How to clean a sofa at home: tips from housewives

1. How to clean a sofa at home
2. How to clean a fabric sofa at home
3. How to get blood, wine and other stains off the couch
4. How to clean a white leather sofa

For most of us, the sofa is the most comfortable part of the home. After returning from work, you always want to lie down, relax, watch your favorite show and forget about everything for a while. Due to the popularity of this piece of furniture, many are worried about how to clean the sofa. By far the simplest answer is a professional dry-cleaning of upholstered furniture, but it will not come cheap. It happens that it will not be possible to cope without it, but most often complex stains, for example, blood, baby urine, wine, can be eliminated on their own, and inexpensively. Below you can find step-by-step instructions on how to effectively clean your sofa at home using your usual household products.

Prevention of contamination

So that the sofa does not lose its presentation over time, you need to follow a number of recommendations that extend the service life:

• you should make a choice in favor of a sofa with upholstery material, which is easy to clean from various undesirable elements;
• buy covers and bedspreads for furniture;
• during the meal, you need to be as careful as possible;
• monitor the general condition and take preventive measures in time (knock out dust, remove traces of dirt from the covers, vacuum the sofa).

Despite the observance of all these measures, the sofa can be damaged if children and guests of an apartment or house are inaccurately treated. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to remove stains from the upholstery.

It is advisable to use covers on the sofa.

Weevils

Other guests can also enter the apartment along with cereals: small insects with an ovoid abdomen and a strongly elongated proboscis on the head. The color of the bugs is dark brown or black. These are barn or rice weevils. They feed on grain, preferring already crushed seeds. The length of the weevils is 2.3-3.5 mm. The larva is light yellow, up to 3 mm long. The head of the larva is short, there are no legs.

The weevil does not fly, so it can only get into the apartment together with spoiled groats from the store.

Sofa cleaning methods

In general, the sequence of work depends on how much the resulting stain spoils the appearance of the furniture. If this is just surface dust (including during construction and repair work in the room), it is enough to remove it with damp gauze or cloth. This is done like this: a rag moistened with water is laid out over the entire space of the sofa and slammed. As a result, all the dust is absorbed into it and the sofa takes on its original appearance.

Dust can be easily removed with a cloth

This method has proven itself well on velvet and velor surfaces.

Other materials can be treated with gauze that is soaked in salt water and attached to the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner. After processing the furniture with a similar method, the color scheme of the upholstery regains its former freshness and renews itself.

In difficult cases, you will need chemistry

Table 1. How to eliminate dirt - types and methods

Sometimes you can mix different products to achieve maximum effect.

When you add detergent to diluted soda, which are then mixed with 1 liter of warm water, you get a composition that can overcome even the most difficult dirt. The main requirement is not to overdo it, not to wet the sofa too much, otherwise a pungent smell may appear when it dries.

It is important not to wet the surface too much, so as not to leave streaks and other unwanted parts.

If you are in doubt as to whether a product can be used to remove stains from the sofa, just look at the upholstery label or sticker that is located on the inside of the sofa. Typically, data on possible methods of furniture care is indicated by the manufacturer. Possible side effects from the use of cleaning agents are also presented in this description. In addition, you need to carefully read the instructions for the cleaning agents themselves.

Before using special chemistry, you need to read the composition and methods of application

Kozheedy

The most numerous and unpleasant of the apartment parasites of the coleoptera order. They have a large food base and they feed not only on skin, as the name might suggest, but also on various foods in the kitchen. The larvae of these brown domestic beetles are capable of damaging wool clothes no worse than moths. Among the kozheedov, there are many synanthropic species that have already migrated to human habitation:

• museum;
• carpet;
• kozheed Smirnov;
• fur coat;
• ham;
• spotted;
• grain.

Bugs differ from each other in size and color, but harm the same.

Museum kozheed (Anthrenus museorum)

The second name is the museum beetle. Black or brown beetle with white spots formed by light scales. The spots form a pattern of three "bands". The size of the bug is 2-3.5 mm. The insect is widespread in Eurasia and North America.

The museum is nicknamed for the fact that it often damages zoological collections. But it makes no difference to the bug: he lives in a museum or in an apartment. Stuffed animals and books are not his main food. The larvae eat furs and wool, products from which can be found in any home. In nature, bugs are often found on flowering plants, and larvae on dried animal corpses.

