I have been trying to find a way to clean our microfiber sofa since we bought it used. It needed a little freshening up when we purchased it and has only gotten worse since. When I first found it, I thought microfiber would be great. It is advertised as being stain resistant and a good material to have with children. This is not true. Every little water drop makes a mark that is almost impossible to clean off. I started doing some searching and found countless blog articles on cleaning a microfiber couch with rubbing alcohol. I found this one first, and was really excited. I read the instructions and cleaned our sofa this way a few times. It took me a very long time, and it only mildly helped. In doing more research, I found many people saying they unzip the covers and throw them in the washing machine. This shocked me, as many people say to follow the cleaning code strictly. Unfortunately my sofa does not have removable covers. I had just made a new batch of my all purpose cleaner (click here for the recipe) and decided to give it a try. I figured I couldn't make it look any worse than it already did and gave it a shot. I was amazed!!
*Please test the solution on an inconspicuous spot before spraying all over your sofa. Make sure it will not ruin your furniture!
Before:
After:
I cannot believe how great my sofa looks. My son immediately got some water from his sippy cup on the sofa, but at least I know how to get it clean!
Here are the steps to cleaning your couch:
Vacuum your sofa to remove loose dirt.
Get a white wash cloth soaking wet and wring it out.
Spray the cleaning solution lightly over sofa, and start rubbing with the wash cloth.
Rinse
it out as needed, and continue to rub the sofa with the rag until it
looks like the stains and water marks are gone. Allow to dry and be
amazed!
**If you do not want to make the all purpose cleaner, use the method below! I tried this method recently just to see how it would work.
Cleaning with dish soap:
Get a bowl of about 4 cups warm water. Add just a couple drops of dish soap and gently stir. Dunk your rag into the bowl, wring out, and rub the sofa with the rag. It works very well and left no residue on my sofa. I did slowly add the soap, starting with just one drop, and increasing until I felt I had just enough.
I recently ran out of my Seventh Generation cleaner and decided to make my own to replace it. I have a gallon jug of Dr. Bronner's castile soap sitting around the decided to use that. Here is what I did:
Empty and rinse your old spray bottle
Fill it almost all the way with clean water
Add up to 1/4 cup Dr. Bronner's
Add about 10 drops of your favorite essential oil (Optional)
Add more water to fill your bottle
Put the top on and lightly mix solution
I used lemongrass oil and it smells heavenly. This solution works just as well as store bought cleaners, but costs much less and contains much safer ingredients. Happy Cleaning!
