Over ten years ago, when we had our first child, we knew that cloth sofas were out of the question. It didn’t take us long to realize that an investment in leather sofas was definitely the way to go if we wanted several kids – so we went out and invested in a fabulous set for our living room that we now have almost 12 years later.
Hard to believe the time has passed so quickly.
Just last year, however, we picked up a microfiber lounger from the classifieds – it was only going to take up a small space in our living room so we figured it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. It was brown, and how much dirt could a brown sofa show? Not much, we figured, so we tucked it next to our other sofas and hoped for the best.
Let me first preface by telling you it was beautifully clean when we got it. Somehow… that changed rather fast.
Not long after, our in laws picked up their sofa at the furniture store, after heaving from the salesman that microfiber is stain resistant and completely indestructible (which isn’t true.. but that’s another story!) They have dogs and dogs + microfiber aren’t the best combination at all.
I do love that microfiber sofa, but I will be honest and tell you that no matter what you do, it does show endless stains – especially if you have kids.
Chances are you have the same issue if you have Microfiber – if you don’t have stains, then you will soon realize that Microfiber inherits the scent of almost anything and holds onto it for dear life.
So how do you get it clean? Is it possible? How challenging is it? And what do you use?
Before you go and grab the next spray bottle of water or cleaner, you will want to read these tips – avoid using water because it will cause huge rings on the furniture that will make it look horrible.
Check your Sofa
Before you start cleaning your microfiber sofa.. check your sofa for a tag or a label for any of the following codes:
- “X” – Vacuum only
- “S-W” – Solvent or water based cleaner
- “S” – Solvent based cleaner
- “W” – Water based cleaner
In most cases, the majority of microfiber sofas will have an “S” tag… which means you will want to avoid water and stick with alcohol or straight vodka sprayed on the material.
Eliminating Smells
Microfiber tends to retain smells very well – from those who are sitting down on the sofa to food that cooks in the kitchen. The best way to conquer smells on a Microfiber sofa is by using a combination of essential oils in a light mist that covers the entire sofa (including under the cushion area).
Mix Purification (15-18 drops) in 8 oz water and add a pinch of Epsom salt, and spray liberally as a light mist to freshen the sofa.
Eliminating Stains
Microfiber is polyester based, so you should avoid using water like you would to clean other stains. Eliminating stains is quite easy with two things: rubbing alcohol and a scrub brush.
The alcohol will help you eliminate the stains while the scrub brush will help get the dirt accumulation out of your sofa and clean the material.
Pop the top off of al alcohol container and add a spray topper for ease, and just keep that in your cabinet so you can use it specifically for cleaning your sofa. (Isn’t that great? You can actually do this with many bottles including Hydrogen Peroxide) – just a tip I have learned over time 😉
Use a clean, soft scrub brush or the scrub side of a clean sponge – which will fluff up the microfiber, making it look very soft and beautifully clean.
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