What to Do and What to Avoid for a Safe Fabric Couch Cleaning Session
For most of us, the best part of our day includes straightaway hitting the couch after coming back home after a long, tiring day. This is the best feeling ever. You just unwind, snuggle into your comfy couch, watch your favourite series, or just close your eyes and take a nap, and for a moment, the rest of the world becomes non-existent. However, amidst our daily chores and busy lives, we unknowingly lead our fabric couch towards wear and tear, leading to a decreased lifespan of the couch.
Furthermore, it takes a more specific approach to cleaning a fabric couch as compared to other fabrics. Thus, it becomes even more crucial to properly maintain your fabric couch to ensure that it not only looks fresh and new but also lasts for years to come. In this informative fabric couch cleaning blog, we will take a look at what things one must avoid to prevent couch damage and what cleaning methods work best for your fabric couch.
Decoding Codes Before Cleaning
The first and foremost thing that one needs to understand is the importance of cleaning codes, which are present on the label of your couch. When you take a look at the label, you will find one of the following codes:
- W – Use a water-based cleaner.
- W/S – Use water-based or solvent-based cleaners.
- S – Use a solvent-based cleaner only.
- X – Vacuum or brush clean only.
While most of us are inclined towards the DIY fabric couch cleaning method, it is still important to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to avoid any possibility of serious damage. If your couch is new or is still under warranty, not following the cleaning instructions properly will void your warranty, leading to additional replacement or repair costs. So now, if you’ve got the gist of the cleaning codes, let us look at some amazing tips on how to clean your couch and what not to do to prevent couch damage.
What Methods Should You Avoid to Clean Your Fabric Couch?
Your fabric couch is the centrepiece of your living room; therefore, it needs to be treated with the utmost care if you wish to keep the appeal of your house at its best. However, sometimes we become a little too ambitious while doing a full cleaning session of our living space, and in the process, we might end up doing some serious damage to our beloved fabric couch. Worry not; we will provide you with a list of mistakes that you must avoid to protect your couch from any unnecessary damage. Whether you are only planning on giving a bit of a touch-up or want to give a deep cleaning to your couch, these tips will give you a clear idea of what mistakes you should avoid while cleaning your fabric couch:
1. Avoid Rubbing
While cleaning your couch, always make sure to gently blot the stains or any affected area using a clean sponge or microfiber towel. Professional couch cleaning experts recommend blotting against rubbing. This is because rubbing the stain will not only lead to fabric damage due to friction but doing so will also cause the stains to spread further, leading to more stubborn stains.
2. Avoid Bleaching
It is never a good idea to use bleach on your couch. Bleach is strong for your soft couch fabric, and using it on your couch will cause discolouration on your fabric couch, which will cause the couch to look even worse.
3. Say No to Laundry Detergent Or Dish Soap
When thinking about cleaning the fabric couch, many homeowners are inclined towards dish soap and laundry detergent to clean the couch. However, this may do more harm than good. Thus, always use cleaners that are appropriate for your specific couch type.
4. Say No to Using White Wine
There’s this age-old belief that has been going around on the internet about how white wine is the magic ingredient that helps remove the red wine stain from your couch. However, this is just a myth. Fabric couch cleaners are completely against this hack, as doing so can give the opposite results.
The Correct Way to Clean Your Fabric Couch
Now that we are all aware of how not to clean your couch, let us take a look at the correct way to clean your fabric couch so that it looks brand new at all times.
First things first, using a clean cloth, blot as much spill as possible to prevent the liquid from penetrating further. Now here are a few ways to deal with the following stain types:
1. Normal stains
For general stains, such as juice or soda spilling on your couch, sprinkle some baking soda or talcum powder on the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, and vacuum it thoroughly.
2. Red Wine Spill
For red wine stains, baking soda would work just fine. However, if the stain is old, hydrogen peroxide will be your saviour. Spray hydrogen peroxide over the stain, and then take some baking soda and sprinkle it on top of it. Let the layer sit on the stain for a good 20 minutes, and then blot it with cold water.
3. Professional Cleaning
When nothing seems to work, then opting for a professional couch cleaning service is the best bet. Skilled professionals have years of experience and the right tools required to efficiently treat any kind of stains from your couch. They will also give you good tips on how you can clean your couch by yourself without causing any damage to the fabric.
Conclusion
If you are a cleaning enthusiast and are looking for ways to maintain your fabric couch, then take note of these tips, as they will help you not only properly clean your fabric couch but also enjoy its comfort for a long time. If you are looking for a reliable professional couch-cleaning company, then look no further than Fresh Upholstery Cleaning. Reach out to us today for a free quote, or contact us today to book our affordable services.
