Care and cleaning tips for sofas

Your sofa is a key piece of furniture in your home. Buying one is a big decision. After you’ve done your research on which style of sofa best suits your home as well as what material and size it should be, there are just two other factors to consider: cleaning and care. You’ll want to clean your sofa on a regular basis. When spills or stains occur, it’s important to take care of them immediately. Read on for our best cleaning tips and techniques to keep your sofa looking good for years.

Step 1: Read the sofa’s manual

All sofas vary slightly. It’s important to read any instructions that have come with your chosen design. This is a great starting point and will help you navigate your upholstery in a safe, educated way.

 
a man reading a sofa manual to learn how to clean it.

Step 2: Vacuum your sofa

To remove lint, crumbs, dirt, or anything else from your sofa’s cushions, use a handheld vacuum or the handheld attachment of your vacuum. Better yet, use an upholstery attachment made specifically for vacuuming a sofa. This will help you avoid rubbing anything into the fabric.

 
Using a handheld vacuum to clean a sofa.

Step 3: Learn about the sofa fabric code

Fabric codes are a useful tool for understanding how to clean your sofa. Check any available manuals, tags, or even sticks that may have come on your sofa. If a fabric code is included, it will be one of the following: W,S, WS, X. Below, we’ll go into detail about what each fabric code means.

 
A sofa with a fabric code of WS

Step 4: Do a spot test

For all sofas apart from those with a fabric code of X, make sure you do a spot test before you begin to clean a stain or a large portion of your sofa. Choose an area on the back of the sofa or underneath one of its cushions. Take your water or solvent-based solution (or a combination of the two depending on the fabric code) and apply a small spot with a microfiber towel. Wait to see if your spot test looks okay before proceeding to clean the stain or larger area.

 
Someone using a spray bottle to do a spot check on a sofa.

Step 5: Vacuum your sofa again

Once you've spot cleaned any stains or given your sofa a complete wipe down, let it dry. Then, vacuum it once again with the handheld attachment or a handheld vacuum to make sure all dust, dirt, and debris have been removed.

 
Someone using the handheld attachment of a vacuum to vacuum a sofa.

Step 6: Clean metal or wood areas

Once your upholstery is clean, tackle any metal or wood areas. This can include arms, legs, or an exposed frame. Use a microfiber towel and your normal multi-surface cleaner to clean these surfaces.

 
A gray sofa with wooden legs.

Editor’s Tip: how to clean leather sofas

Following any included instructions and fabric codes will help you to clean most sofas. However, leather sofas can be extra tricky. To clean a leather sofa, use a vacuum to remove dust and debris. Then, combine equal parts vinegar and water into a bowl or bucket. Mix them together until well combined. Dunk a microfiber towel into the solution and wring it out so that it’s damp (not wet). Use this to clean the leather. Then, use a dry towel to make sure that it is completely dry. Follow the cleaning by wiping the leather down with a mild oil (lemon oil, coconut oil, etc.). This will keep it from drying out. You can shop leather sofas here.

 
A modern leather sofa from Walmart.

Accessorizing your sofa

Once you’ve cleaned your sofa, you can add back any decorative pillows or throw blankets that had previously accessorized it. We love the look of a rectangular lumbar pillow in front of a square throw pillow. A folded throw blanket looks beautiful when draped over the arm of a sofa and gives any living room a polished aesthetic. Don’t forget to place a rug underneath your sofa. For a guide to how to style a rug in your living room you can read our guide to “What area rug size and style is best for your home.”

 
A modern gray sofa with a throw blanket styled across it.
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