Sofas are the most basic furniture found in almost every house. Though they are common-need, it does not make them any less expensive. We decorate our living rooms with some of the most expensive and luxurious sofas and love the compliments that come along. But over time due to regular usage, these sofas start becoming dirty and require to be cleaned. Irrespective of how expensive or inexpensive a sofa is, or the material it is made up of, it is very important to clean it regularly to keep it looking new for long. Presented below are some of the best kept secrets about sofa cleaning that one must follow to keep their sofas sparkling new.

Sofa cleaning is highly dependent on the material it is made up of. There are different ways to clean sofas of different material and it essential to follow the cleaning procedure for the specific sofa. Mixing up methods can negatively impact the sofa and lead to the fabric getting spoilt. For cleaning leather sofas at home, the following method can be used.

· Leather sofas can be cleaned by using a soft brush vacuum cleaner.

· As the next step, mix equal parts of white vinegar and water to create a sofa cleaning solution. Dip a soft cloth in squeeze out water from it. Use this damp cloth to wipe the leather sofa by rinsing it with the cleaning solution as and when required.

· Use a dry towel to wipe the sofa afterwards. Any kind of dryer can dehydrate the leather and should hence be avoided.

To add the extra shine to your leather sofa, a conditioner can be created at home by mixing one part of white vinegar to two parts of linseed or flax oil. This mixture should be applied to your leather sofa using a clean cloth and left overnight. Next morning, the sofa should be wiped with a clean towel to remove any oil and the sofa is becomes sparkling clean. In case you are worried about the leather quality of your sofa and are not sure if this cleaning procedure is apt for it, test the cleaning method on an inconspicuous part of your sofa before using it on the entire sofa set.

Sometimes, there are some stubborn stains on your leather sofa that can make the sofa look dirty even after cleaning. Some hacks that can help remove these stains and keep the sofa looking clean are –

· If there are any marker stains on your leather sofa, aerosol hairspray can be sprayed on the marks and left for a couple of minutes. Wiping with a clean cotton cloth can help remove the marker stains

· If there are ball point pen scribbles on the sofa, they can be cleaned by rubbing it with eucalyptus oil and then wiping clean with cotton cloth.

· Rubbing alcohol is a great cleaner for stains on your sofa. Wiping the sofa clean with a cotton or piece of cloth dipped and dampened with rubbing alcohol can remove some very stubborn stains.

· If there are very dark coloured stains whose colour needs to be lightened, mix equal parts of cream of tartar and lemon juice and apply it to the stain. Rub it clean after about ten minutes to reduce the colouring.

· If there are grease stains on leather sofa, sprinkle some corn starch on it and leave for three to four hours. Wipe clean to get rid of the grease. Alternately, baking soda can be used if corn starch is not available.

If your sofa is made up of microfiber, there is a different procedure that is required to clean it. Before beginning to clean your microfiber sofa, it is essential to check the fibre tag on it. If it reads S, it means that the fibre can be cleaned using solvents. If it reads W then it means that water can be used to clean the fibre. WS means that either water or solvents can be used. X indicates that the fabric should only be vacuum cleaned. No liquids should be used on such sofas.

– Microfiber sofas should be cleaned using vacuum cleaners after removing the cushions

– Damp a microfiber cloth of preferably white colour or the same colour as that of sofa. Use it to wipe the entire sofa to clean the surface. Using a cloth of any other colour can lead to the cloth leaving its colour on the sofa, leading to stains.

– If there are any stains on the sofa, spray clear alcohol or rubbing alcohol on them and rub them clean using a soft cotton cloth or scrub sponge. Unlike water, the alcohol evaporates without leaving any marks.

– If your sofa has a tag of W then even water with soap can be used to clean stains.

– The sofa can be dried using a dryer.

– The surface of the sofa can be scrubbed one last time using a clean scrub brush to fluff the microfiber back.



For stubborn stains on the microfiber sofas, the following cleaning tips can be handy.

– Distilled water can also be used to remove stains from microfiber sofas.

– Pet hairs can be cleaned from the sofa by wearing rubber gloves and rubbing your hands gently on the sofa. All the hair would stick to the glove and separate out from the sofa.

– Aerosol sprays or nail paint remover can be used in case of nail paint stains

– To remove a chewing gum that is stuck to the sofa, rub ice on it. Rubbing ice hardens the gum making it easier to peel.

– If there are urine or vomit stains, mix equal parts of water and white vinegar and spray on the stain. Scrub with scrub sponge. To get rid the smell, baking soda can be sprinkled on the area and left overnight. Vacuum cleaning in the morning will remove the smell too.

It is not possible to avoid our sofas from getting dirty. However, with proper care and cleaning, we can keep them looking new, clean and fresh for long. Use the tips above to make sofa cleaning a simple, easy and inexpensive process at home.