How to clean upholstered furniture at home with soda and vinegar

General cleaning rules

Before you try to clean your sofa with vinegar and soda, make sure that it will not harm it:

• The above methods are only suitable for fabric upholstery. A sofa upholstered in suede, natural or synthetic leather cannot be cleaned this way.
• Cleaning a sofa with vinegar and soda is contraindicated if the upholstery contains silk fibers. Silk does not like either acids or alkalis.
• If the recipe contains a recommendation to thoroughly scrub the sofa with a brush, it is not suitable for fleecy upholstery - velor, velvet. Also, flock and chenille do not like excessive friction. Be very careful when cleaning them with a brush or rag.
• Tapestry, velor and velvet do not tolerate heavy moisture. Choose recipes for them in which the sofa does not need to be washed.

Even if the upholstery of your furniture is not included in the list of exceptions, this does not mean that you can do anything with it.

Before cleaning the entire sofa with baking soda and vinegar, test your chosen method on a small, inconspicuous area. Do everything described in the recipe and dry the treated fabric. Now compare it with the rest of the upholstery.

The color hasn’t changed, the pattern hasn’t floated, the pile hasn’t started to fall off? Then the chosen method suits your sofa.

Keep in mind that after wet cleaning and drying, the pile of many upholstery becomes tougher. This can usually be fixed by simply rubbing the treated area with a dry brush. You can also pour a little fabric softener into clean water, which you will use to rinse the upholstery after cleaning. But do not add conditioner directly to vinegar solutions.

If the bristles are not softened by the brush, it means that the selected cleaning products are changing the structure of the fibers. In this case, it is better to choose a different cleaning method for your sofa.

Below are detailed descriptions of cleaning. All recipes use 9% white table vinegar and regular baking soda (not soda ash).

Vinegar against stains

To remove stains, use baking soda and vinegar 9%. If you need to remove old stains or those that are difficult to get rid of, blood, coffee, fat, tea, make a mixture with a strong effect:

• Pour 500 ml of warm water into a basin.
• Add 1/3 cup vinegar and a tablespoon of baking soda.
• Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
• Spray onto upholstery.
• Use a stiff cloth or the back of a dish sponge to scrub the upholstery.
• Wipe the sofa first with a clean damp cloth, then with a dry one.
• After drying, vacuum the furniture and brush it with a brush.

Wring out the sponge thoroughly. You can add one tablespoon of laundry detergent or dishwashing detergent. Peel from edge to center.

The second option is slightly different from the previous one:

• Take 0.2 liters of warm water.
• Pour in 5 tbsp. spoons of vinegar.
• Add one spoon each of sodium bicarbonate and washing powder.
• Mix the ingredients in a deep basin.
• Pour the resulting solution into a spray bottle.

If the furniture is light, add hydrogen peroxide or lemon juice.

You can pour undiluted vinegar into a spray bottle and treat the contaminated area. After 20 minutes the spots will disappear. The method is effective, but the smell of vinegar will disappear only after three hours.

Cleaning a sofa with baking soda and vinegar

Cleaning the sofa with vinegar and soda will also help get rid of unpleasant odors, including the acrid smell of urine or the corrosive “aroma” of tobacco.

However, before using soda solutions, check whether the sofa upholstery will change color under the influence of the powder. To do this, carry out a test cleaning on a small area; if the fabric changes color after the procedure, you cannot use soda.

There are several ways to clean and disinfect upholstered furniture:

1. A combined solution of baking soda powder and acetic acid, which is suitable for removing blood, urine and other greasy stains. Take a spray bottle, pour in 1/3 tbsp. vinegar essence and 0.5 l. water. Then add 1 tbsp. l. soda powder. Spray the product evenly over the surface and leave for 10-15 minutes. Remove foam with a medium-hard brush, then wipe with a damp cloth.
2. Cleaning with vinegar solution. The solution is prepared from 1 tsp. 9% vinegar diluted in 1 liter. water. Soak a sheet in the prepared solution and cover the entire surface of the sofa with it. If one sheet is not enough, use two. Take a beater and thoroughly tap the upholstered furniture - all the dirt will remain on the sheet. Repeat the procedure until the sheet stops getting dirty. For a more delicate cleaning, reduce the amount of vinegar to 1/2 teaspoon. — this solution is suitable for cleaning velor sofas.

