How to clean a fabric sofa at home

Welcome to our step-by-step guide to cleaning your fabric sofa: no baking soda, vinegar or liquid cleaning detergents required.

In this post, we look at

• The pros and cons of fabric upholstery

• Choosing upholstery fabric that's right for your needs

• Spills and thrills: how to clean your fabric sofa

• How to clean your FibreGuard upholstery

• What fabric upholstery types are easiest to clean

The pros and cons of fabric upholstery

Choosing a fabric sofa over a leather one has many benefits (we’re not biased, we swear). A fabric sofa is not cold to sit on in the winter and you don’t stick to it in the summer, for example. Another reason is the wide variety of designs and patterns you can get for fabric sofas over leather ones.

But what about when it comes to cleaning?

Leather seems like it’s just wipe and go. Surely cleaning up a spill on your new, clean fabric couch is a task and a half?

Not necessarily. What if we told you that there’s fabric available that is fundamentally stain-resistant? What if we said that not only is this fabric easy to clean, it’s soft and touch-friendly?

That’s the magic of FibreGuard upholstery fabric.

Choosing upholstery fabric that's right for your needs

Fact time! ‘Upholstery’ is everything that makes up the soft coverings of chairs, sofas, and other furniture. It includes not only the fabric you can see, but also the padding, webbing, and springs that are all inside the sofa or chair.

One mistake that companies and individual consumers alike make is not thinking about what they need, and not thinking about how their fabric sofa is going to wear over time. It’s just so important to choose upholstery fabric that fits you and your needs and tastes. You might be in love with that silk armchair but you need to think about whether it is really going to stand up to constant use by a messy family.

Plus, all fabrics will feel different when touched. A fabric that feels smooth or silky is likely made with a synthetic fiber such as polyester or nylon. Natural fibers like cotton, linen and wool have more texture and sheen to them and may feel warmer in winter months.

A good place to start is by looking at:

• The style and size of the room
• The purpose of the room
• The climate in which you live
• How much you want to spend on upholstery fabric
• Your personal preferences
• Your family's needs

The upholstery fabric on your sofa is an important part of the total look and feel of your room. It can also be one of the most expensive parts of your sofa purchase. To get the most out of your investment, it's important to choose the right upholstery fabric for the job. Here are some tips on how to choose the best upholstery fabric for you.

What fabric upholstery types are easiest to clean

Upholstery fabrics come in many different types, each with its own set of pros and cons. Fabric comes in many different types and qualities, including synthetic, natural and blended fibers.

Natural fibers are durable but require regular cleaning because they attract dirt more than synthetic fibers do. Shedding is also an issue with some natural fibers like wool — especially when new — so be sure to test a swatch before buying large quantities of fabric for your next project!

Blends of natural and synthetic fibers are often used for indoor as well as outdoor furniture because they offer the best of both worlds: durability and easy maintenance in one package.

Learn more about different kinds of fibres and the fabrics that are made from them here.

Spills and thrills: how to clean your fabric sofa

If you have a fabric sofa, you need to know how to clean it. The best upholstery fabric for furniture is one that can withstand spills and stains, as well as all the daily wear and tear of family life.

The good news is that most sofa fabrics can be easy to clean — just wipe them down with a damp cloth or use a vacuum with an upholstery attachment. If you have kids or pets, though, you may need to give your fabric sofa a more thorough cleaning from time to time.

Cleaning tips for emergency spills (whether or not you're using FibreGuard upholstery):

Remove any food or liquids from the sofa as soon as possible after an accident occurs.

Pour liquids into a bowl or container and blot them with paper towels until they're absorbed by the towel.

Then let the liquid soak into the towel so it doesn't leave behind any residue on your upholstery.

If food gets onto your couch, try removing it with a stiff-bristled brush before using water to rinse off any remaining residue.

How to clean your FibreGuard upholstery

FibreGuard fabrics are low maintenance and easy to clean. From ballpoint pen to coffee, mud, red wine, and ketchup, common household stains are easily removed allowing you to keep your furniture fabrics looking fresh year after year. Stains can be removed from FibreGuard fabrics using mostly water, stubborn stains may require a small amount of household soap.

While it’s best if you get to cleaning a stain quickly after it happens, it’s actually ok with our fabrics if you don’t clean it up immediately. People are always surprised by the amount of water you need to clean FibreGuard fabrics, thinking that it might ruin the fabric.

Don’t worry. Our fabrics can handle it: they’re designed to. Through constant testing, we’ve ensured that the soft touch, rich colour, and the dimensional stability of the fabric itself are all maintained throughout the washing process and life of the product.

• Step one: first tackle any stain residue that might be left. For stains like ballpoint pen, this isn’t necessary – check out our YouTube video for the guide on that. Cleaning up residue is really important though for oily stains like mustard or mayonnaise, mud or lipstick. Grab a teaspoon and scrape off what you can.
• Step two: apply water to the stain and blot it with a paper towel. You don’t have to scrub at the stain; in fact, this will just force the structure of the paper towel into your fabric. Keep applying water and blotting until the stain doesn’t appear on the paper anymore.
• Step three: Grab a microfiber cloth, apply more water, and rub the stain gently in a circular motion. If you’re faced with a particularly stubborn stain, this is where you might need to enlist the help of a standard bar of hard white soap. Use the soap intermittently between the circular motion rubbing and the water application until the stain is completely gone.
• Step four: let your fabric air dry. Seriously, don’t apply any heat (no hairdryers needed!).

Beautifully soft upholstery, cleanable on every stain

If you’re tempted to try out a number of different stains on your FibreGuard upholstery fabric, please be our guest! Check out our YouTube channel for videos on cleaning specific stains.