Cleaning Your Sectional Sofa – What to do When Dirt Becomes the Enemy
You fell in love with that sectional sofa from the moment you saw it. After all, it’s comfortable, it’s just the right color, and it looks great in your living room. But, eventually, dirt and stains are going to make their way onto your sofa. When they do, you’ll need to be prepared.
Do you know how to clean a sectional sofa?
Most people don’t.
Before you try to remove that stain on your own, you need to take a look at your sofa. Those “one-size-fits-all” cleaners may do more harm than good!
How you clean your sectional sofa depends on what your sofa is made of:
- For microsuede sofas, there is a tag on the back that will tell you everything you need to know. If the tag has a “W” on it, that means you can use pure water to get it clean. If it has an “S” on it, you will need to use a special microsuede solvent.
Once you determine what to clean your sectional sofa with, grab a spray bottle and fill it up. If your sofa has a stubborn stain, you can pour a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid into the bottle. Spray the couch liberally, and wipe in a circular motion with a clean, dry hand towel. If you are cleaning the entire sofa, focus on 3’x3’ sections at a time. That way, the couch won’t have time to dry. Remember, microsuede is designed to repel liquid!
- For leather sofas, a damp rag and a little bit of soap should be enough to get rid of any dirt or grime. Rub gently, and wipe the sofa dry with a cloth when you’re finished.
If you have a grease stain, sprinkle some talcum powder or corn starch onto the stain, and let it sit. Don’t rub it in, though! Rubbing can actually damage your sofa. After a few hours have passed, wipe it off with a clean cloth.
If you have a minor water stain, it will dry naturally. Once the area is dry, treat it with some leather conditioner.
Before you put anything on your leather sofa, test an inconspicuous spot first. Leather is fragile, and the wrong cleaning products can fade your sofa’s color!
- Cloths sofas will need a good cleaning every now and then, even if you can’t see any stains.
If you do have stains on your sofa, vacuum the area first. Just make sure you don’t rub too hard – or else you could wind up pushing the dirt even further into the fabric.
Then, use a foaming upholstery cleaner, and rub it in with a damp sponge. After the sofa is dry, vacuum it again to remove any excess cleaner.
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