Universal folk methods

Professional tools are not always at hand. The advantage of traditional methods is accessibility - there is always something in the house to remove unpleasant odors from upholstered furniture. It is recommended to carry out treatment immediately after contact with the odorous liquid.

1. Soda. The product can be used for upholstery of any color, suitable for dampness and animal urine.
2. Salt. The grains must be scattered over the upholstery, left for half a day, and removed with a vacuum cleaner. Suitable for treating a new sofa from the smell of glue, varnish, and chemicals.
3. Laundry soap is used to clean a leather sofa from unpleasant odors, and to treat stains of urine, beer, and vomit.
4. Vinegar. Used in solutions of different concentrations. After use, it is necessary to ventilate the room. For light-colored furniture, it is recommended to replace it with a solution of citric acid.
5. Alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are useful for removing urine stains, vomit, and mold odors.
6. Potassium permanganate. Will help when processing damp furniture.

Removing odors from the sofa should be done with a weak solution that does not affect the color of the upholstery or wooden parts.

For cleaning leather and leatherette

Effective against most odors

For upholstery of any color

From the smell of mold

From dampness

From the smell of a new sofa

Wet cleaning with baking soda and vinegar

Cleaning with a solution of vinegar and sodium bicarbonate can remove stains of various origins:

• traces of urine from children or animals;
• blood;
• greasy stains, traces of food or drinks;
• from most fruits or vegetables and their juices.

To prepare the solution, add 2 tbsp to 0.5 liters of water. l. vinegar, 1 tbsp. l. soda, mix well. The prepared solution is poured into a spray bottle, sprayed on the surface of the sofa, left for 20 minutes, after which the contaminated areas are wiped with a brush with medium-hard bristles or a foam sponge. Wipe off any remaining product with a cloth moistened with clean water. Allow the upholstery to dry, then vacuum thoroughly.

You can clean your sofa with baking soda and vinegar, mixing them with laundry detergent, laundry liquid or dishwashing liquid. To prepare the product, pour 0.5 liters of hot water into a basin, add 1 tsp. detergent or 1 tbsp. l. washing powder, 1/3 cup table vinegar.

The mixture is poured into a spray bottle, add 1 tbsp. l. soda, quickly close the container and spray on contaminated areas. If a spray bottle is not available, the solution can be applied with a sponge, but in this case the upholstery gets more wet and takes longer to dry.

Rub the moistened surface with a dry brush or the abrasive part of a sponge. Excess product is removed with a clean rag moistened with water, and then with a dry cloth. After complete drying, the pile can be straightened with a brush.

To clean light-colored sofas, the usual products can be combined with sodium tetraborate; in this case, soda and vinegar are taken in equal proportions, and tetraborate is added as a bleach in the amount of 1 tsp.

To remove urine stains, use acetic acid and baking soda in turn, combining them with hydrogen peroxide.

To do this, first apply an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate to the upholstery of the sofa using a spray bottle (take 1 tablespoon of soda for 1 liter of water). Then spray with a 1% vinegar solution, and after 15-20 minutes - with hydrogen peroxide. The remaining substances are wiped off with a clean damp cloth, dried, and then vacuumed. When cleaning dark furniture, use hydrogen peroxide with caution so as not to discolor the upholstery.

Sofa cleaning solution made from vinegar, soda and “Fairy”

The method is suitable for removing general dirt, grease, street dirt, tea, coffee, grease, and beer stains. The product will also help restore the faded color of upholstery fabric. Fairy can be replaced with any other dishwashing liquid, as well as high-quality liquid soap.

