A cleaning method using two household ingredients and a pan lid could shift tough sofa stains, it has been claimed. The tip emerged in an extensive list of 77 home “hacks” compiled by writer Eleanor Cording-Booth, who, earlier this year, set out to discover some of the household tips that she could be “missing”.
To help her in her efforts, Eleanor posed the question to her Instagram followers and was inundated with helpful responses, with the writer noting that white vinegar (unsurprisingly) played a “starring role”. One of the more unusual suggestions involved a two-ingredient mixture and a pan lid to tackle stubborn sofa stains, a household task that may well be on our minds after the Christmas pig-out. She wrote in House and Garden: “To easily clean your sofa fabric, wrap a clean cloth around the lid of a pan and secure it at the handle. Mix laundry detergent with water and dip your pan-cloth in it.”
Eleanor added: “Apply this with pressure to an upholstered piece and move it around like you would a hoover.”
It’s worth mentioning, however, that you should exercise caution when cleaning fabric sofas, as different care labels dictate the best method, according to the furniture company Furniture Instore.
It shared an alternative technique that also uses laundry detergent, but stressed that you should only use it on sofas with a W or WS label. These indicate that water-based cleaners or water or solvent-based cleaners are acceptable.
The method calls for just a teaspoon of mild dish soap or laundry detergent for use on what it describes as “delicate fabrics”, 250ml of warm distilled water, microfibre cloths and, if you like, a spray bottle.
First, you should mix the soap and water to produce a lather, lightly apply it to a cloth, softly blot the stain (ensuring you begin on the outside and work inwards), and then blot away the mixture with a clean cloth.
It also suggested using a third cloth to remove any remaining moisture and then allowing the sofa to dry.
In related news from earlier this year, cleaning enthusiasts shared a “genius” hack on social media to help us easily remove stains from our sofas, and it only requires one item.
A woman took to Reddit to seek advice about how to remove pen marks after her toddler left a “masterpiece” on the back of her “suede-y material” sofa.
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!”
One person suggested: “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.”
However, another cautioned that the Reddit user should ensure that she “blots” the stain instead of rubbing it, as this could risk exacerbating the issue or damaging the sofa’s fabric.
Again, it’s essential to note that you should always refer to the manufacturer’s care label before attempting any cleaning tips.
