How to clean a sofa at home

The sofa attracts not only her husband with a bottle of beer in his hands, but also particles of dust. They accumulate on the cover and in the filler, changing the color of the furniture and creating ideal conditions for the propagation of microscopic ticks and various bacteria. To protect loved ones from dermatological problems and respiratory diseases that arise due to dirt and germs, you should clean and disinfect the sofa with improvised means every month.

No dust

You can fight dust deposits with a vacuum cleaner. Some modern models are equipped with a wet cleaning function and fall into the category of “Cleaning”. In such devices, in addition to a dust collector, a department for soapy water is also integrated. The vacuum cleaner sprays the liquid on the sofa cover and inside the filler, dissolving the dirt, and then sucks it back together with bacteria and ticks. The disadvantage of this method is that the furniture remains wet and dries for a long time, spreading unpleasant odors.

The second option is an ordinary vacuum cleaner with a special thin nozzle. The device is recommended to be turned on to the minimum mode, so that the filler does not stray. A small brush penetrates even into the cracks between the armrests and the seat, cleaning furniture from dust and hairs. The nozzle should be wrapped with gauze soaked in saline: 30 g of dry ingredient per liter of liquid. Wet cloth traps dirt particles, preventing them from rising into the air.

Grandma's method
If the house does not have a vacuum cleaner, you can clean the sofa with your hands or with a plastic beater for carpets. You will need a large sheet, which is dipped in a basin or bath with water. You can add a bit of fabric softener so that the upholstered furniture exudes a pleasant aroma after cleaning. Squeeze the cloth with your hands or in the washing machine so that it remains slightly damp. Cover the sofa with a sheet and walk on it with a beat. Impacts must be strong so that the dust rises from the deep layers of the filler. Knock out the sofa until the shade of the sheet becomes grayish or black, depending on the amount of dirt.

Send the sheet immediately to the washing machine, so that later you do not have to look for ways to bleach the fabric, and dampen upholstered furniture with napkins or kitchen towels. Dry the cover with a hairdryer or fan, and in summer it is enough to open the windows, and the remaining moisture will evaporate from the sofa in a matter of hours.

Important: The sheet method does not work with leather or substitute, only with fabric upholstery. To consolidate the effect of such cleaning, it is recommended to walk along the sofa with a vacuum cleaner.

Home Remedies for Stains

Did someone spill coffee or a glass of red wine on the sofa? Tipped a bowl of soup or a piece of fried meat? We must not panic, but act:

1. Blot the liquid with paper towels so that it does not soak into the filler.
2. Paste a thick layer of salt or baking soda on grease stains that absorbs contamination.
3. Do not let the stain dry, putting off cleaning for an indefinite “tomorrow”.

The choice of cleaning agent depends on the type of soiling and the material from which the sofa cover is made. It is important to take into account the color of upholstered furniture, as well as test any folk mixture on the back wall, because some compounds leave streaks and discolor the fabric, creating additional problems.

Coffee and fruit juice
Coffee stains, like tea stains, can be deduced in several ways:

• having prepared a soap solution of 3 drops of detergent and 2 tablespoons of vinegar, diluted in a liter of warm water;
• salt: dissolve 1-2 tablespoons in a glass of liquid;
• laundry or liquid soap.

The second and third options work with fresh dirt, and the first splits the stubborn stains, but can discolor dark tissue.

You will need a dishwashing sponge or a soft brush. Treat the problem area of ​​the sofa with a solution or moisten it with water and rub it with soap. Leave on for 5-10 minutes, so that the product penetrates into the filler. Rub with a sponge and blot the remaining solution with a clean cloth. Leave to dry.

With spots remaining from spilled juice, a remedy from ammonia and table vinegar will cope. Pour 30-40 ml of each ingredient into the container, stir and apply with a sponge to the problem area. When the stain dries, wash off the remaining vinegar with ammonia in warm water. If the stains have not completely disappeared, you can repeat the procedure, but very carefully.

Important: You need to work with ammonia mixture in rubber gloves so as not to burn the skin, and a gauze bandage, because ammonia fumes can cause dizziness.

Chocolate, felt-tip pens and chewing gum
When there are children in the house, mothers have to regularly wipe the walls and upholstered furniture from art and chocolate residues, and some fidgets manage to drop or glue gum on the sofa, which instantly sticks to the pile and does not want to tear off. How to save nerves and clean covers?

A chocolate-based detergent for water-based cookware handles chocolate. It is necessary to wait until the stain dries, sweep away the remains with a brush, and then treat the contaminated surface with soapy water.

Light sofas are recommended to rinse several times so that there are no brown stains. To work with a jacquard upholstery accurately, using a foam sponge for drying. Less moody fabrics can be dampened with paper towels.

The method saves from spilled cocoa and stains of jam or jam.

Ink marks left by a pen or felt-tip pens are recommended to be treated with solvents:

• acetone;
• nail polish remover;
• alcohol
• hair spray;
• spray for washing windows.

Apply a little liquid to a cotton swab, gently blot the stain, being careful not to touch clean areas, and leave to dry. After 30–40 minutes, walk along the problem area with a brush or a hard sponge moistened with ordinary water or a soapy solution. Remove any remaining liquid and dry the sofa.

Tip: Freshly the traces of a pen or felt-tip pens left on leatherette or genuine leather will be removed by a regular eraser. The main thing is not to overdo it and not to erase with the ink the upholstery itself.

Chewing gum is one of the most serious tests with which patience and cold will cope:

1. Apply a few ice cubes to the stain. Wait for the chewing gum to harden.
2. Arm yourself with a blunt knife or an iron nail file, pry off and unstick the product.
3. Remove residue with a dry cloth or soft brush. If necessary, rinse the residue with cold water.

Urine and beer
The cat decided to take revenge and marked the sofa? Punish a fluffy villain, and treat a spot of urine with a means of:

• potassium permanganate: on a liter jar several crystals, so that the liquid becomes saturated pink;
• lemon juice: squeeze and do not dilute;
• vinegar: part of the component to 4 parts of water;
• peroxide: 8 drops per 500 ml of liquid.

Apply the solution to the urine stain, rub and rinse off the remaining water. If yellowness remains, repeat the procedure. You can act comprehensively:

1. Pour a thin layer of soda on the problem area.
2. Prepare a solution of 100 ml of water, the same amount of peroxide and a few drops of detergent.
3. Pour the liquid into a spray bottle and shake.
4. Spray the solution onto soda. Wait until it starts to foam.
5. After 2-3 hours, sweep away the remaining residue with a brush and dry with a towel.

If the stain is gone, but the smell remains, it is recommended to pour dried parsley or tea leaves, crushed coffee beans, orange zest on the sofa or spray a few drops of any essential oil.

To process beer stains with water and vinegar: for 1 liter of the first 3 tablespoons of the second component.

Blood and fat

There are several ways to deal with bloody stains:

1. Cool the stain with ice or water from the freezer, pat it with a damp cloth.
2. Crush a few tablets of aspirin, add a little liquid to make a slurry. Rub the mass into the stain, blot it with a sponge dipped in saline.

Salt removes traces of red wine, and white is best removed with alcohol.

In the department of household chemicals, you can find many tools for cleaning the sofa, combating dust and stains, but home recipes are more affordable and safe. We must not forget that jacquard and tapestry tissue does not tolerate moisture well, and leatherette and natural skin are better treated not with soapy solutions, but with whipped proteins. If the sofa even exudes an unpleasant odor even after hygienic procedures, it should be covered with salt and perfume for a day, and then the furniture will delight the eye with cleanliness and the nose with a pleasant aroma.

Video: how to clean a sofa