The upholstery of our sofa and armchair is the element that tends to get dirty in the general furniture of a home, obviously because it is one of the most used daily by the whole family, including pets and friends.
Surface dirt is sometimes not very noticeable, taking into account factors such as the color of the fabric and the finish of the fabric (plain or printed), and it may happen that we do not notice an uncomfortable stain, until we look closely, and come to the conclusion that our sofa needs a good deep cleaning.
We recommend regular maintenance. Depending on whether you have children, pets, or you use the sofa a lot, once or twice a month is enough to keep your sofa looking like new: for this, and as we have told you in the post “Useful tips for easy maintenance of your sofa”, airing and vacuuming will be your favorite “actions”.
It is not necessary to wait until the dirt prevents you from seeing the real color of the sofa, because with a good maintenance, you will avoid that both the fabric and the color, and ultimately, the upholstery, are spoiled. In addition to avoiding a beating in the fight against the occasional stains of everyday life, accumulated over months.
Even so, if the maintenance of your sofa does not motivate you much, and you want to boast a radiant sofa as the first day, you have no choice but to remove the cover and machine wash it to get rid of stains, dust, food debris, and dirt in general. And to avoid dying in the attempt, we give you some tips so you know how to do it without mishaps.
TIPS FOR MACHINE-WASHING YOUR SOFA UPHOLSTERY
If you are not sure, or do not understand the label (which often happens to us) ask us, or try one of the covers, to minimize risks, and not ruin the whole sofa.
Very practical advice for the absent-minded: when you remove the covers from the different parts of the sofa, and taking into account that they are usually very similar, and then it is difficult to match them again, make a small recognizable mark on them, so that it does not wash away.
When you put them in the washing machine, turn them inside out to prevent the zipper from rubbing and ruining the fabric. If your sofa covers have Velcro instead of a zipper, you can use Velcro to place it over the cover to prevent them from sticking together during washing and leaving areas that are not properly cleaned.
We advise you to select a short duration wash and gentle spin. Fewer revolutions than you normally use, as this way, the fabric will also suffer less.
If you have a tumble dryer, be equally careful with the selected program. This machine can be very useful, but it can be a nuisance if you do not use it properly.
If you don’t have a dryer, no problem! Hang the covers of the sofa, and take advantage of the antibacterial effects of the sun on the clothes. Of course, as in the washing machine, always hang the cover inside out, since the sun “eats” the bacteria but also the colors.
EXTRA TIPS TO MAKE YOUR SOFA FABRICS LOOK GREAT
If after all this process, you notice that the fabric of the covers are very wrinkled or that the colors are not as bright as before, take note of these extra tips:
1- If you wash the sofa because of a specific stain, try to remove it beforehand, before putting the fabric in the washing machine. This way, you won’t have to use such an aggressive washing program or anti-stain products, which can tarnish or even ruin the fabric.
2- When hanging, try to shake the covers a little beforehand, so that they are as straight as possible. Spread them horizontally so that they do not adopt strange shapes. And don’t forget to keep the zippers and Velcro fasteners open. This way, it will dry properly, and there will be no musty smell in it.
3- Finally, we remind you that there are even more convenient methods of getting rid of dirt quickly, and minimizing machine washing: fabrics with aquaclean® Technology. A wide collection of fabrics and textiles that can be cleaned with just a cloth and a little water.
As you will see, you can boast of a new sofa every day, as long as you take care of it, through a correct maintenance, or a thorough cleaning, in the washing machine, at least once a year. Follow these practical tips and enjoy your sofa as you deserve, with the aquaclean guarantee.
