How to Remove a Stain From Your Sofa

Pets, coffee and sofas are a recipe for a household disaster.

From soda spills to dirty shoes to food stains, the typical family sofa takes a lot of abuse. Keeping your sofa presentable can be challenging, particularly since most cushion covers and other surfaces cannot be laundered. Spot cleaning, when done properly, can remove most stains from your sofa.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Stain removing solution
• Microfiber towels

1. Isolate the stain on your sofa and determine whether you can access the backside of the fabric. On a sofa cushion, you may be able to unzip the cover to reach the back of the stain.

2. Take a microfiber towel and fold it up four layers thick. Place it behind the stain on your sofa, if possible. If not, proceed with the next step.

3. Wet the stain with a commercial upholstery stain remover. Let the stain soak for one to two minutes. If you have a towel behind don't worry about how much you are using. If not, just soak the stain.

4. Dab the stain with another microfiber towel. The goal is to get the stain to lift up into the towel. Continue to dab, not scrub, and it should soak up into the towel. If it dries as you are dabbing and a stain is still visible, repeat this process until the stain disappears. Tough stains take two to three applications to come out.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to dry the whole area otherwise it might leave a mark.

References

• Iowa State University; Quick n' Easy Stain Removal; Janis Stone; 2009