How to dry your sofa at home

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Upholstered furniture is the basis of a good rest. Sometimes an old sofa, familiar from childhood, will give you more relaxation than expensive novelties with massage function. One problem: soft upholstery quickly fouls and spoils the beauty of the interior. A vacuum cleaner does not help, and it is expensive to call a cleaning specialist. Do-it-yourself dry cleaning of the sofa at home is a great way to save and efficiently remove dirt. Moreover, the process is not at all complicated.

Features of self-cleaning at home

It’s better to save your furniture yourself, and it’s not just about money. Newcomers are unlikely to love the things of an outsider. Do not be surprised if after a couple of such cleanings the fabric bursts and the filler irretrievably loses its elasticity.

Do-it-yourself dry cleaning of the sofa at home is not only a saving, but also a careful attitude to things.

If we talk about money, then the savings are enormous. The services of a cleaning company at home are not cheap. In addition, they use potent chemistry that is harmful to health and destroys the fabric structure of the sofa. Another thing is companies specializing in furniture cleaning, one can expect high-quality work from them. But their equipment is stationary, and delivery will be required there, which will entail additional costs.

By taking a wash of the sofa with your own hands, you can achieve the effect no worse than in dry cleaning. The main thing is to apply the correct means, to observe the consistency. If you follow all the instructions below, you can remove old stains, dust, and foul odors.

It’s quite possible to clean the sofa yourself, the main thing is to choose the right equipment and cleaning products

Special devices

All the equipment required for cleaning furniture is divided into two types: domestic and professional. The first can be found in every home, and it is quite suitable for cleaning the sofa at home.

Household Tools:

• brush;
• rags;
• bucket;
• vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum cleaner

Brush

Different types of washing vacuum cleaners and steam generators may also fall into this category if they were made for domestic use.

Professional devices are quite expensive, few people decide to buy one for the sake of one sofa. Such tools are designed for continuous operation. With intensive use, it quickly pays off, but in everyday life it will simply gather dust in a closet.

1. Professional washing vacuum cleaners. They differ from households mainly in size, power and a complete disregard for the design.
2. Dryers for furniture. In fact, these are just specialized hair dryers.
3. Mini rotors.Electric brushes for easy cleaning in hard to reach places.
4. Foam extractors. Upgraded washing vacuums that use thick foam instead of water.

All machines are very powerful, they cannot be obtained from gentle cleaning. But the one-time effect will be amazing, the stubborn spots will go away completely. However, along with the dirt, the upholstery of the sofa will thin out, and the soft filler will become a little tougher.

Mini rotor

Foam Extractor

Professional Vacuum Cleaner

Algorithm

The owner's caring hands are not mindless cars. By cleaning his sofa on his own, the owner will never harm him. How to dry the sofa, described in detail below. You need to start with the simplest operation.

Dust free

This option is required for soft and fleecy fabrics, as the vacuum cleaner is not able to completely clean them. If the upholstery of the sofa is made of dense material, then the operation can be skipped by replacing it with a simple vacuum cleaner. But in any case, cleaning in this way will not be superfluous for preliminary softening of contaminants. In addition, this is the easiest way to dry clean.

1. You will need an extensive piece of matter that can cover the main area of ​​the sofa.
2. The selected fabric must be soaked and squeezed carefully.
3. Cover the surface of the sofa with a damp blanket.
4. Knock out the sofa with a carpet clapper.
5. Stretch the soaked sheet.

Usually this algorithm is repeated several times, it all depends on the degree of contamination. Of course, you can just knock out the sofa and not start wet procedures. But then small particles will rise into the air and settle on the surrounding furniture, ceiling and in the lungs. The wet cloth method does not allow knocked-out dust to return to the sofa upholstery.

An ordinary mallet will help get rid of dust in the sofa.

Solid contamination removal

Serious contaminants forming a hard crust on the upholstery surface softened after the first stage. Now the dirt needs to be scraped off. A plastic spatula is ideal for this, but you can use the back of the knife. The main thing is not to damage the fabric of the sofa with sharp edges.

