How to Sanitize a Couch
3 mins read

How to Sanitize a Couch

Between your kids, their friends and pets, it’s a wonder that your couch is even still standing. Although you can do your best to keep it clean, everyday living leaves it exposed to dirt, pet accidents, spilled drinks and even those mysterious stains that you don’t even want to try and guess. When you know its time to do something, rest assured that you don’t have to spend a small fortune on professional cleaning services. All you need to sanitize your couch is some vinegar, mild soap and a determined attitude to make your dingy furniture look and feel brand new again.

Vacuum Up The Crumbs
It is important to remove all of the surface dirt before you deep clean your couch. Pull those cushions off, and clean up any toys, lost socks or coins that you can find. Then, vacuum thoroughly to remove all of the crumbs and smaller pieces of dirt that tends to accumulate beneath the cushions. You can also give the tops of your cushions a swipe with the vacuum as well if you notice pet hair or other debris on the upholstery.

Mix a Sudsy Solution
Making your cleaning solution is easy, and you can avoid using harsher chemicals since all you need is some gentle laundry detergent and water. You can substitute dish soap for the laundry detergent in a pinch. Grab a bucket and mix the solution using a ratio of one Tablespoon of soap for every two cups of water. Fill up a second bowl or bucket with clean water that you can use for rinsing.

Prepare Your Sponge
It is important to avoid having your sponge be too wet since the moisture will soak into your couch cushions and take forever to dry. Prevent this by dipping your sponge into the sudsy solution before squeezing it out. You will know that you did a good job wringing it out when mostly bubbles remain on your sponge.

Work In Sections
The cushions and armrests are typically the areas on your couch that are the dirtiest. Start on those areas by using your sponge to clean small sections at a time. This helps you to focus on making sure that each section is clean. Once you have rubbed the bubbles onto the couch, use a second sponge dipped in clean water to rinse it off. During the rinsing process, make sure to use the same squeezing technique as you used with the sudsy sponge to ensure that as little water as possible gets on the couch.

Air Dry The Couch
Do not put the cushions back on to the couch until it is thoroughly dried because this contributes to the growth of mold. Instead, keep your couch disassembled, and let it air dry. Opening your windows or running a fan nearby can help speed up this process.

Sanitize With Vinegar Spray
Vinegar is all-natural, anti-allergenic and has disinfectant properties that will sanitize your couch. Just fill up a spray bottle with a mixture of half vinegar and half water. Then, stand back a foot from your couch and spray it down. Let this dry completely, and your couch is ready to go.

Taking care of your couch will make it last longer, and there’s no reason to throw it to the curb when you can remove those ugly surface stains. While it does take a little bit of work, sanitizing your couch is one of those household tasks that fills you with a sense of self-accomplishment.