Means for cleaning sofas: types, tips for selection and use

A sofa and other upholstered furniture, which is actively used by all members of the family, sooner or later becomes stained - these can be traces of a felt-tip pen, marker, blueberries, cherries, coffee, watercolors and many others. Of course, the easiest way is to remove the upholstery and stretch, but not every sofa has removable covers. Therefore, we will give you some recommendations that will help to maintain a fresh and aesthetic appearance of your upholstered furniture for many years.

In order to clean a dirty sofa cover without removing it at the same time, you can use a variety of means:

• take advantage of a professional dry cleaning service;
• purchase industrial cleaners;
• turn to folk recipes.

To effectively clean the surface of the sofa from pollution, you can use household appliances for the home.

A washing vacuum cleaner allows you to quickly solve all problems, associated with the contamination of upholstered furniture, including the removal of stains from food colors. However, it should be borne in mind that a vacuum cleaner can only cope with fresh spots - this technique is powerless against old pollution.

The first thing to do before surface treatment with a washing vacuum cleaner is this is to dry clean the surface, for this a thin nozzle is used, which collects all the dust in each crack and crease of the skin. After that, you can proceed to wet cleaning.

Steam cleaner. The name of this device speaks for itself - in this case, cleaning is carried out using hot steam. The liquid is heated in a special compartment, after which a strong jet of steam is supplied to the casing through a special nozzle, which not only removes all dirt and dust, but also destroys dust mites that actively multiply in the fabric. The built-in option of the vacuum cleaner removes all excess moisture, so the furniture remains dry after processing.

Before working with the steam cleaner, vacuum the sofa thoroughly, then apply a suitable cleaning agent and wait for it to dry completely. Only after this comes the steam cleaner turn. Processing needs to be done smooth movements, It is advisable to clean all sections of the sofa separately. If the spots are fresh, then you can do without household chemicals - hot steam can cope with such traces on its own.

Household chemicals, presented in trade enterprises, implemented in several forms:

• powder;
• foam;
• spray;
• gel;
• shampoo.

Conventionally, they are divided into two groups: formulations used as an emergency measure and means intended for regular cleansing. The first ones contain rather aggressive components, it is better to apply them immediately after the appearance of the stain, so that no traces remain on the furniture surface. The use of such drugs on an ongoing basis is not recommended, since sooner or later they cause the appearance of whitened spots on the coating. Similar solutions can be used in small areas. If you apply them to the entire surface of the furniture, you may not have time to remove the entire composition from the upholstery in a timely manner, and the consequences of such a long exposure can be most unpredictable.

For regular use, milder components are used that act delicately, but for a long time.

Depending on the product used, cleaning has its own characteristics.

• Cleaning with stain remover. This tool is used locally - applied directly to the stain and wiped the surface with a clean sponge, if necessary, repeat the procedure.

• Powder cleaning. The composition is optimal for getting rid of not too stubborn dirt. The powder is poured onto the damaged area and rubbed with a napkin until it changes color (this means that the dirt has dissolved, and you can remove it with a brush or vacuum cleaner).

• Spray cleaning. Spray is effective for delicate fabrics that are afraid of water. The composition must be carefully sprayed from the can and spread with a napkin on the surface in an even layer. After 2-5 minutes, the remaining product is removed with a vacuum cleaner. The product is optimal for cleaning contaminants of a small area.

• Foam cleaning. Foam is a shampoo for carpets of high concentration. This product is usually mixed with water, whipped vigorously until a foam appears and spread over the contaminated surface. As soon as the product dries, its remains are removed with a brush. Vanish foam is highly effective. It is so dense that after processing the surface of the sofa remains dry.

Keep in mind that foam cannot be used for upholstery from natural materials, since a high concentration of active drugs causes deformation of the canvas.

If you don’t have a special cleaning agent at hand, you can always do it, using folk recipes.

• Using table vinegar. To prepare a working solution of 1 tsp.9% vinegar is diluted in 1 liter of water, moistened with a clean cotton cloth, squeezed a little and laid out on the sofa. After that, the surface of the furniture should be intensively swallowed with a beat - as a result of such processing, all dust and dirt remains on the material. Manipulation should be repeated until the sheets are clean. If you use delicate fabric, then vinegar needs to be taken in half.

