Picture this—your new, beautiful sofa and couch have just arrived. They’re perfect for lounging around on a lazy afternoon or binge-watching your favourite late-night shows. As one of the most well-used spots in your home, it will surely receive lots of wear and tear, which is why you should know how to properly care for it.
Proper furniture care is critical to protecting your investment. Whether you’re looking for general sofa maintenance advice or need help in deep cleaning your furniture, this ultimate guide will make the experience easier and more convenient.
So, how do you take care of your sofas and couches?
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1. Determine The Material And Care Instruction
First off, you need to consider what type of fabric material is used in your sofa. After all, when you browse sofas range at RJ Living or in other leading furniture brands, you have a variety of options for fabric materials.
Most sofas are made of cotton or polyester. Others are made from suede or leather fabric. In most cases, there will be a care tag on your sofa. These random letters have different meanings:
By understanding the type of sofa material, you’ll know how to properly care for your investment.
2. Regular Dusting And Vacuum
Regardless of the type, regular dusting and vacuuming are a great way to keep your sofa and couch clean and looking great. Plus, it’s also helpful in maintaining the life of the fabric.
When using a vacuum, make sure that you use the proper handheld attachment to clean your furniture. If the cushions are removable, lift the cushions and vacuum any dirt and debris underneath. Be careful when using an attachment with a brush or bristles since it can snag or scratch the sofa fabric.
Dusting can be done every day. On the other hand, you can vacuum your sofa once every week to ensure it's clean and fresh. Also, you should consider pushing the sofa backward or forwards and vacuuming the carpet and floor around and underneath the sofa.
3. Use A Lint Roller
Most sofa fabrics don’t fare well with furry pets. Pet hair and debris tend to stick really well on sofa fabric and accumulate over time.
If you don’t like vacuuming every day, then consider getting a lint roller and using it a couple of times a week on your sofa. This should help remove any loose debris or strands of hair or fur stuck to your sofa to give it a cleaner appearance and feel.
This is particularly helpful if you have a white sofa since pet hairs tend to show up easier on white or light-coloured sofas and couches.
4. Know How To Handle Stains And Spills
Although it’s safe to use water to clean up spills on most sofa fabrics, some require solvent-based cleaners exclusively. This is why you need to know the type of fabric you have and its cleaning code. Be sure to always follow cleaning instructions for your specific sofa fabric.
However, in general, when you notice spills or stains, you need to clean them immediately. This prevents the stain from drying out, which would make it harder for you to clean.
Wipe, dry, or mop up the spill with a clean, dry cloth or towel. Don’t rub the area and only gently blot at the spill. If the stain is still visible, add water or a solvent-based cleaner (depending on the cleaning code) to the towel and gently blot the area. Let it dry and see if this removes the stain. Otherwise, just continue blotting until it’s gone. If this doesn't work, you may need to hire Sofa Cleaning Pros to do the job professionally for you.
5. Conditioning Leather Sofa
If you have leather upholstery, you need to take extra steps after you clean them. Specifically, using a leather protector can help condition your leather sofa and prevent any damage to it.
This substance cleans body oils, debris, dirt, and grime accumulated on the surface of the leather sofa that can damage its finish. Also, adding a leather protector can keep the hide moisturized, making it shiny and ensuring that it lasts as long as possible.
There’s a wide range of leather protection products out there. You can also go with natural conditioning mixtures such as vinegar and flaxseed oil.
When cleaning, use a microfiber cloth to apply the leather protector or mixture in a circular motion. Let the solution sit overnight and buff the solution with a dry, soft cloth in the morning.
6. Keep Sofa Firm And Plump
Over time, your sofa cushions will lose volume. You can keep them in shape by plumping firmly from the outside edge after every use. Simply prodding and poking the cushion can help move the stuffing around and prevent it from clumping and becoming hard.
Now, if the cushions aren’t fixed, then it’s a good idea to flip them every two weeks. This should help maintain the shape of the cushions and ensure that both sides wear down evenly. You can also rotate the cushions, preventing uneven wear if you typically lounge in the same spot.
7. Protect Against Direct Sunlight
Direct sunlight can damage your sofa and couch fabric and cause fading. While all fabrics fade over time, keeping your sofa away from direct sun exposure can help minimize the excessive changes in its appearance.
You can also draw the blinds during peak sunlight hours. If you don’t want to close the blinds, then you can simply get stain protection when buying your sofa. This added feature can help protect your furniture from harmful UV rays.
Conclusion
Sofas and couches are the centrepieces of any living room. They’re the perfect spot for the whole family to bond or to relax after a long, tiring day.
However, since they’re used daily, they’re often exposed to grime, stains, spills, and wear. So, unless you want your sofa adorned with an unsightly plastic cover, it’s important that you know how to properly care for and maintain it.
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