manually.
How to Clean a Fabric Couch
You’re safe to use baking soda and a vacuum cleaner on any fabric. Sprinkle on the baking soda, leave for at least 30 minutes and vacuum to remove. If you don’t know how to clean your fabric couch and you aren’t using couch cleaning services in Sydney, then you need to spot-test it. Try applying water to a small and inconspicuous area and see how your couch reacts.
If the results aren’t good, then you need a solvent cleaner. You could try doing some research online or keep spot-testing until you find the right one. You could also try hiring couch cleaning services in Sydney to clean it for you. If the results are good, however, then you can go ahead and use water. You have a couple of options.
If you have a steam cleaner, then you can simply use this. If you don’t, you can just buy an upholstery cleaner and use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Alternatively, mix a ½ tablespoon of natural dish soap with a ½ cup white vinegar and one cup distilled water. Spray this on, rub in gently, rinse with clean water and then leave to dry.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of leaving a fabric couch to dry thoroughly. If you use it when it’s even slightly damp, you are risking mildew and mould. For stain removal, you need to work out what the stain is and find a specific cleaner that is safe for your couch.
How to Clean a Leather or Vegan Leather Couch
Once a week, sprinkle your couch with baking soda. Leave for half an hour (or longer) and then vacuum the whole couch thoroughly. Follow this by wiping your couch with a soft cloth dipped in warm, soapy water. Use gentle dish soap and wring out the cloth thoroughly. Then rinse with a soft cloth dipped in warm clean water (again wring it out thoroughly). Finally, dry with a soft cloth.
This is enough for general cleaning. For stain removal, try rubbing alcohol or white vinegar. These will remove most stains although you may need to apply them several times. You can try chemical stain remover but, generally, you will need to be able to figure out what the stain is. For leather couches, condition them immediately afterwards.
If human (or pet) fluids get on a vegan leather couch, you can disinfect it using one part chlorine-based bleach to ten parts warm water. Again, rinse with plain water and dry thoroughly. If you need to do this, it’s advisable to apply a conditioning treatment straight afterwards. Never disinfect a real leather couch. It will do more harm than good.
Both real leather and vegan leather couches need regular conditioning to keep the material supple. You should usually apply a conditioning treatment at least twice a year. Once a quarter is even better.