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How Do You Clean A Couch Without Damaging It?

Couches can be challenging to clean, and the last thing you want is to damage your couch while trying to clean it. This is why most people have professionals come out to clean their couches for them, but this is not always necessary. So, how do you clean your couch without damaging it? 

The method you use to clean your couch will depend on the material your couch is made from. Leather couches require more steps in the cleaning process than fabric and microfiber couches, but they are both relatively easy to clean without expensive and specialized equipment. 

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This article will cover how to clean fabric and microfiber couches quickly and how to clean leather couches properly without damaging your couch. So, keep reading to ensure your couch is clean and safe!

cleaning a couch to not cause damage

How To Quickly Clean Fabric Couches Without Damaging Them

Cleaning your couch can be overwhelming if you are unsure how to clean it correctly. Thankfully, cleaning a couch is not as difficult as people think and won’t require any specialized equipment. 

If you are in a rush as you have guests coming over and forgot to clean your couch thoroughly beforehand, but you still want your couch to look good and be clean, you can give it a quick clean without damaging it. 

Below are the steps you can follow to give your couch a quick clean that will have it looking its best for your guests. You can use this cleaning process for fabric and microfiber couches. 

1. Remove Excess Debris From The Couch

Firstly, you should remove any excess debris and dust that the couch has collected. You must ensure your couch is clear from dust, pet hairs, your hairs, food particles, and more. 

To eliminate this excess debris from your couch, you can vacuum your couch on the lowest setting. This will ensure that the vacuum’s suction is not too strong and won’t damage your couch, but it is still strong enough to pick up any loose particles from your couch that contribute to the dirt. 

Ensure you vacuum in all the crevasses of the couch and underneath the cushions to remove all the excess debris. 

2. Spot Clean Any Stains You See

Once your couch has been vacuumed, you might notice stains that you never saw before. You can spot-clean these stains quickly to help ensure your couch is looking its best for your guests. Most couches come with manufacturer recommendations to clean stains from couches. 

So, if you still have the manufacturer’s recommendations for your couch, you should use these first. However, if you don’t have them, you can still remove the stains from your couch relatively fast. You will need to make a cleaning mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar.

Then use a microfiber cloth to dab this mixture onto the stain. Once the stain is saturated with the solution, gently rub the stain out of the couch. 

3. Wipe Down The Couch

Once you have spot-cleaned your couch, you can give your entire couch a good once over with the same water and white vinegar solution. You will need to dip a clean microfiber cloth into the mixed solution and ring it out until it’s damp and not dripping anymore. 

Then wipe down your entire couch with the solution. Ensure you get into the crevasses on the couch to clean the couch well. If you don’t enjoy the smell of the vinegar, you can then spray the couch with your favorite room spray to make it smell nice.

How To Clean A Leather Couch Without Damaging it

Now you know how to clean a couch quickly without damaging it, we need to cover how to clean a leather couch, as leather couches require a different cleaning process to ensure the leather is not damaged. 

This cleaning process will take longer and will require you to leave your couch empty for a few hours at least, so you cannot clean your leather couch last minute. Below are the steps you can follow to clean your leather couch. 

1. Remove Any Excess Debris From The Couch 

As with the other couches, you must first remove any excess debris from your leather couch. You can use your vacuum on the lowest setting and vacuum up loose food particles, dust, and hair from the couch. Be sure to vacuum all the crevasses of the couch. 

2. Wipe The Leather Couch Down

Once you have vacuumed the couch, you will need to wipe the whole couch down with a dry, clean microfiber cloth. This will help remove any leftover dust and hair from the leather couch. Ensure you wipe in all the couch crevasses to remove all the dust. 

3. Make A Leather Couch Cleaning Solution

Once the couch has been wiped down, you will need to make a cleaning solution for your leather couch. You will need to mix equal parts water and vinegar in a bucket. Then with a clean microfiber cloth, wipe the couch down with this solution. 

When wiping the couch down, squeeze out the cloth until it’s damp and not dripping. Ensure you rinse the cloth out regularly as you wipe down the couch to make sure the cloth can pick up any dirt that may have been on the couch without spreading it further. 

4. Dry The Couch

When you are satisfied with how clean your couch is, you can stop wiping it down with the cleaning solution and move on to drying your leather couch. To help your leather couch dry, you can use a fresh, dry, clean microfiber cloth and wipe your couch. This will help dry your couch faster, allowing you to move on in the cleaning process sooner. 

5. Use A Leather Conditioner On Your Couch

When your leather couch has dried completely, you will need to use a leather conditioner on your couch. This is a crucial step when cleaning a leather couch as it will help prevent the leather from drying out and cracking, making it look aged. 

You will need to buy the correct leather conditioner for the type of leather you have. Your local furniture store sales consultant should be able to help you pick the right one. Then follow the instructions on the leather conditioner to ensure your leather couch has the best protection. 

Generally, once you have placed the leather conditioner on your couch, you should not sit on the couch or place any objects like cushions on the couch until the conditioner has dried. If you don’t follow this advice, the conditioner could get wiped off the couch, and some parts of the couch will not be protected well. 

Conclusion

Cleaning couches is relatively easy, but leather couches require more effort to clean than fabric or microfiber couches. However, the methods in the article above will help ensure your couches are clean, safe from damage, and ready for you or your guests to sit on, no matter what material the couch is made from. Good luck cleaning your couch!

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