Cleaning instructions:

1. Mix 80-100 ml of vinegar, 1 tsp in a spray bottle. "Fairy" and about 400 ml of hot water.
2. Add 1 tbsp to the mixture. l. soda Be careful - the product foams quickly and strongly. Close the bottle.
3. Spray the resulting solution evenly onto the surface of the upholstery.
4. Wait a few minutes for the “chemistry” to dissolve the dirt.
5. Scrub the most dirty areas with a brush.
6. When all stains have been wiped off and dissolved, remove the dirty liquid with a sponge and clean water.
7. Wipe the upholstery dry with a cotton towel and dry the sofa.

How to clean the upholstery depending on how dirty it is?

The standard version of the cleaning solution, which can be used even just to return the sofa to a fresh look, is prepared as follows :

1. 
   You need to put 1 large spoon of baking soda and washing powder into a spray bottle, pour in 1 large spoon of boiling water and 30 ml of table vinegar.

2. Shake the mixture well.
3. Next, you need to spray it on the desired areas of the sofa (for example, if only the armrest is dirty) and clean them with a stiff brush.

As a result, dirt and unpleasant odors are adsorbed.

But different stains require different approaches, and in some cases a mixture of soda and vinegar is not just applied to the dirty fabric, but must be left for some time.

The same applies to the combination of ingredients - some stains require different options.

From fresh stains

If the stain is removed “hotly,” you can prepare the following soda solution :

• 1 liter of water;
• 4 large tablespoons of 9% vinegar;
• 2 large spoons of soda.

You can pour this mixture into a spray bottle and generously spray the stain or moisten it with a cloth.
But the main thing: leave for 20 minutes and then rub with a foam sponge or a medium-hard brush (depending on the upholstery of the sofa).

The remaining product should be removed with a clean damp cloth and, after drying, vacuum this area of ​​the sofa.

From the old ones

In case of old stains, a more concentrated cleaning solution is required:

• 500 ml water;
• 80 ml table 9% vinegar;
• 1 large spoon of soda.

The resulting mixture can also be sprayed onto the stain from a spray bottle (amply) or applied with a cloth, and then left for 20 minutes.

Since we are talking about an old stain, to get rid of it later you will need a fairly stiff brush.

To restore shine and remove grease

You can return the sofa upholstery to a fresh look by adding 1 small spoon of soda and vinegar per liter of water , and then soaking a sheet or any other piece of fabric in this liquid and covering the furniture with it.
Then you need to knock out the sofa for a while - the fabric will take on all the dirt.

But if the upholstery is made of velor, you need to clean it with a damp sponge in the direction of the pile , and in the process it is important to try not to wet the material too much.

Read about how to clean a greasy sofa here.

From blood

You can get rid of bloody stains using the standard recipe described above of soda, washing powder, 9% vinegar and water, only replacing boiling water with water at room temperature.

If stains remain after cleaning, you can additionally clean this area of ​​the upholstery with hydrogen peroxide.

From urine

Urine stains can have a very different character - they can be left by a child, a cat or an adult, be old or fresh. Each contamination has its own characteristics of removal, but there is a more or less universal method :

• 
  thoroughly wet the stain with a mixture of 9% vinegar and water in equal proportions;

• cover with paper (newspaper will do) and wait for it to dry;
• sprinkle the stain with baking soda;
• mix 100 ml of hydrogen peroxide, 0.5 small spoon of dishwashing detergent or liquid soap and a little water at room temperature in a spray bottle;
• apply this solution on top of the soda and leave for 3 hours;
• thoroughly wipe this area of ​​the sofa with a damp sponge or cloth;
• Wipe the treated area of ​​the upholstery with a dry cloth.

From juice, wine and other drinks

Interestingly, you can get rid of a fresh wine stain using just baking soda powder - you need to sprinkle it on the still wet stain for 15 minutes, and then clean it off with a brush. If there are stains, you can go over the top with laundry soap.

And for juices, one vinegar in equal combination with ammonia will be enough. You can wet a cloth or cotton pad with this solution and gently wipe the stain.

If tea or coffee is spilled on the upholstery , you can make a saturated solution of baking soda and water: 1 large spoon per mug, rub the stains with it and then clean with a brush.
When there is a beer stain on the sofa, you can use just vinegar.