A mixture of hydrogen peroxide with ammonia will facilitate the softening of the mud.

If the dirt does not lend itself, then it must be continued to soak with a soap solution and a clothes brush. Squeezing can only be strong, solid matter. Soft and fleecy fabrics after treatment with a brush and soapy solution are better to soak with a dry cloth or vacuum.

Before cleaning, solid dirt on the sofa should be softened and removed first.

General cleaning

After removing solid contaminants, you can proceed to the next stage of the main upholstery cleaning. At this stage, the entire surface of the sofa is covered with a washing solution and treated with a brush. The protruding, dirty foam is removed with a vacuum cleaner. To speed up the work, you can use industrial tools, divided into the following categories:

1. Mud cleaning foam. Sold in aerosol packaging. A good universal cleaner for the sofa, after which drying of the fabric is not required.
2. Powders and liquid detergents. There are special tools for processing furniture, but you can use the usual for washing clothes or washing dishes. The effect is good, but if the tissue is not washed enough after treatment, whitish spots will appear.
3. Stain removers. Universal products available both in powders and aerosols, and in liquid form. Like all substances intended for widespread use, can not cope with severe pollution. Although minor spots are easily removed from the sofa upholstery.
4. Solid furniture cleaning products. Usually made in the form of soap. When using, the effect is not much different from the usual economic, only the smell is better.

The trouble with industrial preparations is that when used, an already finished mixture with the given proportions is obtained. If the dirt is difficult, you can not add a little soda or lemon to speed up the process.Therefore, these funds are good for washing the sofa in haste. As for capital cleaning, it’s best to do the dry cleaning mix yourself.

The recipe is very simple, it consists of ingredients that are always present in everyday life. In half a liter of warm water, add 70 g of vinegar, which is about 7 tablespoons. Pour 2 tablespoons of soda into the resulting solution and add any detergent to create the foam. Such a mixture will act no worse than the purchased one and will save savings. Before use, it is better to test the product on the invisible parts of the sofa upholstery. The fabrics are different, for some, such a mixture may be too stiff. Then you just need to add water to reduce the concentration.

Stain removal

For different types of dirt on the sofa lining requires different types of cleaning. Somewhere the juice was poured, dripped with fatty food - all this can be understood by visual inspection. Therefore, before starting work, we carry out diagnostics or recall where this spot came from on the couch.

1. Tea stains and regular dirt are washed off with a simple soapy solution rubbed with a clothes brush.
2. Coffee stains. If the trace of the invigorating drink on the couch has not been removed in the first way, then use the following recipe. In hot water add ammonia at the rate of 1/7 and then dissolve the soap shavings in the proportion of 1/4. After the stain disappears, the solution must be thoroughly washed off.
3. Stains from juice. They are removed with a solution of water and table vinegar. A tablespoon of acid is added to a glass of liquid.
4. Wine and fat. Can be washed with a mixture of soda and water in a proportion of 1/3. The solution must be allowed to dry, and then vacuumed.
5. Paraffin wax and candle wax. Clean napkins are laid for pollution, ironed. The operation must be performed several times.
6. Blood stains. They are removed from the sofa with exceptionally clean cold water. The use of other means may worsen the situation.

These compounds are not too aggressive, they are suitable for all types of fabric, including light upholstery. When removing the stain, it is advisable to move from the center of pollution to its edge, this is the easiest way to clean the sofa. After drying the furniture, stains may appear. To avoid this, the brush needs to be moved straight along the location of the fabric fibers. The rule is also necessary for fleecy surfaces, this will allow laying the villi in one direction.

In the event that the origin of the spot cannot be established, it will be necessary to use universal means. Using affordable, mundane ingredients, you can make excellent detergent solutions to clean the sofa.

