Proper Ways to Clean a Natural Fabric Sofa

Step by Step

You can’t expect to clean the sofa all at once. The secret into cleaning it efficiently is in dividing the cleaning process into phases with chronological order. Don’t worry, it won’t take you all day, only three phases are necessary. It is important not to skip any of the phases, regardless of visible stains or dirt. Before you start the cleaning you’ll have to identify the fabric.

Identifying the Fabric

Not every couch is the same, so the same rules don’t apply to yours and to some other. The most convenient materials for cleaning are cotton and linen, which can easily be cleaned with natural ingredients. The simplest way to determine which fabric is your sofa made of is to find a tag which is located somewhere on the side. Most tags are labeled with letters: W (use water for cleaning), S (solvent-based cleaner), SW (water and solvent-based cleaner are okay to use) and X (only use vacuum cleaner or steam cleaner).

Grooming Phase

Like you might assume, this is the phase when you are preparing your sofa for the further cleaning process. The necessary material for this undertaking is a brush (washcloth, towel). Whatever you choose, make sure it is light colored, so there wouldn’t be any color transfer. The main aim of this phase is to break up dirty areas that have dried up. Also, you’ll probably have success in removing some of the food remains and dirt.

Dig Deep Phase

Don’t get your hopes up when you see that you’ve cleaned some of the stains and dirt. There is always some amount of dirt accumulated in the fabric, which can resurface. If you really mean business, than you should deep clean with a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment in order to force the inner dirt out. To achieve the highest possible level of cleanliness, turn to steam based devices (recently I had a chance to work with a Steam Australia commercial steam cleaner and was more than satisfied with the results). This way the steam will heat up the sofa forcing the dirt on the surface without applying too much pressure, to avoid any possible damages.

Removing the Stains

Regardless of your persistence with the first two phases, there are always some remaining stains, which simply won’t go away. The first option is available only if the cover of your sofa is machine washable. In any case, be careful and wash it on a low temperature to avoid discoloration. There is no guarantee that machine washing will remove all the stains, but luckily there are plenty of other options. For instance, you could repeat the grooming phase in combination with an efficient cleaner made of baking soda, vinegar and hot water. A gentle rub with this mixture should be sufficient to remove the stains.

It’s true that it takes a lot of effort to deep clean your natural fabric sofa, but it is worth the effort, since you’ll enjoy all the benefits of nature fabric even more if you’re sure it is impeccably clean.