First, rub the stain with laundry soap , then soak a cotton pad in 9% vinegar and wipe the area until it is clean. Then rinse it with water and dry it with a hairdryer.

How to clean a sofa with baking soda at home

At home, removing stubborn stains can be very difficult. To deal with stains and get rid of odors without using an aggressive detergent, you can clean the sofa with soda and vinegar, peroxide, washing powder or alcohol.

Dry cleaning a sofa with baking soda

Baking soda is considered an effective cleaning agent for upholstered furniture. It disinfects and kills pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms: for example, dust mites.

To get rid of a stain without using a solution, simply sprinkle baking soda over the stain in a 1-2 cm layer. Leave for 40-50 minutes, then use a vacuum cleaner to collect the powder.

Dry cleaning works well for removing fresh stains.

Soda powder can also be used to dry the sofa after using liquid solutions. When you remove the solution, simply fill the wet area with baking soda - it absorbs moisture well, allowing the sofa to dry out faster.

Correspondence table between solutions and fabrics

Natural fabrics are best washed with soda: linen, cotton.

Conversely, silk and wool are not cleaned with sodium carbonate: they become stiff and their appearance changes.

Dry cleaning a sofa with baking soda

It is recommended to rid the sofa of stains using dry sodium bicarbonate. The product can remove traces of tea, juices, dirt, ballpoint pens and children's paints. Dry soda is used to remove grease and update the color of upholstery. Sodium bicarbonate is applied to both dry and damp upholstery and left for 30 minutes. If necessary, especially dirty areas should be cleaned with a damp sponge or brush and then vacuumed.

To remove particularly difficult stains, you can prepare a paste of 1 part baking soda and 1 part water or detergent. The resulting paste is applied to the stain with a brush and allowed to dry. Then remove with a brush or vacuum cleaner.

Preparation of the product: proportions

A common solution is a solution of vinegar and sodium bicarbonate, which removes the following contaminants:

• urine of animals and children;
• grease stains, drinks and food debris;
• blood;
• traces of fruits and vegetables.

With water

To prepare the cleaning mixture, use half a liter of water, 100 ml of table vinegar and 25 grams of soda, then mix the composition. Place the contents in a spray bottle and apply to the top layer of the sofa, leaving it for 30 minutes. After soaking, wipe the surface with a stiff brush or sponge, and remove any remaining solution with a damp cloth. The final stage is drying the sofa and removing the residue with a vacuum cleaner. See how you can make a carpet cleaner that is also effective at removing stains.

With water and alcohol

An effective cleaning method is a solution of vinegar and soda containing 10% ammonia. This option is used to remove greasy stains, traces of drinks and food, dusty layers, as well as general dirt. To prepare such a composition, use 0.5 liters of warm water, 150 ml of 9% vinegar, 25 grams of soda and 1 teaspoon of ammonia. The resulting solution quickly destroys stubborn stains, but has a specific odor that is transmitted to the upper layers of the furniture.

With water, alcohol and conditioner

A decent method is to use a solution containing alcohol and fabric softener. Experts say that the admixture of air conditioner has a detrimental effect on the surface of the sofa, but in the right proportion the solution softens the fabric and does not leave streaks. To make it, use 0.5 liters of water, 200 ml of vinegar, 50 grams of soda and 150 ml of light fabric softener.

With water and fairies

This method is considered identical to the previous one, only “fairy” is used instead of air conditioning. A distinctive feature is the appearance of stains on colored fabrics, but the solution cleans coarse and greasy stains. The composition includes 400 ml of warm water, 200 ml of vinegar, 50 grams of soda and 150 ml of “fairy”. By applying the prepared product to the surface of the furniture, stains disappear from the upper layers. After cleaning, wipe the furniture with a damp cloth, then dry and remove any remaining mixture with a vacuum cleaner.

