How To Clean A Dirty Fabric Sofa At Home

If you have a fabric sofa, chances are it will get dirty eventually. But fear not for we are here to outline some easy steps you can take to clean it yourself. You’ll need some cleaning products and a few tools, but the process itself is relatively straightforward.

What Do You Need To Clean A Sofa?

Here are the things you’ll need to clean your fabric sofa at home:

1. Cleaning Solution 

You can get a fabric or upholstery cleaner from your local hardware store (B&Q and Wickes both sell a range). If you can’t find a decent fabric cleaner, you can use a small amount of laundry detergent and warm water. Always read the instructions before using any product to make sure it’s suitable for the fabric on your sofa.

2. Vacuum 

This is to remove all of the dust, crumbs, hair, etc from under the cushions. Make sure you’ve got one that has suitable attachments for hard to reach areas, such as a crevice tool. You can also buy a hand-held vacuum cleaner.

3. Spray Bottle 

You can use any spray bottle for this as it will be used for mixing your cleaning solution and applying it to the fabric.  Just make sure it’s not too full to stop leaks. Also, be careful when using it near the cushions or other soft furnishings as you don’t want to damage them.

4. Cloths 

Use some old rags that you have lying around to scrub and clean your sofa. We like to use microfibre cloths as they clean well and don’t retain loads of water. You can pick these up from most places, such as B&Q, Wilko, and most supermarkets.

5. Rug Doctor

This isn’t compulsory, but it will certainly speed up the drying time of the fabric. A rug doctor is especially useful for cleaning those stubborn dirt patches. We purchased one a few years back for about £150, however, this was because we have a dog who loves to track dirt into the house!

How To Clean Your Sofa

Once you’ve got all this prepared, it’s time to start cleaning! 

1. Remove all cushions 
2. Vacuum up all the dust and dirt on the sofa using the appropriate attachments to get into every nook and cranny
3. Test the cleaning solution on a small patch of fabric first to make sure it doesn’t cause any damage. Once you’ve made sure that the cleaning solution is safe for the fabric, you can move onto cleaning the rest of the sofa. 
4. Spray the arms, back rest and seat cushions with the cleaning solution and wipe them down with a cloth until they’re completely clean. This may require some elbow grease for tough, soiled in dirty
5. After you’ve cleaned the whole sofa, you’ll need to rinse it with clean water to remove any residue that might be left after cleaning it. 
6. Use a rug doctor to suck any excess water out of the sofa and leave it to fully dry overnight before replacing the cushions back onto the sofa the next day.

Now that you’ve finished cleaning the sofa, it’s essential to make sure any throw cushions have been properly cleaned and dried before putting them back on. This will ensure there are no bacteria or other unwanted organisms living in the cushions that can cause you to become ill. You can follow the same steps as above for cleaning them.

What is the best cleaning product to use for cleaning a fabric sofa? 

There are many different types of cleaning products available that you can use to clean your sofa at home. One of the best products for cleaning fabrics is upholstery shampoo. It is available at most supermarkets and hardware stores.

Cleaning products of this type contain chemicals that are designed to remove dirt and stains from fabrics without damaging them. They are also generally free of allergens and are therefore suitable for use on all types of fabric, including wool, leather and cotton.

Should you use a rug doctor for cleaning a sofa? 

It is possible to use a rug doctor to clean a sofa effectively without causing any damage to the fabric. However, you need to be careful not to apply too much pressure to the suction brush as this could cause damage to some of the fibres in the fabric of the sofas you are cleaning.

What Is The Best Way To Clean A Fabric Sofa?

There are two main methods for cleaning fabric sofas. You can either hand wash the fabric or use a machine such as a rug doctor to clean the sofa for you. Either method will be effective for removing dirt and stains from the fabric without doing any harm to the sofa itself.

Ideally, you should try to hand wash your sofa instead of using a rug doctor as it is generally better for the environment and you are less likely to cause any damage to the fabric in the process. 

Tips To Keep In Mind

When cleaning a fabric sofa at home, there are a number of things you’ll need to keep in mind in order to ensure you get the best results possible without damaging the fabric. Here are a few tips to help you get the best possible results:

Use the right chemicals

It is crucial that you use cleaning products that are specially formulated for fabrics and not for general cleaning purposes. This ensures that you are not damaging the fabric by using a solution that is not suitable. 

Test before committing!

You should always test the cleaning solution on a hidden part of the sofa to ensure it is safe to use before proceeding with the rest of the cleaning process. This will allow you to check the colour and quality of the fabric and ensure that there is no discoloration or damage that has occurred as a result of the cleaning process. 

Start at the bottom of the sofa and work up

It is a good idea to start from the bottom of the sofa and work your way up so any drips from the cleaning solution are caught in the body of the sofa before it can seep into the cushions and cause staining. This will also make it easier to mop up any excess solution that may be left behind once the cleaning has been completed. 

For further advice and tips on how to keep your fabric sofa clean, feel free to leave email us or message on our socials”