How to remove stains on different upholstery materials

Soft surfaces are most often contaminated with dust and soot. They are formed from exhaust gases and are deposited on all surfaces. But it is the pile (especially for synthetics) that holds them back. If it is enough to wipe the skin with a rag and remove dust from it, then a pile covering or flock will require the use of a vacuum cleaner with a special attachment. If this is not done, only surface contamination will leave the upholstery.

At home, you can use a clapperboard (more in the instructions below) and do without expensive household appliances.

Velor and folk are cleaned with a soap cloth, and the surface is treated in the same direction in which the pile is located on the upholstery. Before cleaning the flock, make sure that household chemicals do not include alcohol components.At the final stage of the procedure, you need to treat the surface with soft bristles and make sure that the pile lies flat, straightening it if necessary.

Velor is especially sensitive

Prices for popular models of steam cleaners

Steam cleaner

Only dry clean is suitable for tapestry. If the contamination cannot be removed with a dry method, take whipped foam and apply to the stain according to the instructions for the product.

You should be especially careful with velvet and plush coverings, as they are the most sensitive to mechanical and chemical influences. Microfiber should only be dry cleaned from stains.

A general advice for the owner of a sofa with a soft fabric surface is not to use a lot of water and pre-test the detergent in a hidden area. You can not only undiluted vinegar and bleaching compounds on furniture.

If the sofa is a light shade, the rag chosen for processing can shed and stain it. This should be remembered. Only light accessories are suitable for light furniture.

When wiping the sofa, remember that the rag can shed and leave marks.

Instructions for removing stains from woven upholstery

Step # 1. First you need to remove the dust.

With a thorough cleaning, the upholstery is cleaned of animal hair, crumbs, and other small elements.

The first option is to use the traditional method. The upholstery is processed with a vacuum cleaner, and they go into all joints and bottlenecks. If there is a special nozzle or a dust collection tube, you can choose either option. The nozzle comes with a brush for a more thorough cleaning.

Dust is removed for better performance

In the second version, a carpet cracker is used. To collect waste, you need an unnecessary rag, cloth or used bedding. It can be soaked or immersed in a solution of soap and then wrung out, including in the washing machine. Then proceed directly to the elimination of dust pollution. At the same time, the air remains clean, and the cleaning itself is safe for furniture and those living in the apartment.

Prices for a range of washing vacuum cleaners

Washing vacuum cleaner

Step number 2. Manual cleaning of the sofa.

A sharp instrument will be needed if necessary. This is necessary to remove the remains of solid dirt. For these purposes, a knife is suitable, any of the spatulas.

A hard-bristled rag - a versatile hand-cleaning tool

Do not use scrapers when furniture is covered with velor, flock or other soft materials. Such upholstery is soaked with soap.

Step 3. Removing stains.

Work at this stage is carried out depending on the type of spot. A universal method: apply a "Vanish" type agent to the stain according to the instructions, and then, if the residues of dirt spoil the appearance of the sofa, supplement these manipulations with a 9% essence (2 tablespoons of vinegar are combined with a liter of water), or a solution of shampoo with ammonia (about 10 drops).

Compositions are selected based on the type and degree of pollution

Usually, such manipulations help to eliminate simple stains from coffee, tea drink, light alcohol - wine, beer, traces of berries, cola.

Table 2. Types of stains and specific methods of elimination

Step 4. If you need a total wash of the sofa (the problem is not solved, the sofa has faded, etc.), you can do it in the following ways:

• soap - solutions of varying degrees of concentration are suitable for cleaning most surfaces;
• shampoo solution - for such a solution you need warm water and the composition itself;
• weak vinegar 9 -% composition, mixed with a soda solution, which is prepared like this - 1 tablespoon is diluted in a liter of water;
• alcohol solutions or pure alcohol are suitable for microfiber;
• to remove the odor, the upholstery is covered with a layer of soda and the substance is left for 20-60 minutes, after which it is removed with a vacuum cleaner with a furniture attachment - the method is suitable for light sofas;
• after carrying out any of the above procedures, it will be useful to walk in the direction of the pile with a soft brush or a brush of medium hardness - this contributes to the renewal of color and a more even arrangement of the upholstery fibers.

Sprinkle with baking soda - to eliminate unpleasant upholstery odors

Instructions for removing stains from leather coverings

To update the look of a leather sofa, you need to prepare a special composition, materials and tools:

• two woven pieces (soft);
• water at a comfortable warm temperature;
• mild detergent composition of soap;
• vinegar (table or other%);
• olive or flax oil;
• a piece of microfiber;
• to consolidate the result - a brush for cleaning teeth, colorless varnish for hairstyles.

