More times than not, disaster strikes, and stains appear on the couch cushions faster than they can be prevented. Couch cushions are usually made from a variety of materials such as leather, foam rubber, vinyl, or even fabric. Most of these cushioning materials are porous which allows for staining to occur.
When stains happen, you must remove the stain immediately because they will only get worse with time. If you do not clean your couch cushions right away, then you may find yourself having to replace them sooner rather than later.
In this article, you will find a guide to help you easily clean your couch cushions and get rid of any stains that are drawing attention.
What You Need To Clean Couch Cushions
To make sure that you properly clean your couch cushions, you will need to make sure that you have the right solution to get rid of any stains and dirt. To effectively clean your couch cushions, you will need warm water, a spray bottle, an unused cloth, dishwashing liquid, and a soft brush.
The soft brush and the cloth must be unused as you don’t want any previous dirt worsening the couch, especially if it is a light color. As they will have picked up dirt from the previous cleaning, the dirt could come off on the cushions and become harder to remove.
How To Clean Couch Cushions
Follow our steps below to find out how to clean your couch cushions!
Brush Away Any Dirt
Before you begin to clean the stained area, brush away any dirt from the loose couch cushion. This will prevent you from embedding any more dirt into the stain. It will also prepare the area so that the stain is completely exposed to be cleaned.
Make The Solution
To begin with, you will need to mix the ingredients to make the solution that you will use to clean the cushions. To make this, you will need to combine the dishwashing liquid and the warm water. Add around a quarter of dishwashing liquid to a cup of warm water, and then pour the liquid into the spray bottle.
Spray The Solution
Once you have transferred the mixture to the spray bottle, spray it on the stain on the couch cushions. Hold the bottle far away so that you are misting the stain, not directly sprayed on the stain. Make sure it is close enough that the solution is reaching the stain so it can begin to work on getting rid of it.
Use The Soft Brush
After you have sprayed the solution onto the stain, grab your unused soft brush and gently blot the solution into the stain. It is important not to scrub the area too hard as you don’t want to damage the material of the couch.
By blotting the stain with the brush, you will be gently working it into the material instead of damaging it. Rubbing the stain will only cause it to become further embedded in the cushion, so gently blotting it will help to get it out of the cushion in no time.
Rinse The Area
Once you have blotted away the majority of the stain, you might be frustrated as it may not have completely disappeared. This is normal for stains and you sometimes have to repeat the process a few times to get the couch cushion back to its original condition.
As you will have used the dishwashing liquid on the stain, you will need to rinse any excess soap before the area dries. Gently blot and wipe the soap away with warm water and a clean cloth, and then let the damp area dry completely before repeating the previous steps.
Cleaning Codes
Each couch will come with a cleaning code to ensure that you are properly cleaning your couch and not using any solutions that will damage it. It is important to watch out for the cleaning code on your couch to make sure that you are using the correct method of cleaning it.
WS Cleaning Code
The WS cleaning code means that you can use water-based cleaning products and water-free solvent products to clean your couch. It is still important to only blot the material instead of rubbing it as you could still damage the material by being too heavy-handed.
Only use these products in a well-ventilated room and make sure that they don’t contain any toxic chemicals.
W Cleaning Code
When the couch has a W cleaning code, you can only use water-based products to clean the couch. It is one of the easiest fabrics to clean as you can use certain detergents and furniture shampoos to clean these couch cushions.
You will still need to use a soft brush to gently massage the solution into the stained area and repeat if necessary.
X Cleaning Code
The X cleaning code is slightly more complex as you cannot use foam or liquid to clean the material as it can end up further damaging it. You can only lightly brush or vacuum the couch cushions to make sure that you protect the material and prevent any further damage.
S Cleaning Code
The S cleaning code means that the fabric needs to be cleaned using water-free solvents or dry cleaning products. You will need to avoid using any water-based products on your couch cushions as they could end up staining the material.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, this article should give you a better idea of how to clean your couch cushions. If any stains appear, it is better to act fast to make sure that the stains are not causing further damage.
It is also important to gently clean the cushions instead of rubbing them as this can end up damaging the material.
Your couch will come with a cleaning code that will tell you what products you can clean your couch with. If you use products that you aren’t meant to use on your couch, the material could become permanently ruined, so make sure you follow the code to keep your couch and couch cushions in great condition.