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Sofas made from fabric look great and contribute to a cozy atmosphere. On the other hand, cleaning these can be a pain. However, spills are inevitable, and unless you cover your upholstery with plastic, you should be armed with the knowledge on how to properly clean your fabric sofa.

1. Review Manufacturer-Issued Instructions

Always check the instructions regarding cleaning your sofa written by the manufacturer before attempting to freshen your furniture up or remove stains. Failure in this regard can cancel out your warranty as well as lead to the ruin of your couch.

2. Check the Tags

The tags on furniture often can tell you how to handle cleaning. This is a good place to check if you can’t find the instructions issued by the manufacturer. Check the cushion tags for important facts, such as whether or not your sofa is water-soluble.

3. Learn to Properly Read a Cleaning Tag

In most cases, you will see one of four letters on a cleaning tag. These, as well as their meaning, are as follows:

W – Your sofa may be cleaned using water.
S – No water! Instead, you must use a solvent-based cleaner.
WS – You may use either water or a solvent-based cleaner on this sofa.
X – Only a vacuum is acceptable.

Cleaning a Stained Fabric Sofa

Should you find an “X” on your sofa’s cleaning tag, break out the vacuum and its attachment. If you find an “S”, locate a solvent-based cleaner that is clear regarding the instructions on how to use it on your furniture. The following instructions are suitable for a couch that is marked “W” or “WS”.

You will need to have at your disposal these items:

– A vacuum cleaner with an attachment
– 3+ microfiber cloths in a light color (to not bleed into your couch)
– A bucket
– Distilled water (Tap water can leave residue because of its mineral content)
– Distilled white vinegar
– Liquid dish soap

1. Vacuum your sofa to rid it of dirt and debris so it doesn’t get rubbed into your furniture during cleaning.

2. Take your bucket and, in it, mix 2 cups distilled water, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap.

3. Dampen a cloth in your bucket. Gently blot stains and spots on your sofa. Don’t rub or scrub at it, as this can cause damage to the fibers.

4. Moisten a fresh cloth with ONLY distilled water. Blot the area you just cleaned to remove residual soap.

5. Using a dry microfiber cloth, blot the area again to render it dry.

6. Aim a fan at the freshly-cleaned area to ensure that it dries completely.

Steam-Cleaning Your Sofa

With a sofa that is marked “W” or “WS”, you may be able to utilize steam-cleaning. Of course, you should check with the manufacturer-issued instructions just to be sure. While these sofas are able to take water or solvent-based cleaners, heat can often be a different matter entirely. Think Maids can clean your fabric sofas, get in contact to find out how.