You could eliminate stains from your sofas with just one common item.
No matter how clean your house might be, we’ve all suffered accidents before. Whether you’ve knocked a glass of wine onto your carpet or your children have managed to display their artwork on the walls, dealing with stains is just part of life.
One of the worst things to get stains on is your sofa. Unless the stain ends up on the cushions, it’s not something you can throw in the washing machine, and if your sofa is fabric instead of leather, it can’t be wiped down easily.
But there is something you can do to remove stains and marks from your sofa with ease.
Cleaning fans have shared a “genius” hack on social media, claiming that you only need one item to make stains vanish. What’s more, it’s something you might already have in your first aid kit.
The hack was uncovered on Reddit when one woman asked for help removing pen marks from the back of her sofa. She said the marks had been caused by her toddler, who had gotten hold of a pen and decided to scribble on the furniture.
She wrote: “How on earth do I remove this toddler masterpiece from my couch? Masterpiece medium is pen. Canvas is my dad’s couch, made of a kind of suede-y material. Help!”
Commenters on the post were quick to offer their advice. One suggestion that stood out from the rest was to use rubbing alcohol, also known as surgical spirit, to remove the pen in no time.
Someone recommended: “Rubbing alcohol. I would use 50% to prevent too much damage. It’s the saving grace for ink on clothing/furniture. I marked up my mother-in-law’s new suede couch with a pen and thought I was going to see Jesus soon. Thank the heavens.”
Another backed this suggestion but told the woman to make sure she “blots” the stain rather than rubbing it, as she could spread it further or damage the fabric if she’s too rough.
Others recommended hand sanitiser, which is a viable alternative if you happen to have some at home and don’t have surgical spirit. Hand sanitiser contains isopropyl alcohol, which is the active ingredient in surgical spirit that helps to lift stains.
If you don’t have either at home, surgical spirit can be picked up for as little as £2.70, while hand sanitiser can be bought for just £1.50 for a small bottle.
How to clean a fabric sofa
You should always check the manufacturer’s care tag before cleaning your sofa. This can normally be found under the cushions or on the frame, and it should feature a cleaning code that will be labelled as W, S, WS, or X.
W means clean with a water-based cleaner, S means use a solvent-based cleaner, WS sofas can use both, and X means you should not clean it yourself as the sofa must be professionally cleaned.
Once you’ve assessed which cleaning method is right for your sofa, you should start by vacuuming any loose crumbs, debris, and dust from the surface and the crevices. Then, follow the instructions for your type of sofa to clean spots and stains.
For water-based cleaning (W or WS tags):
- Mix a few drops of mild dish soap or liquid detergent with warm water.
- Dampen a microfiber cloth in the soapy solution, wring it out, and blot (don’t rub!) the stain.
- Alternate between blotting with the soapy cloth and a clean, damp cloth to lift the dirt.
- Pat dry with a clean, dry towel.
For solvent-based cleaning (S or WS tags):
- Use a dry-cleaning solvent or rubbing alcohol.
- Apply the solution to a cloth, not directly to the sofa, and gently blot the stain.
- Allow the area to air dry completely.
If your sofa needs an overall clean, you can mix warm water and white vinegar together and use a damp microfibre cloth to gently wipe down the sofa in circular motions. Be careful not to oversaturate the material, as this could damage the fabric.