If someone asks what are the top three things in your house that everybody uses on a daily basis, your couch or sofa is one of them. Couch suffers from your morning coffee, pets, kids, WFH, workout, cuddling your loved one, and whatnot! Couch has to face many daily activities from early morning to night. Naturally, your fabric or cotton-covered couch is full of dirt, crumbs, and pet hair. Finally, you can fall asleep on the same couch after a hectic day. Let’s know how to use a steam cleaner on couch.
But what about its cleaning?
Not everyone can afford expensive commercial cleaners; others leave it for the exchange program. But using a steam cleaner can bring back its action again rather than an expensive exchange program.
What’s a steam cleaner and its advancement on couch cleaning?
A steam cleaner helps to clean grease and stubborn dirt from your couch with pressure and vapor. It helps to sanitize and provides bacteria-free, bug-free protection. The multi-tasking device is useful for cleaning carpets, ovens, sinks, and other house chores. Steam mopping is full protection from allergens, mites, pests, and viruses. You can remove tough stains from your fabric-made couch without any pressure. Thus it improves the air quality of the house and saves money also.
So, today we are going to highlight step by step how to use a steam cleaner on a couch like a professional one.
Dive in!
How to use a Steam Cleaner on Couch
Before the action, you need some essential weapons like—
- Steam cleaner
- Vacuum with various external settings
- Stain removing agents
- Soil emulsifier
- Scrubber/Towel/toothbrush
- Gloves
Preparation–
Check fabric: Before starting the actual process, first, you need to check the couch labels. X-label couch material is not a good fit for the steam wash; it may create discoloration or damage the padding. The best way is to hire a cleaner or professionals for X label, but mention the problem clearly as many cleaners use powerful liquids or other chemical solvents.
Vacuum dust: Vacuum your couch so that you can avoid rubbing dirt on sob fabrics. For the best results when vacuuming your couch, utilize different attachments for your vacuum cleaner. For basic vacuuming, use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum. Remove any cushions if necessary and work from top to bottom, left to right. After cleaning all sides of each cushion, replace it.
Cleaning Process
- Adjust multi-tasking attachment: If possible, buy a machine with multiple settings modes or attachments; you can upgrade some machines with external attachments. Steam alone can remove stains, including urine, wine, food, fruit juice, and dirt. However, anything oil-based necessitates the use of a pre-treatment cleaning. Apply it before you begin steam cleaning, and allow it time to work its magic.
- Steam the couch: Fill the tank with water/distilled water/ conditioner( if any), connect the machine, and allow it to reach steam temperature. The detergent mixed water is forced with high pressure in the fabric during the hot water extraction method.
The process helps to soften the dirt. If you try to steam too soon, only water will appear, saturating the fabric. Start to clean with backrests or armrests, and specks of dirt tend to assemble these places.
- 360° steam wash: If you need both sides to clean, allow one side to dry first. Some solvents have the power to damage the fabrics of your couch, so use non-bleach products. Leave the sofa for a few hours to dry (2 to 6 hours).
- Make solution for tough stains: Next, you should move on to remove stubborn stains. For oil-based stains, you might also try a homemade cure of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Use baking soda and cornflour with water instead. To avoid removing color from the material, don’t scrub too vigorously.
You may need an upholstery brush and a liquid conditioner. We want steam to fight the first round with stubborn stains, so we apply this process after steam cleaning.
- Use liquid solvents with caution: Some steam cleaners only need water to wash, but some have chemical solvents. The dissolvent-water ratio will vary depending on your machine and cleaning solution. To safeguard your steam cleaner and your fabric couch, always follow the dilution ratio instructions.
Examine your manual to determine which attachment to use for the greatest results (leather attachment, velvet attachment, fabric attachment). This could be in the shape of a brush that remains stationary.
Maintenance
You need daily basis maintenance as you can’t continue this operation on a daily or weekly basis. Soak the spilled water and other liquids immediately after the operation and leave them on the couch to dry. It takes 2 to 8 hours to dry, depending on the couch’s material. A regular vacuum is necessary to make it dust-free and crumb-free.
A fabric protector spray can protect the couch or ottoman from dirt and stains. It forms an invisible barrier that protects surfaces (cushions, ottomans, pillows, and fabric) from stains produced by wine, pet pee, juice, coffee, and other liquid-based mishaps.
But you need both side maintenance, from the couch to the machine. For the machine, merge the nozzle( front part) in warm vinegar for at least twelve hours, preferably one day. Remove the nozzle and thoroughly rinse it in warm water.
Conclusion
The word ‘sofa’ or ‘couch’ evokes images of lazy Saturdays, weekend parties, or Netflix binges, but for small apartment couches, it works as an alternative to a dining table to an extra bed for guests. So you can’t alienate yourself from its cleaning as dry wash or vacuuming is not enough. You can save a replacement cost through a small effort with proper knowledge. Practice and knowledge make you a pro in this process — at your expert level, it’s not tough or time-consuming.
If we sum up the steps — first check the fabric and vacuum the couch, then try to remove the primary stains. Next, you can apply the steam cleaner and ensure a 360° wash, and thereafter you should leave it to dry or try to remove the stubborn stains. At last, you should take regular care of the couch with a vacuum and fabric protectors.
FAQ’s
Q: – Can you use a steam cleaner on a fabric sofa?
You should check the labels or guidelines of couch manufacturers. Steam cleaners are not effective and useful for all fabric materials.
Vacuum first and remove all debris, just like any other cleaning process. Before treating the entire couch, perform a spot test to check that the carpet cleaner does not damage the fabric. Utilize the machine’s attachments to treat every inch of the couch’s surface. Some manufacturers offer different attachments or settings for various fabrics ( velvet, cotton, leather )
Q: – What is the fastest way to clean a fabric couch?
Check the cleaning code and decode its meaning of washing instructions — W, S, WS, X. If possible, avoid buying X label as X-label fabric is not familiar with steam cleaning.
A fast process may not always ensure deep cleaning, but it helps when you have a sudden plan for a celebration or binge party. We always recommend using soil emulsifiers with steam cleaning.
But in the shortcut method, you can go for rubbing alcohol or make a solution with 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup vinegar, and one 1 tablespoon dishwasher liquid. Spray it on the couch and rub the area gently until the stain loosens and lifts out.
Rubbing alcohol is a friendly solution if you have less time to dry the couch and guests are about to arrive! You can apply baking soda on the sofa and rest it for 15 minutes, then vacuum it.
Q: – Can I use a steam cleaner to clean my sofa?
You can clean your sofa using a steam cleaner made of natural fibre like cotton, linen, or wool. To ensure the cloth can handle heat and moisture, examine a tiny area first. To remove any loose dirt or debris, vacuum the sofa first. After that, using the steam cleaner as directed by the manufacturer, thoroughly clean the entire sofa. Before using the sofa again, let it thoroughly dry by air.
Q: – How long does it take the couch to dry after steam cleaning?
The typical drying time for a couch after steam cleaning is four hours. The type of couch, the fabric, and the humidity in the space can all affect this. Use a fan to hasten the drying process if you need to use the couch immediately.
Q: – Will a steam cleaning couch remove the smell?
Steam cleaning is a fantastic approach to removing the smell from a nasty couch. The steam’s high temperatures will destroy any bacteria or mould that is the source of the odour. The steam will also aid in dislodging any grime or dirt lodged in the fabric.