With detergent

The use of detergent has a positive effect on the solution, but this composition leaves streaks. Prepare the mixture using 500 ml of water, 150 ml of vinegar, 100 grams of soda and 200 ml of detergent. The prepared consistency is infused for half an hour and applied in an even layer to the surface of the sofa. After this, they wipe, dry and remove any remaining impurities. Cleaning the microwave with pure vinegar or with the addition of detergents is also possible.

With washing powder

A decent cleaning option that offers the addition of laundry detergent. In essence, this method is no different from the previous one, but is considered more effective due to the content of powder, which removes stains. To prepare, use 0.5 liters of water, 100 grams of washing powder, 100 ml of vinegar and 50 grams of soda. The solution ideally cleans the surface of greasy stains.

Which remedy is the most effective?

In terms of effectiveness, it is difficult to choose the best method, since each of them has an equal number of advantages and disadvantages. If we consider using a solution that does not cause any harm, then the best option would be a mixture of vinegar and soda. The consistency does not have a specific odor that eats into the furniture, does not leave streaks and makes the surface of the sofa harder. Vinegar and baking soda are a solution for treating fabric coverings.

How to remove odor from a couch using baking soda and vinegar

The easiest way to eliminate unpleasant odors is to cover the furniture with a sheet soaked in a 1% solution of table vinegar. It is advisable to carry out this procedure several times in a row until the unpleasant odor completely disappears. You can simply moisten a napkin with a 1% solution of vinegar, to which you need to add 1 tsp. hydrogen peroxide. Dry baking soda also adsorbs odor well. To do this, scatter it evenly over the surface of the sofa upholstery, leave it for 2-3 hours, and then carefully collect it with a vacuum cleaner. The problem of how to clean urine from a sofa can be solved with the help of sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid. These substances break down the components of urine, permanently eliminating its odor. To begin with, a fresh stain should be carefully and repeatedly blotted with paper napkins to prevent the urine from being absorbed into the upholstery and filling of the sofa.

Contaminated areas are generously moistened with a solution of vinegar diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2, covered with a paper napkin, and left to dry completely. After this, the stains are wiped with dry sodium bicarbonate powder. Then a mixture of 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and 1 part cold water is applied to the contaminated areas with a spray bottle.

You can add ½ tsp to the solution. liquid detergent. Mixing on the surface of the upholstery, the substances will begin to foam, releasing oxygen, which will destroy the components of urine. After 2-3 hours, wipe the upholstery with a clean sponge or napkin and then dry it.

Tips and precautions

Despite the fact that both soda and vinegar are food ingredients, we must not forget that these are quite aggressive components that, if used in excess and improperly used, can cause harm. Including sofa upholstery.

To prevent this from happening, you need to follow a number of safety rules.

1. 
   First, it is highly advisable to vacuum the sofa - this will already remove some of the dirt.

2. It is important not to wet the stain area too much - if it gets too wet, it is unlikely to dry quickly, and this will lead to the appearance of mold fungi.
3. The sponge or cloth used to clean the stain should be periodically rinsed in clean water, then squeezed well and then dipped into the cleaning solution again.
4. To quickly dry the cleaned area of ​​the sofa, it is convenient to use a hair dryer.
5. Minimum moisture in the case of silk, cotton, tapestry and linen coverings.
6. Minimum friction in the case of velvet, velor, flock, silky upholstery.

Recommendations for upholstered furniture

Before cleaning, the furniture must be thoroughly vacuumed or wiped, getting rid of dust, so that there are no streaks left after manipulation. For the same purpose, stains are cleaned from the periphery to the center. To avoid leaving traces, it is advisable to treat the sofa completely and not partially.

When carrying out wet cleaning, you do not need to wet the furniture abundantly so as not to stimulate the formation of mold. It will be enough to moisten the fabric a little.

Sodium bicarbonate must be carefully removed from the surface - rinse or vacuum up. Residues of the substance may begin to collect moisture or dust from the air, which will accelerate the contamination of the sofa upholstery. Delicate fabrics (tapestry, silk, velvet, velor) are cleaned dry, avoiding excessive friction. Flock and chenille are afraid of mechanical damage.