• Soda. Baking soda is an effective cleaning agent, and in addition, it has an antibacterial effect - it contributes to the destruction of pathogenic microflora, which causes allergic diseases and pathologies of the respiratory system. A dry method is used to clean the sofas, for this purpose the soda is scattered over the surface with a layer of 1.5-2 cm and left for an hour, after which it is removed with a vacuum cleaner.

• Vinegar solution with baking soda is highly effective, this composition has proven itself in the fight against stains of blood, fat and urine. For work, use a spray gun, into which a solution is made up of 0.5 l of water, 1 tbsp. l soda and 1⁄3 cup vinegar. The resulting talker is evenly sprayed on the surface and left for a quarter of an hour, after which the foam is removed with a brush and passed along the surface with a wet cloth.

• Soap. A solution made from laundry soap, successfully copes with many types of pollution. To clean the sofa, moisten a soft rag in the liquid and rub it with stains, and after a while, wash it with a clean cloth.

• It is distinguished by high efficiency and acetic salt composition, which is used to maintain the cleanliness of upholstered furniture, remove dust and light impurities. The solution is made from 1 liter of water, 2 tbsp. l salt and 2 tbsp. l vinegar. Keep in mind that combating blood, paint, food and cosmetics stains requires more aggressive action.

We offer you an overview of the most popular products that have shown high efficiency for cleaning sofas and other upholstered furniture.

This is a Russian drug that positions itself as a stain remover. The active components of the composition easily cope with stains of tea, coffee, as well as traces of ink and blood. Vanish does not include chlorine, so the use of the drug does not entail a danger to human life and health.

Vanish is not suitable for cleaning surfaces made of velvet, brocade and silk.

This is an effective composition from Israel, which easily removes the most persistent stains, cleans, washes and disinfects the surface, and also eliminates all types of contaminants that appear due to the activity of pets. The undoubted advantage of the spray is its ability to return things to a faded color and give a pleasant aroma.

With respect to rubber, wood and coatings, the product is neutral.

As you know, the more effective the composition, the more dangerous it is. Bagi was no exception - user reviews recommend using personal protective equipment (gloves) when working with it, and if it gets into your eyes, rinse immediately with running water.

Another domestic product that is characterized by maximum efficiency. Designed for cleaning carpets and upholstered furniture. The active components of the composition penetrate deep into the skin without damaging the tissue fibers, gently but quickly clean all types of stains and eliminate unpleasant odors. Buyers note that the composition is most effective when working with fresh contaminants.

Stain remover based on the inclusion of acids, organic salts, plant extracts, enzymes and ethers in the composition.

According to user reviews, the product is extremely easy to use - to clean the surface of the sofa you just need to spray the product, rub it with a soft brush until foam appears and leave for 5-7 minutes.

Some buyers even point out that after using such a drug, allergic diseases disappear and the general well-being of people who spend a lot of time on this couch improves.

The choice of cleaning agent for sofas depends largely on the material from which their upholstery is made.

The genuine leather upholstery is the easiest to clean. This material does not absorb dirt and moisture, because all stains are washed off quite quickly with a simple soap solution. For cleaning leather surfaces, it is not recommended to use washing powder, chemical, as well as chlorine-containing compounds.

Flock and velor are rather capricious canvases; when cleaning them, it is undesirable to allow changes in the direction of the pile. Before processing the surface of the sofa, dust should be removed. To do this, you can use a vacuum cleaner or a damp cloth. Then a microfiber cloth or suede should be moistened in a solution of ammonia or vinegar and gently move in the direction of the villi. The use of aggressive compounds for washing upholstery from flock is unacceptable.

Tapestry, gunny and jacquard are rough materials that can be cleaned with a stiff brush. For their cleaning, a ready-made cleaner for upholstered furniture or solutions of soap, ammonia, vinegar are used. Please note that the concentration of the active substance should be minimal, otherwise there is a high risk of changing the shape and shade of the upholstery.

