Time to spill the sofa-foam on upholstery maintenance! Here’s the deal: vacuuming your upholstery should be a weekly ritual, right alongside your floor vacuuming sessions. Keep those pesky crumbs and dust bunnies at bay!
But wait, there’s more to this upholstery love story. Deep cleaning is the real star of the show, and it’s a once-every-1-to-2-years kind of affair. The frequency depends on how much your upholstery takes a beating.
Now, let’s roll up our sleeves and dive into the nitty-gritty details. There’s a whole world of tips and tricks to explore, and we’re about to uncover the secrets to keeping your upholstery looking fab!
Reasons To Vacuum Your Couch
Asking why you vacuum your couch is like asking why you vacuum your carpets. It’s the same dust and debris falling on the floor that is also getting on the sofa. Also, vacuuming or cleaning the upholstery helps it to last longer too!
The funny part is that the sofa is often dirtier than the floor because people don’t clean them as much and people are more in contact with the sofa than the floor. I’ve seen people sit in gum, dog poop, and who knows what else. All of which people come in contact with can end up on something like a sofa that doesn’t get cleaned often – a recipe for nasty.
Let’s not forget all the dog hair, cat hair, and human hair that gets trapped in the sofa too. Then you have the crumbs, and candy stuck in them that attract bugs that also “poop” where they eat. And the dust mites, don’t get me started on the number of dust mites that can collect on some furniture.
If you have allergies the sofa and other upholstery can act as one big allergy/asthma sponge. If you do suffer from allergies, I recommend getting a slipcover for your sofa (Amazon Link Ad) that is machine washable. Then wash that slipcover regularly.
Vacuuming Upholstery
If you don’t use the furniture often, then you don’t need to vacuum regularly and might find it okay to go a couple of months without vacuuming.
If you use the furniture often then you need to vacuum once a week if not more if you have pets that shed a lot.
Everyone has their own personal favorite vacuums to use, and I’m sure the vacuum you have now will work just fine. Just make sure to read the care instructions first and if you have delicate furniture seek professionals.
If you have a big house and a lot to clean, then I recommend checking out a Backpack Vacuum Cleaner. I have a huge guide on backpack vacuums here, and they work perfectly for cleaning big homes.
If you have a smaller home, I recommend using the regular vacuum you have. To make your life easier, you can get really good stick/upright vacuum cleaners like the Shark Rocket Ultra-Light (Amazon Link Ad).
Important! Don’t forget to wash the blankets and pillows that are on the sofa as well! These get just as dirty!
Best Sofa Cleaner
There are many couch cleaners on the market, but I’ve had great luck with Sprayway SW869 Foaming Rug and Upholstery Cleaner (Amazon Link Ad).
I’ve only used it on my fabric sofa, but it does work very well. Took a mustard stain right out!
Leather Sofa
If you have leather furniture, then you should avoid going crazy with the vacuum. In fact, I would stick with dusting with a microfiber cloth.
Leather also has more things to do with using the correct leather upholstery cleaner and protectant every so often.
Professional Cleaning
If you have nice furniture that you want it to last, then you should consider getting it professionally cleaned. Many places will come to you and clean your furniture at your home.
If you have some furniture that has never been cleaned before then now is a good time to seek a deep cleaning.
I always consider a deep cleaning before I buy new furniture as it can surprise you how well these guys are at cleaning.
What To Avoid
Many types of furniture will have a cushion that has a zipper. A common misconception is that people think this is for washing the cover, but it’s not, it is for fluffing. If you wash the cushion cover, you run the risk of shrinking it and making it super hard to put back on. Always read the care instructions for this.
I personally like to avoid the fabric protectors sprays on new furniture as they can void some warranties.
Avoid using many soaps as it does not help the fabric.
Avoid leaving the sofa where it can get exposed to water. Too much exposure to water can ruin a couch and most will never fully dry out.