Cleaning Sofa Spills and Stains

Upholstered furniture is susceptible to stains particularly for people who have pets or children; stains or dirt may come from pets, dust, mildew or simply household grime.

Stains to upholstery fabrics produce greater problems than stains on clothing, the replacement price of a sofa is much greater than an item of clothing.

If the sofa were washed regularly we would advise a re-application of the stain resist finish every 24 months.

Sofa stain removal tips.

By treating stains and spills the moment they happen, you are able to avoid the chance of the stain turning out to be permanent, extend the life span of one's upholstered furniture and keep it looking as good as the day you bought it.

It is impossible to totally avoid any stains or spills on your sofa, but there is no need to panic. Promptly, blot the spill using a clean absorbent cloth, it is important that you never to scrub the fabric. Also avoid the temptation to soak the fabric. It is possible that if you absorb the stain immediately, no further cleaning may be needed in particular when the fabric has had a stain resist treatment.

If the stain persists test your favourite brand of upholstery cleaner in an inconspicuous spot to ensure it will not discolour the fabric. Working from outside towards the inside, dab the stain with the treatment. Don’t rub the stain; this may make the stain more difficult to remove. Employ a soft cloth, such as a towel or terry cloth to gently dry the area. If a stain is especially uncooperative, spray a towel with water and work the towel over the stain in a circular motion for several minutes. Never spray water directly onto any fabric upholstery, as it might cause an ugly water ring.

Upholstery sofa fabrics composed of unusual fibres may require special treatment so it’s a good idea to heed the recommendation of your sofa supplier.

Some stain removal ideas to treat specific sofa stains

Mud type stains - brush off the stain once dry do not rub while wet.

Blood: Take a pint (half a litre) of water and add about 1 ounce of salt (30g) of salt and carry out the wet, blot, and wet tactic. Should the stain persist, try using a dilute hydrogen peroxide solution  (you must test this in an inconspicuous area first as peroxide may discolour some dyes).

Juice stains – Use a water based spot cleaner e.g. Stain magic. If none to hand try blotting with a solution of ratio 1:3 vinegar to water.

Red Wine: treat immediately to soak up as much as possible with a clean dry cloth avoid rubbing. Next try blotting with a dilute detergent water mix and soak up with a dry clean cloth. If this doesn’t work try hydrogen peroxide mixed with detergent in equal parts dab, or wet the stain. (you must test this in an inconspicuous area first as peroxide may discolour some dyes).

Ink: Apply a solvent such as nail varnish remover or hairspray to the ink then wash. Try dabbing with nail varnish remover then soaking up the residue with a cloth (again do a test on hidden areas first).

Protecting the fabric from stain damages using stain resist treatments is advisable; this also noticeably increases life of the sofa.

Consider re applying stain resist treatments every 24 months.

Keep a clean cloth near at hand for quick blotting of spills.

Avoid using the wrong type of cleaning chemicals; Unsuitable chemicals can damage sofa fabric permanently. NEVER USE BLEACH!

Washing sofa covers

Don’t wash cushion covers only you will get shade variation with the sofa base.

Check the load capacity of you machine so as not overload it.

Your detergent should be free of optical brightening or bleaching agents.

Loose covers will fit better when slightly damp, do not fully dry.

It is best to dry the covers naturally, away from direct sunlight or artificial heat sources. Do not to tumble dry your covers!

If the your sofa has stains that are not removable or suffers from bad light fading it may be possible to have the sofa covers redyed to the colour of your choice. In many cases this will not only remove or hide the stain but may give your covers a completely new lease of life.

At this point the sofa covers could be treated with a stain guard treatment if required.