How To Clean Vinyl Sofa? 2 Steps Plus Best Tips

If you want to know how to clean vinyl sofa, you only need to tackle two easy steps. In this tutorial, you will learn the best deep cleaning method to be a part of your maintenance for the furniture. We will also include the care procedure to help your vinyl sofa last longer. 

You don’t need special chemicals and cleaning solutions since we selected the safest one: mild dish soap. And since we’re on the topic of vinyl, which is often compared to leather, why don’t you check out pleather sofas? It’s a cheaper and animal-friendly alternative, and repairing the pleather sofa is even relatively simple. 

What Is The Best Way To Clean Vinyl Furniture?

Before cleaning your vinyl sofa, do note the type of vinyl fabric that it uses. Manufacturers can either use non-backed, non-expanded and expanded vinyl fabric for the furniture. Expanded vinyl is the most common for upholstery, but your material may undergo different treatments and have chemicals during the manufacturing process. 

It’s best to check if all the practices and solutions you’ll use if they are compatible with the vinyl material on your sofa. 

Step 1. Scrub down the vinyl sofa

• Vacuum the vinyl couch with the upholstery attachment installed on the vacuum cleaner
• Give the sofa a quick wipe with a rug before wetting it with the cleaning solution to avoid making dirty streaks from dust build-up
• Create a cleaning solution using mild dish soap and warm water
• Test the soap mixture on a small portion of the sofa by spraying it
• If there is no discoloration or fading, you can proceed with cleaning the vinyl couch
• Use a soft cloth or brush and scrub the vinyl furniture, ensuring that you’re also reaching the cracks and crevices
• Spend more time in the stains to remove them

Step 2. Rinse and dry the vinyl sofa

• Rinse off the soapy residue on the sofa with a damp cloth
• Continue wiping the couch with a damp cloth until it is free of suds and the water runs clear
• Dry the vinyl sofa with another dry and soft cloth before reusing it
• Unlike other types of furniture, it’s best to ensure that your vinyl furniture is dried thoroughly
• Air-drying the couch without wiping it dry can lead to stains

How Do You Remove Stains From Vinyl Upholstery?

The advantage of vinyl compared to other materials for upholstery is it is relatively easy to clean. However, it’s still prone to acquire stains. Here is the procedure to safely remove stains and decorations on vinyl furniture, but remember to follow them with care. 

1. Dab off the spill as soon as possible, but be careful not to spread it all over the sofa
2. Make a paste with baking soda, dish soap, and water
3. Apply the baking soda paste directly on the stains and scrub with a clean cloth to lift the discolorations
4. Wipe off the residue with a clean cloth dampened with warm water
5. For stubborn stains, dilute 6% bleach with water and dab it onto the vinyl couch
6. Do not oversaturate the vinyl, and make sure that you’ve diluted the bleach well to avoid damaging the material
7. Rinse it off immediately with water and wipe the sofa dry
8. If the vinyl sofa has mildew, skip the baking soda or diluted bleach
9. Instead, mix water, hydrogen peroxide, and ammonium
10. Scrub the ammonium solution directly on the mildew and rinse well
11. Dab the vinyl sofa dry 

How Do You Clean Vinyl Leather?

1. Maintain your vinyl leather by immediately addressing spills and stains to make removal easier
2. Keep stains from setting and use a damp cloth with warm water to remove the residue
3. Removing stains as soon as they occur will lessen the need to use harsh stain removers like bleach
4. Remember that every time you dampen the sofa, dry it thoroughly by wiping it with cloth
5. Keeping the vinyl leather couch dry will prevent mildew growth that requires strong cleaners like ammonium
6. Clean your vinyl leather sofa with dish soap and water every six weeks as part of the maintenance
7. Vacuum the couch weekly to prevent dust from accumulating
8. If not used for a while, slipcover the sofa to protect it from dirt and mess. 

What is vinyl leather?

Vinyl leather is so-called because it is a vinyl material made to look like leather. It uses resin or plastic as opposed to genuine leather sourced from animal hide. Therefore, proper cleaning and maintenance are essential to help your vinyl leather couch last longer since it won’t be as durable as real leather. 

Vinyl vs polyurethane sofa

Vinyl sofa is not the same as a polyurethane sofa or PU leather sofa. They are both plastics, but vinyl is sourced from ethylene instead of resin. Then, vinyl is fused with polyester to create vinyl upholstery, as seen in sofas. 

Conclusion

A decent alternative to leather is vinyl. However, we hope you’ll read this guide on how to clean vinyl sofa to help it last longer. It’s a relatively easy practice, and you only need a mixture of warm water and dish soap.

The emphasis is necessary on rinsing the vinyl sofa thoroughly and then wiping it dry to avoid damages or discolorations. Furthermore, note the type of vinyl upholstery you have because it might undergo specific treatments incompatible with some cleaning solutions, such as diluted bleach for tough stain removal.