How to care for your fabric sofa
You’ve got a brand new fabric sofa and you’re completely in love with it. It looks beautiful in your home, it feels amazing to sit on and you never want that to change – right? We’re here to help keep your sofa looking fresh, with a helpful guide of tips and tricks on how to clean your fabric sofa.
Daily sofa care
Keep the colour on point
First things first, take a look at where you’ve decided your new sofa is going to live. Is it near a window? It’s important to bear in mind that direct sunlight can cause colour fading on your sofa, so it’s a good idea to keep your curtains or blinds drawn during the brightest part of the day. Another option is to invest in a throw to cover your furniture during any sunny spells.
If your sofa is a pale colour, you’ll need to make sure any throws or scatter cushions you use are made from a colourfast fabric. Keep your pale coloured sofa looking pristine by changing out of jeans or dark clothes before you snuggle up for the evening – the perfect excuse to spend lazy days in your pyjamas!
Plump to perfection
No matter what your sofa cushions are filled with, we recommend you try to plump them as much as possible to keep them looking full. Be sure to encourage the filling to move from the back of the cushion to the front, aiming to spread the filling evenly.
If you have fibre-filled cushions and the cover unzips, you can get inside with your hands and manually separate the fibres as well. This helps to stop them matting together over time and will make it easier to plump regularly.
Smooth operator
In order to keep your fabric sofa in perfect condition, when you’ve finished plumping you should smooth the cover following the care instructions below. We like to call this the “Union Jack method”, as it follows the stripes of the Great British flag.
Using clean, dry hands, begin by smoothing your cushions from the centre to the outside, following a horizontal and then a vertical line.
Start at the centre again and smooth diagonally out to each corner. Smooth the fabric right to the edges and tuck down the sides and back.
We’re all guilty of having a favourite seat. Unfortunately, if you sit on one seat more than the others, you’re bound to end up with one cushion that starts to show signs of extra wear. We recommend using your sofa as evenly as possible.
Weekly sofa care
The best way to clean your sofa is to give it a thorough plump and vacuum every week. If the seat cushions are removable, take them off to make sure you capture any dust or dirt that may be hiding underneath.
6 Monthly care
If you follow all the daily and weekly advice above, you should find that you’ll only have to think about washing your sofa once every 6 months to freshen it up. Rather than picking up sofa cleaning products that may not be tailored to your particular sofa, we recommend using only our specialist fabric sofa care kits.
These are products tailored to a variety of different stains and cleaning needs, so you’ll have everything you need to tackle any pesky little marks on the fabric of your sofa, or when you want to give your sofa a spring clean.
In a spillage emergency
If you accidentally spill on your fabric sofa, you should try to blot it up as soon as possible – the more quickly you act, the more likely it will be that you can stop any staining.
- Move quickly to blot the spillage with a clean, dry colourfast cloth.
- Once the excess has been removed, wet a colourfast cloth and blot at the stain. Don’t rub, as this is likely to spread the stain rather than remove it.
- Apply a generous amount of your care kit fabric cleaner. Using a clean, dry cloth, dab at the stain until it’s gone and the area is dry.
- When the stain is removed, you should use a vacuum cleaner to remove any residual particles then wipe the affected area from seam to seam with a wet cloth.
I don’t have a care kit, how do I clean a stain?
If you don’t have a care kit and need to remove a stain, we recommend using a warm solution of soapy water when blotting and keep going until it has been removed. Once finished, you should wipe the affected area to avoid water marks. Dampen a fresh colourfast cloth with water and gently wipe the panel from seam to seam.
Want more info on our care kits? You can read all about them here.
Frequently asked questions
How do you maintain a fabric sofa?
Keep your fabric sofa out of direct sunlight to avoid discolouration. Accidents or spills should be mopped up as soon as possible, before using our specially formulated care kit to clean and avoid stains. We recommend plumping your sofa after every sit to make sure it looks and feels great.
Are fabric sofas hard to keep clean?
It’s easy to keep your fabric sofa clean. Plump regularly to keep your cushions looking and feeling great. We recommend you freshen up your fabric sofa every six months using the specially formulated products from our care kit. It only takes a few minutes to keep your sofa looking fresh.
How often should you wash a fabric sofa?
Try to tackle any accidents, spills and stains as soon as they happen, as they’re easier to remove before they’ve dried in. We recommend freshening up your sofa at least every six months, with regular cleaning in between - be sure to use the specially formulated products from our care kit.
Should you vacuum your couch?
We recommend vacuuming your sofa as regularly as possible to protect the fabric from damage from crumbs or dirt that get down the sides of your cushions. Aim to hoover down the sides of your cushions and across the front and backs of the cushions at least once a week.
How to remove old water stains from fabric sofa?
If you accidentally spill on your fabric sofa, you should try to clean it as soon as possible to avoid staining. Once cleaned with the specially formulated products from our care kit, you should wipe the panel seam to seam with clean water to avoid water stains from forming.