Rainy days might spoil your outdoor plans for the weekend, but it’s also a great time to snuggle up on the sofa snacking on some popcorn or having a cup of hot cocoa or milo on this cold day.
However, accidents are always prone to happen especially if you have kids or pets around the house. You can teach your pet to prevent them from peeing on your sofa, but there are bound to be other unforeseeable accidents. While many homeowners enjoy the comfort of a fabric sofa, the hassle of cleaning up spills and stains deters many homeowners from buying a fabric sofa, especially light colored fabric sofas.
If your sofa uses PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a simple wipe or vacuum usually does the trick. However, with Singapore’s humid weather, fabric sofas, are usually favoured over the PVC ones (unless you usually turn on the air-con in the living room).
On hindsight, spilling coloured drinks or food stains are one’s worst nightmares if you own a fabric sofa. Though the damage seems irreversible, you can clean your fabric sofa and get it looking like it’s new again!
Whether you are removing a stain or just doing some house cleaning, follow this guide below to clean your fabric sofa easily! If you have a leather sofa, exercise caution as leather is a delicate material and it may not be suitable to apply the following cleaning tips below.
1. Clean the spill or stain immediately.
The faster you spot the food stain or the spill, the more chance you have of getting your sofa restored to its original state. Use a cloth or a paper towel to quickly remove the spill, dabbing at it. Remember not to rub at it, only dab! Dabbing will lift the spill off the sofa as the clean cloth or paper towel will absorb the spill, while rubbing, on the other hand, will cause the spill to spread over a larger area.
2. Baby wipes.
Don’t underestimate the power of baby wipes. Though they are so gentle on the skin that it is suitable for babies, they are surprisingly effective spills and stains removers. They are also a great option if you are working with a delicate fabric.
3. Mild laundry detergent
Vacuum your sofa first to remove any dust or dirt accumulated on your sofa over time. Next, mix a bowl of laundry detergent and a bowl of water. Using a soft cloth, dip it into the mixture and gently give your sofa a rub all over to clean it. Be careful not to soak your sofa which will cause the drying time to lengthen.
4. White VinegarÂ
Other than cooking, white vinegar is well known as a cleaning agent as well. They are excellent stain removers which is ideal for most fabric sofas since they are mildly acidic. Use it to lift any stains and spills on your sofas, and clean it with some soapy water later on to remove the smell of white vinegar. Â
5. Baking Soda
Baking soda is not only used for baking but it is also an excellent cleaning agent. Sprinkle some baking soda over the couch and let it sit for a while to absorb odours and remove stains before vacuuming them up. If you have any nasty stains, making a mixture with equal parts of baking soda and water. Use this mixture to cover any stains and let it sit for around 15 minutes to absorb the stain. After that, simply remove the mixture and the stain should be gone or lighten up alot.