1. Using vinegar and soda. For work, you need closed containers, for example, a plastic bottle, preferably with a spray bottle. Pour hot water into it, determine the temperature by touch: the hand should be comfortable when immersed. Add 9% acetic acid solution at the rate of 300 g per liter of liquid. Shake it up. Add 2 tablespoons of soda. A chemical reaction will begin with a copious release of foam. At this time, apply the cleaning fluid to the stain. After 5 minutes, the solution should be washed off with a damp sponge.
2. With citric acid. A great tool that allows you to not only clean the dirt from the sofa upholstery, but also get rid of unpleasant odors. The mixture is diluted in warm water at 0.5 liters, you will need one teaspoon of acid and salt. To form a foam, add a little dishwashing liquid. The solution applied to the mud is washed off after 5 minutes.
3. With the help of aspirin. A few tablets of aspirin are mixed with a small amount of water until a liquid slurry forms. We moisten the surface of the processed pollution on the upholstery of the sofa and cover it with the obtained product. We stand for 20-30 minutes and rinse. If contamination is not completely removed, the operation should be repeated.
4. With ammonia. 1 teaspoon of ammonia is added to hair shampoo. Soak on contamination for 15-20 minutes.The product must be washed very carefully to avoid stains on the sofa cover.
5. Using stain-removing soap. A very simple, affordable detergent. The stain is abundantly wetted, then rubbed with soap. The applied soap is rubbed with a clothes brush until a thick foam forms. After 15 minutes, rinse the sofa in the stain area several times.

After cleaning

The last important step will be drying the furniture. If there’s nowhere to hurry, it’s better to leave the sofa alone. But if it is not known exactly how long the sofa will dry, and after an hour guests should arrive, you can use a hairdryer. Industrial hair dryers can not only dry the fabric, but also melt the tin. Therefore, working with them, you should start with minimal modes. A hair dryer, on the contrary, is too weak and can burn out without completing work. It is necessary to periodically turn off the device so that it cools down.

In a well-ventilated area, things dry much faster.

How much the sofa dries after dry cleaning depends on the upholstery material and soft filler. Having achieved complete drying, you need to walk through the fabric with a vacuum cleaner. Actually for dense materials such as jacquard, scotchguard, tapestry, matting cleaning is done. For fleecy and soft tissues, you need to work a little more. After drying, the pile usually coalesces, so it must be carefully smoothed with a soft brush. In no case should circular movements be allowed, this will only worsen the situation.

Precautionary measures

First of all, you need to take care of yourself and your loved ones. Dry cleaning products are alkaline or acidic. They do not harm the tissue, but can harm the skin or cause allergies. Therefore, work without rubber gloves is strictly prohibited.

Many detergents have volatile substances that can burn mucous membranes. Therefore, it is better to use a mask, even if the room is well ventilated. This rule applies to home-made solutions using alcohol and ammonia. Volatile compounds of these substances can pick up and carry through the air the harmful elements released during the cleaning process.

Be sure to isolate the children during dry cleaning.

Any product made independently or purchased in a store should first be tried on an inconspicuous piece of furniture. This is best done on the back of the back of the sofa. After applying the solution, let it dry. If he did not cause damage to the fabric, its color, you can safely use the product on the entire surface. There are fabrics for which there are restrictions on the use of certain chemicals:

1. Flock is afraid of alcohol.
2. Faux suede, microfiber do not like water. Only dry cleaning is applicable.
3. When cleaning the jacquard, the temperature of the washing solution should be no more than 40 degrees.
4. Plush and velvet can deteriorate with aggressive detergents.
5. Velor does not tolerate abrasives.
6. When cleaning the tape, bleach must not be used.

The use of pure bleaches, acetones, acids is strictly prohibited. They can be used only in small concentrations. Strongly hot water can age the upholstery, the colors fade, elasticity disappears. It is necessary to put the washing solutions only on a sponge or brush, and not on the sofa cover. Light upholstery should only be cleaned with white rags, otherwise it may stain. A poorly washed cloth will be destroyed by the remnants of detergents, therefore all traces of cleaning should be carefully cleaned.

Having studied simple instructions, everyone will become a specialist no worse than a professional from a cleaning company. If the owner himself deals with his favorite furniture, he will cope much better. Saved money can be spent on sweets and eat them with a cup of fragrant coffee, comfortably sitting on a clean favorite sofa. But you should not forget about caution so that you do not have to start dry cleaning at home again.

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