Silk can only be cleaned with a soft microfiber cloth so that clings do not appear in the material. The most effective is Vanish, as well as a concentrated soap solution. It is impossible to use compounds containing alcohol and vinegar for processing.

Wool needs special care. It is best to resort to dry home cleaning. The use of water-based solutions causes tissue deformation.

Cleaning synthetic canvases it is very important to first remove all dust with a vacuum cleanerthen aerosol sprays can be used to clean carpets. Hard tools and aggressive preparations are not recommended for processing.

In order to choose the right detergent, you must adhere to the following rules.

• You should always carefully study the instructions for the proposed tool. Reading the label alone is clearly not enough, especially since many unscrupulous manufacturers often mislead customers. For example, the package shows a sofa, while in fact the product is intended for cleaning carpets and other hard surfaces.

• The cleaning agent purchased must be for a specific type of furniture, that is, it is indicated on it that it can be used “for cleaning sofas” or “for cleaning sofas”. If there is no such wording, the composition can seriously harm the furniture.

• The cleaning agent must not contain aggressive components. Many believe that since the product went on sale, it is safe. This is not so, the vast majority of household chemicals presented in the free sale in case of contact with the skin can cause harm to it. Before you buy the drug, be sure to smell it - if you feel a pungent odor, then refuse the purchase.

• If possible, discard shampoos to clean the fabric sofa. Despite all the assurances of the manufacturers, this product is less suitable than the others for this purpose. The fact is that such compounds have the ability to absorb water, which leads to the most unpleasant consequences:
  • they are rather difficult to rinse out of the upholstery;
  • wet cloth stays moist for a long time;
  • after drying, stains remain on the surface, which significantly worsens the appearance of the product.

Ballpoint pen stains are best removed alcohol compounds. To remove traces of ink, just wipe the stained areas with a solution, and then rinse with cool water.

If you can’t use alcohol, you can try milk - the cloth moistened in it is pressed to the stain and left for 15-20 minutes. This method is most effective for leather products, because it does not leave streaks and white spots on the surface.

To rid the surface of the sofa of stains of fruit juices and blueberries helps soap solution and table vinegar. Both components are mixed in equal proportions, after which the desired area is processed with their mixture.

Traces of fatty foods and oils are removed with ordinary salt. INAll that is required of you is to fill the surface of the stain with salt and leave it briefly so that it absorbs all the fat from the surface.

To rid the sofa of sticking chewing gum, resin or wipe off traces of lizun, you need to wrap it in a plastic bag ordinary iceput on chewing gum on top. Under the influence of low temperature, it will freeze, and it can be easily torn off with a metal ruler or spatula.

Traces of acrylic paint and gouache can be removed from the surface of the sofa using laundry soap.

If the sofa is stained with tonic for hair, then you need to dilute in a glass of water 1 tbsp. l liquid soap and 1 tbsp. l vinegar, after which in this solution moisten a rag and apply to the stain until the paint is completely absorbed into it.

Lipstick stains can be removed with ammonia - they wipe the stain with it, then apply a clean dry cloth to the place of contamination and iron it at a low temperature.

Nail polish can be removed with acetone, however, you should first check the reaction of the material to the solution in an inconspicuous place.

Wax stains can be eliminated. with a hot iron. To do this, a sheet of paper is applied to the stain and ironed with a hot iron. Under the influence of heat, the wax melts and is absorbed into the paper. The procedure must be repeated until the stain completely disappears.

Blood stains can be removed cold water or hydrogen peroxide.

To get rid of traces of iodine, Zelenka and Fucorcin are mixed. tooth powder with alcohol, applied to the site of contamination and allowed to dry, then treated with a vacuum cleaner.

Stains from urine must be removed immediately after their appearance, otherwise it will be very difficult to get rid of the smell. To clean a glass of water, take 15 drops of iodine and treat the surface so that the solution penetrates as deep as possible into the tissue. When the specific smell of the antiseptic disappears, the stain can be washed with cold water. Keep in mind that This method should not be used on light-colored sofas.

See how to clean the sofa below.