Nothing can be more satisfying than when you don’t have to go out to get specific cleaning supplies for different purposes. If you want to clean the upholstery but don’t want another cleaning product on the shelf, this is the right place for you. Today, I’ll tell you how to clean upholstery with baking soda.
Use a decent amount of baking soda to sprinkle on top of the upholstery. Use a soft brush to allow the upholstery to soak the soda. Leave it like that and use a vacuum cleaner to remove the baking soda.
Let’s see the procedure in detail.
How To Clean Upholstery With Baking Soda?
There are different ways to clean furniture upholstery with baking soda. Whether you’re cleaning a fabric sofa or a leather one, there is always a procedure to get the perfect outcome you want.
Fabric Sofa
Cleaning a fabric sofa is as easy as it gets. You will need a few basic tools and ingredients. Let’s take a look at them.
- Soft bristle brush
- Baking soda
- Vacuum cleaner
- Vacuum attachment
If your sofa is not heavily dirty, you can easily use baking soda to clean the sofa. This method will not only help with dirt but also remove unpleasant smells from it. I’ve included the method step-by-step below.
- Place an adequate amount of baking soda on top of the upholstery. Make sure to remove any removable part of the sofa to ensure thorough cleaning.
- Now, Use a soft bristle brush. Brush the entire area and let the sofa absorb the baking soda. Using a brush with harsh bristles will damage your upholstery. So, be very careful about that.
- The next step is the easiest one. You have to wait for a certain period to let the baking soda work its wonder on the sofa. Some people let it sit for 20 minutes and some let it sit for one hour to be safe. I recommend the one-hour method.
- Now, it’s time to let your vacuum cleaner do its job. If you have a handheld vacuum cleaner, you can get to work. If you don’t, you can use the upholstery attachment for precise cleaning.
- It’s essential that you reach every difficult place and corner to remove all the baking soda.
- Now, place everything back where they were and you’re done cleaning for the day.
This is an easy but time-consuming procedure to clean your fabric sofa. After you’re done, you will notice that any dirt or a bad odor that was on your sofa is gone.
- Fun Fact: Did you know that you can also use baking soda for cleaning carpets? You can get rid of bad odors only by baking soda as your carpet cleaner.
Microfiber Couch
Depending on the type of furniture you have, the cleaning procedures will slightly vary. There is a reason behind this. Not all materials react the same way to cleaning agents. Leaving baking soda on a particular material longer than recommended may damage it permanently.
The same goes for other equipment too. For instance, you can’t use all types of brushes for cleaning a sofa or a couch. The table below states the things you will need to clean a microfiber couch.
- Vacuum cleaner
- Baking soda
- Soft brush
- Container
- Water
This method also works great when you want to remove any stain from the couch. The procedure is easy too. However, you will have to make a mixture before getting started.
- Take a convenient container. Whatever works for you the best. Make sure that the brush you’re using is easy to dip into the container.
- Now, mix baking soda and water to create a mix. The proportion of both these ingredients should be equal. This mixture will do its magic and clean the upholstery.
- Dip the brush into the mixture and apply the mixture to the couch. The best way to do this is to use circular motions. Pay extra attention to the stains.
- Allow the mixture to dry. Once it’s entirely dry, use your vacuum cleaner to suck the residue off of the upholstery.
Leather Sofa
If you’re concerned about cleaning leather upholstery, baking soda got you covered on that too. Like I said before, the procedure differs a bit compared to the others, but it surely works great. Let’s check out what you will need first.
- Warm water
- Baking soda
- Dish soap
- Spray bottle
- Microfiber cloth
If you don’t own a vacuum cleaner, you won’t have to worry. This method does not require one. All the tools and ingredients required for cleaning leather upholstery can be found right inside your house.
So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at the procedure below.
- The first thing to do is to check the labels of your leather sofa. If the manufacturer suggests that you should not use a cleaning solvent to clean the upholstery, avoid using baking soda.
