A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

Microfiber couches are a cheap alternative to suede or leather, and the soft texture makes a comfy, cozy place to snuggle up. The only downside? Soap and water will ruin most, making them tricky to clean. So what couch cleaner should you use? Thankfully, there’s a simple yet effective solution.

Before cleaning your microfiber couch, make sure to check for a care instruction tag on your sofa. If it says “W” that means that the fabric is water safe, “S” means that you should use dry cleaning solvent to clean, “SW” means that your couch is both water and solvent safe, and “X” means dry brush only. This solution works on couches that are marked “W,” “S,” and “SW.” But, before you start cleaning, make sure to test it on a part of the couch that is hidden or up against a wall.

Rubbing alcohol has tons of uses, and is the secret ingredient for cleaning stains on microfiber couches, according to HGTV. Using a spray bottle, spritz, spritz, spritz the rubbing alcohol until the stain is saturated. Then use a light-colored sponge to rub away the dirt. Voila! Filthy marks gone.

The rubbing alcohol won’t leave water stains, but it will change the couch color and make the seat feel a bit hard—but not for long. Just use a bristle brush to fluff the area in a circular motion once the rubbing alcohol has dried, and your couch will look as good as new.

Learning how to clean a couch made out of microfiber is slightly different than learning how to clean a couch made out of different upholstery material. Typically, people use a water-based cleaner when cleaning their sofa, but if you use a water-based cleaner on microfiber (unless its tag is marked with a “W”) it will leave behind a ring or water stain and can make the microfiber cushion look worse than when you started. Now that you know how to clean a couch made from microfiber, learn how to clean other tricky household items.

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