Welcome to the topic “How to dry clean sofa at home.”
Furniture comes in different upholstery fabrics, such as leather and velvet.
Certain fabrics are challenging to clean, resulting in stains and marks on your sofa.
One of the most effective solutions for these stains and marks is dry cleaning.
However, you may not be able to afford a professional cleaning price.
As a result, you need to clean it on your own. Fortunately, you can dry clean your sofa at home with the help of dry-cleaning solvents.
Our guide will tell you how to dry-clean sofa at home step by step.
Tips For How to Dry Clean Sofa at Home
1- Look for a Tag on your Furniture
Before selecting a sofa from a showroom, you should be aware of the fabric.
When it comes to used furniture, recognizing it may be challenging.
If you’re unsure, search for a fabric tag on your sofa to see what kind of material is used to make it.
Letter codes on branded couches typically indicate how the fabric may be cleaned.
If you are cleaning it on your own, look out for these letters:
| W | This indicates water can be used in cleaning |
| WS | A dry-cleaning detergent or mild detergent and steam vacuum can be used |
| X | No water, vacuum only |
| S | Clean with dry cleaner detergent |
Cleaning using a water-based agent is indicated by a ‘W.’
In contrast, dry cleaning is indicated by an ‘S,’ and ‘WS’ indicates water-based cleaning.
Vacuum cleaning is indicated by an ‘X.’
The letter ‘O’ denotes organic material with natural fibers.
This means that the sofa must be cleaned with cold water.
If there are no such ‘letter’ indications, couches should be cleaned with caution.
Water will permanently harm leather furniture, while stains and markings on fabric sofas require harsher cleaning solutions.
When it comes to cleaning couches, caution is essential.
Suppose that dry cleaning is suitable for your furniture; you can now proceed to the next steps.
ALSO READ: Tips for Sofa Cleaning at Home
2- Items You Need
Before you get started, make sure you have the following products:
- Vacuum with a soft brush head.
- Cotton towels.
- A dry-cleaning agent or Rubbing alcohol.
- A stiff brush.
- A spray bottle.
3- What Kind of Dry-Cleaning Agent Do you Need?
You can purchase any dry-cleaning solvent available at your local hardware shop.
You can also purchase it online.
Keep in mind that “dry cleaning” does not imply that the fabric will remain dry throughout the cleaning procedure.
Dry cleaning solvents are liquids that don’t contain any water.
If you are unable to get a dry-cleaning solvent, you can use rubbing alcohol as an alternative.
Rubbing alcohol will also give good results.
ALSO READ: How to Dry Clean a Carpet at Home?
4- Ventilate the Area
The following step is to ensure that the workspace is appropriately ventilated.
The solvents used in dry cleaning have a strong odor.
As a result, opening the doors and windows to let the odor out and the fresh air in will help.
You can also position your upholstery between the window and the fan.
Turn on a fan and direct it towards the window.
ALSO READ: Why Does My Carpet Smell Worse After Cleaning?
5- Remove Dust from the Fabric
95% dirt of soil in the fabric is dry, which means it can be removed dry.
This means that you only have 5% of the original soil volume to deal with when removing all of the dry soil.
A great way to check the dirt on your sofa is to bang it with your hand and see how much dirt comes out.
However, if you have asthma or allergies, then maybe don’t do the cleaning process yourself.
You could give yourself an asthma attack.
There will be a lot of dust in the fabric, so it is recommended to use a “Hepa Filtered Vacuum Cleaner” to remove all the dirt.
A HEPA filtered vacuum is recommended because it will capture the tiny particles of dust and capture the dust mites themselves.
This means that the vacuum acts as a dust mite roller coaster that does not fire them at the other end; it traps them inside the machine.
Since they will be trapped inside the vacuum, they will not be able to continue spreading allergies around your home.
ALSO READ: How to Clean Heavily Soiled Carpet?
6- Spot Test the Dry Cleaner
This procedure will reveal whether the solvent can discolor the fabric or not.
Apply a small amount of the dry cleaner on a rag to spot-test.
After then, rub it against a small, hidden area of the sofa.
Leave it on for a few minutes, depending on the specific cleaner’s instructions.
Then, look for any discoloration in the area. If there isn’t any discoloration, move on to the next step.
7- Get Started with a Stiff Nail Brush
You don’t need a fancy stiff brush.
You can work with a regular stiff brush.
Use it on your fabric in the clockwise and anti-clockwise direction and vacuum the fabric as you continue using the brush.
When you vacuum the sofa thoroughly, you should see a big difference in the appearance of the sofa.
ALSO READ: How to Clean Upholstered Furniture?
8- Apply the Cleaner to the Rest of the Furniture
Put the solvent on a clean, white rag to do this.
After that, begin blotting it against the sofa fabric.
You don’t need to rub the cloth; simply press it against the affected regions, and the solvent will take care of the rest.
Keep in mind that your sofa may have a few stains that you want to concentrate on while cleaning.
Allow the cleaner to dry before re-applying if necessary.
If you are using rubbing alcohol as a solvent, lightly spray it at the tail of cotton towels.
You don’t want to soak it that much.
Soak it just enough to allow the dirt to pick up and migrate on the tail.
You want the dirt to be absorbed into the towel.
Now, start wiping the fabric with the towel.
North, South, East, and West is a good rule of thumb while cleaning.
Keep on wiping the fabric until you are no longer getting soil transfer.
9- Allow the Solvents to Evaporate
You might be tempted to turn your vacuum on and start vacuuming out the lint that’s been left on the fabric.
DO NOT DO THAT until the solvent has been completely evaporated.
Leave your sofa for at least an hour. Solvents are flammable, and they could go into your vacuum cleaner and ignite.
Have any questions regarding the topic How to dry clean sofa at home? Feel Free to comment below.
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