- Take a spray bottle and fill it with two cups of warm water. Add one-fourth cup of baking soda to the water. Then, add a little bit of dish soap to the mixture and shake the bottle well.
- Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients and made the solvent, it’s time to apply it to your sofa. Spray the entire upholstery.
- Use a microfiber cloth and start wiping the sofa from the top. Make sure to reach every side and corner to clean it thoroughly. Use another towel to wipe the surface if you have any residue left.
- To remove stubborn stains, you can use rubbing alcohol. Most of the time, the baking soda mixture is enough. Besides, you can re-spray as per necessity.
- Even if the label says that it’s okay to use solvents, it’s always a good idea to spot-check. Apply the mixture to a small spot and see if it damages the leather. If it doesn’t use the mixture to clean the entire sofa.
How To Remove Stains From Upholstery With Baking Soda?
Sometimes removing stains from upholstery can be irritating. The most common stain that people struggle to remove from their couch or sofa is a bloodstain. There is a solvent you can make at home to remove any type of stains.
Before getting to the procedure, let’s see what you will be needing for this method.
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Warm water
- Dish soap
- Essential oils
- Soft cloth
- Spray bottle
This process may require multiple ingredients but all of them are very conveniently available. So, cleaning any stains from your upholstery should be a breeze for you. Let’s check the process.
- Sprinkle enough amount of baking soda on top of the stain. Take the spray bottle and add a cup of warm water to the bottle.
- Add one cup of white vinegar, a few drops of essential oil, and a bit of dish soap to the water. Make sure to mix all the ingredients well.
- Spray the mixture on top of the baking soda. Allow it to sit for several minutes before going to the next step.
- Take a soft cloth to avoid damaging the upholstery. Dab the cloth on the stain and then use cold water to rinse. Take the damp cloth again and use it to remove any residue.
- Avoid scrubbing or wiping. This can cause the stain to spread. Always dab to remove the stain from the upholstery.
Why Baking Soda Is The Best Option To Clean Upholstery?
There are a lot of options you can pick to clean your upholstery. I would still recommend using baking soda. Why? Let’s take a look at the points below.
- Baking soda is found in every home. You don’t need to buy anything extra and spend money on any fancy cleaners. Besides, even if you don’t have baking soda at home, it’s an extremely affordable ingredient.
- Baking soda is multi-purpose. You can use it for a lot of other things.
- You can also clean carpets using this ingredient.
- This non-toxic ingredient is easy to use and can clean almost all types of dirt.
- It works great on stains too.
- Baking soda helps remove bad odors from the upholstery.
- Using baking soda is pretty easy too.
- Relevant ingredients that you need to use are easily available too.
- It’s compatible with almost everything and does not damage the surface you’re cleaning.
Safety Measures
There is only one thing you need to think about before using baking soda on upholstery. And that’s whether baking soda will damage the material or not. Some materials are more sensitive than others and can require extra care.
Check your couch’s label or tag. There should be a sign indicating how to clean it. If you don’t know about the signs, take a look below.
- W: you can use water or water-based cleaning products.
- S: Only compatible with water-free solvent-based cleaners.
- SW or WS: You can either go for water or solvent cleaners.
- X: Only compatible with vacuuming or light brushing.
Final Words
I hope I have answered all your questions regarding how to clean upholstery with baking soda. If you’re certain that the furniture you’re cleaning is compatible with baking soda, there is no reason to rethink.
Go ahead and clean it. Whether you’re struggling with day-to-day dirt or a stubborn stain, baking soda can be the best option for you.
Hello, I am Robert Grapentin. I’m a furniture buff, with many years of experience in the nitty-gritty of furniture as well as the cost. I would like to share with you the basics involved in getting cost-effective, long-lasting furniture in an easy and stress-free way. The very purpose of this will be to shape you into a furniture expert like myself or something close to it.