How To Clean a Fabric Sofa Naturally

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If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my homemaking, it’s that I need all the cleaning tips I can get! I’ve had to learn how to clean a variety of things. And if you have kids, you will know that you will have to learn how to clean some of the weirdest things. (Squished macaroni noodles out of a towel, anyone?) Today I’m going to show you how to clean a fabric sofa naturally. Now, let’s get to cleaning this couch!

How To Clean Fabric Sofa Stains

The first step to cleaning your fabric sofa at home is to remove stains. I’m going to give you a couple of methods. The first method is not so natural, but it involves using Oxi-Clean spray.

I simply spray the stain with Oxi-Clean, let it soak in, and then use a wet rag to rub the stain out. You can come back with another wet rag and try to remove as much of the cleaner as possible. You can also spray more water on the spot to help remove the cleaner. Make sure you test your fabric before using any cleaning product on it!

Another way to clean your couch upholstery and remove stains is with a mixture of 1/4 cup vinegar, 3/4 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon dish soap or Castile soap. Treat the stain the same way as described above. I think the vinegar, water, and Castile soap is an easy home remedy to try to clean your sofa fabric. You could also try this natural remedy for removing upholstery stains.

How To Clean Upholstery with Baking Soda

So, now let’s talk about how to clean your fabric sofa at home with baking soda. Baking soda is always in my pantry. It is a workhorse for cleaning, deodorizing, and baking, too! I’ve used baking soda to clean my oven, my washing machine, and to clean and deodorize my refrigerator.

To clean and deodorize your couch, make sure you’ve removed any stains, and then lightly spray the fabric with plain water. Next, sprinkle baking soda all over the couch. Focus on the areas where most odors are trapped. The seat cushions, anywhere your pet may rest, and the arms if you have kids who like to put plates of food there. (No, that’s not me, haha!)

Lightly rub that baking soda into the fabric and let it sit. The longer it sits, the more odor will be removed. The baking soda works to absorb all that funky smell! You’ll need 30 minutes at least, but honestly I recommend letting it sit overnight.

Now you need to vacuum the baking soda out of the couch. Use a good upholstery attachment on your vacuum and go all over your couch removing as much baking soda as you can.

If you still see some spots of baking soda after vacuuming, you can use a damp rag to rub them out.

Once you’ve removed the baking soda, use your homemade linen spray to disinfect and freshen the couch! I love my bergamot and lavender scented linen spray.

And that’s it! I hope this simple solution was helpful for cleaning and deodorizing your couch!

How Often Should You Clean Your Couch

The answer to this question depends on how much use your couch gets. If you have pets, kids, or allow food to be eaten on your couch, you’ll need to clean it more often.

I vacuum my couch once a week these days. Food crumbs inevitably end up under the cushions and dog hair gets everywhere and it drives me nuts. I do the cleaning process above about every three months. I definitely recommend freshening your couch at least every six months.

What if something really gross happens on your couch? Let’s say there’s an accident involving bodily fluids. If you have cushion covers, you’ll definitely need to remove those and launder them. If you can’t launder them, you may need to remove your cushions and take them outside and hose them off, saturate with cleaner, and then use an upholstery cleaner to remove as much water as possible.

I try to avoid using my carpet cleaner on my couch. You have to be very careful about what detergents you use and the drying time can be a long time. If you want to use a carpet or upholstery cleaner, test it on your fabric first and only use it on very soiled areas.

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