Sofa Stain Removal 101

Everybody knows that upholstered furniture is a magnet for stains, especially in homes with pets or children in residence. Stains on sofas and upholstery can be harder to remove than on clothing because you can’t just pop a sofa in the wash – and replacing a rug, curtains or sofa will be much more costly than replacing a t-shirt!

Here are a few tips for minimising stain damage.

Deal with spills as they happen and don’t leave them! There’s no need to panic over a little accident, just blot the spill with an absorbent cloth, without scrubbing at it. In some cases that might be all you need.

If it’s still there, try using household upholstery cleaner in an inconspicuous spot first. Or try some of our home products. Even if it’s stained, resist the temptation to rub at it as it could have the opposite effect. Try spraying a towel with water (not the sofa) and gently dry the affected area. Don’t ever put water directly onto upholstery as you could end up with a water mark.

Specific stains can need special treatment:

• Mud and dirt – just brush it off when it’s dried and don’t wet it.
• Blood: Make a solution with a pint of water and 30g salt then wet it, blot it and wet it again. If the stain is still there, you could also try a weak hydrogen peroxide solution – but test this somewhere you can’t see it first.
• Fruit Juice stains – blot these with a solution of ratio 1:3 vinegar to water.
• Red Wine - soak up as much of the stain as you can with a clean dry cloth and don’t be tempted to rub at it. Then, blot the stain with a diluted detergent water mix and soak up with a dry cloth. Hydrogen peroxide mixed with detergent in equal parts is a last resort (test it first on an inconspicuous area though.)

To keep stain damage to a minimum, go for a sofa with stain resistant fabric, and consider having it re-treated regularly. To spruce up your furniture after you’ve eliminated spills, and keep it looking in top notch condition, a professional cleaning service such as 1st Choice Chemdry can really make a difference!
Call us for more information on professional cleaning services for homes and business premises.