The solution is prepared in a bowl

Step 1. It is necessary to combine soap and water in a bowl.

Apply the composition to the upholstery with a sponge or rag.

Step 2. Soak a dry cloth in the solution and thoroughly wipe the outside of the sofa.

Surface is polished

Step 3. The next step is to wipe the sofa dry to remove all excess liquid.

It is important to remove excess water from the upholstery.

Step 4. For additional protection of leather upholstery and an attractive appearance, you need prepare the composition and treat the surface with it: 1 part of vinegar is combined with 2 parts of oil (flax, olive).

Oil formulations protect leather upholstery

Instead of vinegar, oil can be combined with baking soda

Step 5. The mixture is on the upholstery for ten minutes, then the excess is removed with a dry cloth. Along the way, the upholstery is polished. Do not use wet wipes with alcohol or pure vinegar at this stage - this will dry out the skin and lead to the formation of cracks.

Skin is sensitive to alcohol

Step 6. If local contamination is present on the sofa, they can be removed as follows: apply a hardening varnish or toothpaste to them, and then promptly remove the dried stain along with the remaining dirt. It is advisable to try this on an inconspicuous area. Can be repeated several times until the desired result is obtained. Hairspray with stationery stains works especially well.

The remains of the varnish are removed with a rag.

The nuances of working with white upholstery

The white sofa looks stylish, impressive, but gets dirty quickly. Such upholstery is cleaned in several steps: getting rid of dust, general cleaning, rinsing, drying. When using a vacuum cleaner, you need to put on a special nozzle with a brush. Do not press too hard on the sofa. It is better to vacuum in a gentle, weak mode.

Development of a drawing of a corner sofa, do-it-yourself assembly step by step

The detergent is selected according to the material. You can use an all-purpose cleaner. Just do not mix this method with other folk methods. If preference is given to a cleaner, the label should be marked “For light materials”.

Soap solution is well suited among folk methods, and Antipyatin soap is among special products. They do not need to rub too hard. If the soap hasn't worked to get rid of the stains, it's best to go to a dry cleaner.

With white upholstery, you should only work with white fabric to avoid unwanted color on the sofa.

Cleaning fabric upholstery with vinegar and baking soda

You should dwell in more detail on such a popular method as removing stains with vinegar and soda. These substances are usually at hand in any home.

Step 1. It is necessary to prepare the composition for cleaning. In 1/5 liter of purified filtered water, dilute five tbsp. l. vinegar. After that, a tablespoon of powder and such an amount of soda are added to the resulting liquid. The product foams a lot and should be cooked in a spacious container (bowl, basin).

Preparation of the cleaning compound

Step 2. When the liquid is inside the sprayer, it is immediately applied to remove it with a sponge or soft cloth. You need to act quickly, while the composition is foaming and active. You don't have to wait long for it to dry or stop absorbing.

A spray bottle is needed to apply the solution

It should be remembered that the powder is not an obligatory component of the mixture, but it is able to supplement it, give the product the desired aroma, etc.

Cleaning the textiles will be easier if you add lemon juice or peroxide to the mixture.

In no case is it necessary to sprinkle the upholstery with soda and pour it on top with a vinegar solution.This is more likely to damage the furniture cover, and the white stain may persist forever.

They also clean the sofas separately with vinegar and separately with soda. General recommendations: vacuum cleaners with plastic collectors are used to remove dirt residues - cloth bags are not suitable for these purposes.

Remove wine stains with vinegar

Vinegar works great on blood and wine stains. It is enough to hold it in the form of a solution on the surface for 15 minutes. The characteristic smell disappears in 3-4 hours. You can speed up the process with a vacuum cleaner, which will absorb not only dirt residues, but also unpleasant odors.

Vinegar with a high acid content is suitable for cleaning stains from furniture upholstery.

Grinders

If the ticking of a clock begins to sound from the side of the furniture, this is not a mechanical alarm clock forgotten somewhere. Grinder beetles started up in the furniture. The sound of "death clock" is produced by insect larvae that feed on wood. 2 types of grinders may appear in the apartment: furniture and brownie.

Furniture

Small brown bugs on a window sill made of wood may be furniture grinders leaving their shelters in the wood. The size of the imago is 2.7-4.5 mm. The body is cylindrical, elongated. Elytra with 10 clearly visible grooves. The body is covered with sparse light bristles.

The imago lives only 6-28 days. In the adult state, bugs do not feed, their only purpose is to leave offspring. The wood is eaten by larvae, which gnaw passages in it and pupate there.

