Faux leather, which is used as a substitute for leather, lets you enjoy the appearance of leather at a lower expense. However, regardless of its use, like every other sofa type, you cannot sway away from thoughts of how to clean a faux leather sofa. Sometimes, the faux leather sofa cleaning involves just vacuuming while other times, it needs cleaning with different materials. If you do not know these methods, then you are lucky enough to cite this blog and know whatever you require.
Before Faux Leather Sofa Cleaning:
Faux leather couches are a beautiful addition to any home. They suit a multitude of designs, come in a variety of tones, and bring modern convenience to a living room or office. While many homeowners like leather furniture because it is easier to clean than other options, there are a few steps you must do to keep things in good shape and avoid damage. Before cleaning your leather sofa, always perform the following:
- Follow the manufacturer’s directions: Before washing any furniture, read the manufacturer’s directions. We can give you our best advice, but nobody knows your sofa better than the person who built it. This information is usually available on the website of the seller or in any documentation that came with your purchase.
- Look at The Faux Leather Sofa Cleaning Labels: In addition, look for cleaning couch labels that will tell you how to clean the upholstery. This label is typically found beneath the sofa or in a booklet that was included with your purchase. These are the most likely labels:
- ‘S’ or ‘P’ – To dry clean, only use a solvent-based cleaner. Use no water.
- ‘SW’ or ‘WS’ – Clean using a solvent or water-based solution.
- ‘X’ means only vacuuming.
Arrange Proper Equipment: No matter how persistent the stain, never rub the leather with a rough cloth or stiff paintbrush. This will instantly scuff the material, making repairs much more difficult. Furthermore, never use coloured cloth because this can cause colour transference.
Know Different Ways That Can Be Used To Clean Faux Leather Sofa
Before considering which type of cleaning method to implement for a faux leather sofa, you need to first do a quick spot test. This is, in fact, a mandatory step as it helps you avoid color fading and shrinkage issues on your faux leather sofa. After that, if you do not know how to clean a faux leather sofa, follow any of the below methods based on your faux leather sofa requirements.
Detergent Or Mild Dish Soap
- Take a handy spray bottle to make a mixture of 1 tablespoon of detergent or mild dish soap in water
- Spray this mixture onto a clean soft cloth or a microfiber cloth. Then take this cloth to wipe on the affected areas of the sofa in circular motions
- Here, we suggested using microfiber cloth because it has absorbent nature and is lint-free. Also, it leaves behind no scratches or streaks.
For basic and accidental stains like tea, juice, coffee, or other food items dropped, this cleaning method is to be adopted. Because stains like these don’t need either extra attention or more time and just need simple cleaning care.
Rubbing Alcohol Or Distilled Vinegar
- Take a spray bottle to make a 1:1 ratio mixture of rubbing alcohol or distilled vinegar and water
- Shake the solution properly to get it mixed thoroughly and then dab a clean white cloth into the mixture
- Once you dab a clean and dry cloth into the solution, continuously dab it over the faux leather sofa’s affected area
- Do repeat the dabbing step until you find your action is making a difference. However, make sure each time you repeat this process, you need to dab a clean part of the cloth.
If you want to get rid of tough stains like paint, marker ink, lipstick, chocolate, and many others, you can follow the above-mentioned method. Because the above cleaning methods serve as the best and tougher solution to stubborn stain removal.
Baking Soda
- It is an unspoken fact that baking soda as a cleaning agent works wonders and gives amazing results in the end
- And all you have to do here is to sprinkle baking soda over the affected areas of the sofa and allow it to sit for a few hours
- Then vacuum off the baking soda to find zero odours. However, for mould removal, you need to scrap the area.
The main use of baking soda as a cleaning method is to safely get rid of odours and mould.
Petroleum Solvents
- Take a petroleum solvent that has lighter fluid like naphtha or any other kind of mineral spirit and mix it with cold water
- Now, make your job easier by finding a clean and lint-free rag and moistening it with the naphtha mixture
- Quickly after this, blot it on the faux leather sofa; on the surface as well as on the edges
- If necessary, you can repeat this complete process until you have the results you are looking forward to.
With this cleaning method, your faux leather sofa becomes free of stains from shoe polish and nail polish. If you rub sandpaper on the surface of the sofa carefully, you can also clean stains from cigarette burns.
Dish Soap And Warm Water
- Prepare a solution of mixing dish soap into warm water to make your faux leather sofa odour-free and grease-free. Now, put this into a spray bottle
Firstly, scrub the grease stain lightly to spray the prepared solution over it
Then, let the solution sit on the sofa to attach itself with grease and other particles that cause odours the be released
- Later, use baby wipes that you have on hand to cleanly wipe away the residues of the solution
- For better results, prepare this solution on the spot and use it then itself
This method is especially important to get rid of pet urine odours and stains in addition to their footprints. You can adopt this cleaning method to attack small stains and accidental little spills.
Coconut Oil
- To keep your faux leather sofa clean and conditioned, you need to use coconut oil
- To make this cleaning method a successful one, firstly melt coconut oil over an optimum temperature
- Immediately, take a clean, dirt-free, and dry cloth to dip in this melted oil and apply it over the sofa
- Let it stay for over 5 to 10 minutes and wipe it with a soapy solution to find desirable results
- After this, keep the sofa in sunlight to make shine as new ones
You need to know that this method not only cleans dust and dirt particles from the faux leather sofa but also has other uses. For example, it resolved the stiffening and cracking issues experienced by the sofa over long use.
Conclusion
Whether it is a DIY trick for how to clean a faux leather sofa or professional services, are you unable to avoid being in a dilemma of what to do? Professional upholstery cleaning services are always advisable. In fact, in contacting a professional company to hire their local upholstery cleaners, you spend no extra charges as they are affordable packages. Moreover, with expert assistance, you can be carefree about wasting your time and energy on no-guaranteed DIY results.