Eliminating Oders & Stains From Your Recliner & Couch

How to eliminate allergens, stains, and pet odors from your favorite recliner or family couch without leaving a dingy stain

For most people their couches and recliners are a second a home, the place where movies are binge watched or a good night’s rest is completed, depending on the occasion. As you would expect for anywhere that gets that much human action, there’s bound to be a buildup of dirt, crumbs, oils (from your body) spilled drinks, etc. It gets worse if your pets love your couch as much as you do, in which case you’d have to add pet hair, allergens and even odors to the list of unpleasantries.

There’s no doubt that these things have to be cleaned regularly, but how do you rid your couch or recliner from dirt and debris and prevent it from smelling like a kernel or staining? Here are some quick tips to keep your couch or recliner cleaner without damaging the fabric.

• Use A Vacuum To Take Care Of The Bits And Pieces

Getting debris out of your couch or recliner is a relatively easy task if you’re equipped with a vacuum. If you’re serious about reaching all the dirt lodged in the many nooks and crannies we recommend using a powerful vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment.

If your couch cushions are unattached now’s the time to remove them so you can get to those hard to reach areas where dirt is most likely to gather. A lint roller may come in handy to remove pet and human hair from the fabric.

• A Warm Soapy Solution Can Be Quite Effective

Use this for the non-fabric areas (anything leather, wood, metal, etc.) of your couch or recliner. The soapy solution can be made by dissolving traditional liquid-based dishwashing soap with warm water. Application and wiping should be done using a soft absorbent towel.

• Handling Persistent Odors

If your pets just had a field day on your couch, then a simple wipe with warm soapy towel might not neutralize the odors. For that you can use good old baking soda. Remember how your favorite DIYs recommended baking soda for getting rid of bad odors in your fridge? It’s the same principle here too, and the application process is similar.

Simply sprinkle baking soda on the areas of your couch where you suspect the odors are concentrated. Wait a few minutes then vacuum up the baking soda. Vinegar also works particularly well, but it must be used with caution and at a specific concentration. If you have a fabric upholstery, mix one tablespoon of dish soap, one-quarter cup of vinegar and three-quarters cup of warm water. For synthetic based upholstery, a half cup of vinegar and one-quarter cup of warm water dissolved in a cup of water should do the trick. Leather upholsteries require just a half cup of olive oil mixed with one-quarter cup of vinegar.

• Deep Steam Cleaning For A Thorough Clean

The problem with baking soda and vinegar based cleaning methods is that they pose the risk of staining, especially if your couch is made out of a light fabric material. That’s where steam based deep cleaning regimens come into the picture.

Deep steam cleaning is also characteristically thorough. Most deep clean procedures go beyond the normal business of “spot cleaning” to provide a  comprehensive top-down clean. When it’s done right it should give your couch or recliner a whole new look. The only difference is unlike the DIY methods above; deep cleaning requires the expertise and equipment of a professional cleaning service.

The benefits that steam cleaning provides are usually well worth the investment. Deep steam cleaning integrates all aspects of couch and recliner cleaning – from debris evacuation, to stain removal and even deodorization. The results are not just a stain free, odorless recliner or couch but also one that’s free from allergens and any other bacteria.