The beetle years fall in May - June, and at this time you should be especially careful about the small brown beetles in the apartment.

Brownie

This beetle is unlikely to appear in the apartment, as it prefers frost-damaged wood. But residents of wooden private houses should be wary of him. Compared to other domestic parasites, it is a large insect: 4-7 mm. The color is dark gray with a brown tint. On sides of pronotum there are spots of golden bristles.

Weevil and grinders

Removing stubborn stains from the sofa at home

If the furniture has not been cleaned for a long time, dark spots may appear on it in places of the most intensive use - this, as a rule, concerns the armrests, the edges of the seats, the part of the back of the sofa where the head and / or back comes into contact with the material.

A greasy sofa is cleaned in a special way

On dense surfaces, old stains are removed with a soapy baking soda cleaner. You can also dilute the dish soap in water and treat the sofa with it. These substances are safe for leather coverings and leatherette.

If an old stain covers the fabric, a lot depends on the upholstery itself.

The tapestry can be brushed with any medium. The foam is on the damaged area for up to ten minutes and then washed off with clean water. At the last stage, it is wiped with a dry cloth. If the result is not achieved, the procedure is repeated. It is advisable to make a solution of increased concentration and clean the entire surface so that there are no contrasting stains around the edges of the stain.

At the same time, it is enough to increase the content of soap and / or soda by 2-3 times and no more. Otherwise, you will have to additionally remove the solution itself from the coatings. This is especially true for light furniture.

The substances act actively on old stains until the result is obtained.

As for the brushed surfaces, it is convenient to use a foam sponge for them. A solution of laundry soap, or dish soap, "Vanish" and other standard formulations can be applied to it.

Removing unpleasant odors from furniture

Mucoedy

They belong to polyphagous beetles, that is, their menu is very diverse. Three types can be found in apartments.

Surinamese

The beetle is 3-3.5 mm long with a reddish-brown back. The pest is flat, very elongated, with a thin body. Pronotum with characteristic longitudinal ribs.

The first copies were delivered from Suriname, hence the name. Distributed everywhere.

Prefers bakeries as a bottomless source of food. But often, together with flour and cereals, it gets into apartments, where it infects other supplies. The vital activity of bugs leads to an increase in moisture in the food, which is why mold forms in the cereals.

The maximum life span is 3 years. Typical 6-10 months. The life cycle is 27-51 days at a temperature of 29-35 ° C.

During her life, the female lays 43-285 eggs. At an ideal temperature of 27-29 ° C, the larvae hatch after 3-5 days. The larva grows up to 3 mm, has a yellow-white color and a brown head.

In theory, Surinamese muco-eaters fly, they have wings. In practice, they only crawl.

Red-haired muco-eater

The light brown beetle is about 2 times smaller than the Surinamese "fellow". In the apartment, the food supply, habitats and life cycle are similar to those of the Surinamese mucoed. A distinctive feature of the red muco-eater is inactivity.

Mucoedy

Merchant beetle

A flat small beetle 2.5 cm long. Almost completely identical to the Surinamese in morphology and lifestyle, differing in the size of the eyes and the shape of the head. The bugs crawl actively, moving to new habitats.

Treatment of blood stains

Blood stains and marks are considered some of the most difficult to remove. A fresh stain is easier to clean, but sometimes you have to deal with old stains. There are several options for dealing with blood traces, when plain water does not help to remove them even in a few steps:

• you need to prepare a salt solution from two teaspoons and a glass of water, which is then applied to the sofa with a spray bottle and immediately wiped off with a dry napkin.
• if the stain is large and dry, pharmacy peroxide is applied to the upholstery, then this place must be blotted with a napkin and repeated until it ceases to emit blood;
• ammonia also copes well with blood, but with regards to the skin you need to be careful - such upholstery can get serious damage from ammonia.

It is better to clean the stain fresh.

Ways of appearance in the apartment

There are two ways for brown flying bugs to enter an apartment:

• under its own power through a window or ventilation;
• in purchases from the store.

Grocery stores with unscrupulous staff are especially dangerous in terms of the introduction of harmful insects. Most often, muco-eaters are brought from there, but in the same way leather-eaters can get into the apartment with cereals.

The penetration of beetles into the apartment

In the absence of a mosquito net on the windows, bugs can penetrate the window, attracted by the smell of food. But for especially small species of bugs, even the mesh will not be an adequate barrier, they will crawl through the cells.

The ingress of kozheedov into the apartment through the ventilation shaft is possible if the population has already bred from one of the neighbors.