How To Clean White Sofa? The Most Effective Method

If you’re unsure how to clean white sofa at home, try these five steps. We will teach you everything from preparation to stain removal. You should be able to restore your white couch by the end of this article. 

We also recommend checking this guide on how to clean white leather furniture because some techniques will differ if your couch is leather. 

how to clean white sofa

 

How Do You Clean A White Couch?

 

Step 1. Vacuum the couch

Install the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner and vacuum the white sofa. This will eliminate the dust build-up that can stain the white upholstery if it gets wet. Ensure that you’re reaching the corners all around the sofa where debris accumulates the most.

You can also give the sofa a quick wipe to remove the loosened dirt on the surface. After vacuuming the couch, you might notice some stains and other dirty spots that were hidden by layers of dust. Treat them accordingly to prevent ingraining them deeper into the upholstery.

 

Step 2. Read the sofa’s care tag

White sofas come in a variety of materials. Therefore, you must find the care tag of your furniture and follow its cleaning code. Cleaning codes will indicate if you can clean with water, solvent, dry cleaners, or vacuum-only the couch.

Some materials are also better off professionally cleaned because household products can damage the upholstery. Regardless, it’s best to test any new cleaning solution on an inconspicuous spot of the couch before you use it throughout the furniture. Wait a minute or two for any reaction, or dab the sofa with a white cloth to check for color transfer after applying the cleaners.

 

Step 3. Spot treat stains

Different stains require various products and procedures for removal. The common ground with their elimination process is never to scrub or wipe the affected areas vigorously because you might spread and transfer the mess to the other parts of the white sofa. Furthermore, address spills as soon as possible by soaking the excess liquid with paper towels to prevent them from setting deeper within the white couch.

If you are using a separate sofa cover, you can also remove and clean it separately from the cushions. Remember that you can’t oversaturate the sofa cushions because drying will be tricky. Some sofa fillers such as down and feather shouldn’t also get wet as much as possible.

 

Step 4. Clean the white couch with soap and water

Mix mild soap and distilled water, then use the suds for wiping the couch. Note the usage of distilled water because it can be annoying to remove water stains on the sofa due to the minerals in some tap water. After wiping, remove the soapy residue on the white sofa with another damp cloth of distilled water. 

 

Step 5. Air-dry the sofa

Drying the sofa, regardless of its color, is essential to avoid mildew and other potential stains. You can hasten the process by sprinkling baking soda all over the couch to absorb the remaining moisture. Then, vacuum it off and open the windows in the room to allow air.

You can even place a fan in the room if the weather is not advantageous for drying. However, be mindful of using a hairdryer to hasten the sofa’s drying process because some materials can get damaged under heat. 

 

How Do You Get Stains Out Of A White Couch?

The best way to remove stains off a white sofa is with the ideal cleaner for the type of material. You may also want to contact the proper cleaning professional if you are unsure of what method and product to use. In general, warm water and dish soap should sufficiently eliminate typical discolorations, but you can also try baking soda or vinegar on your white sofa.

 

Vinegar

  1. Dilute white vinegar with water at equal parts
  2. Test the mixture on the white upholstery to ensure no reactions
  3. Blot off the stain with a cloth dampened with the vinegar solution
  4. The vinegar will draw the stain onto the surface and into the cleaning cloth 
  5. Rinse off the vinegar solution with another damp cloth
  6. Allow the sofa to air dry

Baking soda

  1. Make a paste with baking soda and water
  2. Test the paste on a small spot of the sofa and remove
  3. If there are no reactions, use the baking soda paste over the affected areas of the white sofa
  4. Allow the paste to sit for 5 minutes before blotting it off with a damp cloth
  5. Clean the couch as usual

Are White Couches Hard To Keep Clean?

White sofas are hard to maintain clean because any messes, dirt, and stains are immediately noticeable. You also have to account for your lifestyle, frequency of visitors, kids, or pets. However, this doesn’t mean that white shouldn’t be among the color sofas you must get

You can always make a sofa slipcover, vacuum your couch weekly, and give it a deep cleaning monthly.

 

Conclusion

So you finally think of getting the white furniture of your dreams. Hopefully, this guide on how to clean white sofa keeps you motivated because it’s relatively easy. You only need to vacuum, check the cleaning code, spot treat, and clean the couch accordingly. 

Using the right products and procedures should also restore your white sofa to its glory. We hope you learned a lot from us, so feel free to ask if you have any more questions!

 

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