How To Clean A Suede Couch Or Sofa?

Everyone dreams of cleanliness and comfort, but some furniture loses its appearance even with regular cleaning. One of these is a suede couch. It looks elegant and decorates the interior with its appearance. However, it demands proper care and must always be kept tidy. And such a result can be achieved with appropriate cleaning.

Most people believe that the proper care of a suede couch is to vacuum it constantly. Yes, it helps eliminate accumulated dust and dirt over time. But this is not an entirely right approach. The best approach to cleaning a suede couch is to clean it every 2-3 months. However, this is a general rule for suede couch cleaning, which is used for regular cleaning. But there are cases sometimes when you accidentally spilled something on the couch, or the guests’ children soiled it. In such cases, one vacuum cleaner will not do.

Things To Know Before Suede Couch Cleaning

Usually, with serious contamination of a suede couch, you must follow the complete cleaning instructions because suede is a fabric that needs to be treated neatly and given appropriate care. It can easily get dirty, torn, or scratched, so you can not bring a suede couch in bad condition.

However, the complexity of the contamination of a sofa also depends on its material. There are natural fabrics and vice versa. And the care of your sofa depends on them. Although you may have a suede sofa, you may not know whether it is natural or made of microfiber. To understand this in more detail, you need to look at the care tag on your sofa. For example, natural and microfiber suede have specific differences:

1. Natural suede. It is made from animal skin. It is thin skin dyed in different colors and has a pile coating;
2. Microfiber suede. It is made from nylon fibers that look like natural suede. Microfiber suede weaves have a plush feel and are more stain-resistant.

Make Sure To Read A Couch Washing Instruction Label

Sometimes people start suede couch cleaning without paying attention to their material, which can lead to even more dirt. It is because some materials are not suitable for cleaning with water, and getting water on them can cause large stains and a ruined appearance. Therefore, before cleaning the suede couch, you must decide on its material. And if you are unsure about its cleaning method, there should be a letter by which you can determine how to clean your suede couch:

1. The letter S: a suede leather couch with this letter is subject to dry cleaning only. Its fabric needs special care and must avoid water;
2. Letter W: this fabric is suitable for cleaning with water-based solvents;
3. The letter WS: you can clean this suede couch with solvents and water-based products;
4. The letter X: this letter means that you need to get rid of all cleaning products, even for removing stains from the suede couch. For such a sofa, you can only use a vacuum cleaner or hand it over to professionals for dry cleaning.

So, if you do not know which cleaning means to choose for your suede couch, orient yourself by these letters.

8 Steps To Clean Suede Couch

Sometimes you can put your dirty hands on the sofa, and it immediately becomes dirty. Is that a familiar situation? If so, then most likely, you have a suede sofa. It is easiest to leave traces of dirt on such a fabric. And because of this, most people believe that the main disadvantage of such sofas is that they are difficult to care for. However, the most important thing is to follow the steps to clean a suede couch properly. And then, for you, this fabric will not seem challenging to care for. So, here are the steps of suede couch cleaning:

1. Prepare Cleaning Supplies

The first thing you need to do before starting such cleaning is to prepare all the necessary tools. So you will need:

• cleaning brush;
• vacuum cleaner;
• microfiber cloth;
• water-based solvents;
• suede couch stain remover;
• rag.

All these tools are necessary, so we advise you to use them every time you clean. These products are suitable for cleaning suede and will not harm them.

2. Use A Vacuum Cleaner

Next, you will need:

• To vacuum the sofa. It is the most crucial stage in suede couch cleaning. Because it helps remove accumulated dust, crumbs, and other dirt from the surface;
• Vacuum more intensively in those places with more visible dirt and significant dust accumulation;
• Clean it with some force until you notice how the couch becomes cleaner.

In general, a vacuum cleaner can remove all visible surface contamination. Also one more advantage of a vacuum cleaner is that it can reduce the number of dust mites and remove animal fur from the sofa.

3. Wipe The Sofa’s Surface With A Suede Brush

Your cleaning is impossible without a microfiber cloth. As a rule, there are two types of such napkins. And they perfectly cope with dirty surfaces without leaving traces:

• Nonwovens are used for dry and wet cleaning. Unfortunately, you can not use them for a long time for a suede couch, but they are beneficial;
• Knitted napkins – are more suitable for cleaning your suede couch. It is because they are more durable and can be washed after each cleaning.

Therefore, we recommend using the second type of microfiber cloth for suede couch cleaning. It will cope with the top layer of dust on your sofa and make the suede look cleaner from the first time.

4. Wipe The Pillows

Pillows get even dirtier than a sofa during the day. It is because we constantly transfer them from one place to another and lie about them daily. That is why you need to clean the pillows together with the sofa. To properly wipe your pillows, you will need:

• First, determine whether you have a down or feather pillow because the care for them is a little different;
• Next, you need to wipe the pillows with napkins, so they are moist and clean from dust;
• It is also worth vacuuming and spraying them with a particular agent. It slightly moistens their fabric and refreshes their look.

However, you can use suede couch stain remover if your pillows have stains. It is suitable not only for sofas but also for pillows.

5. Use Baking Soda

You may need baking soda not only in the kitchen but also for removing stains from the suede couch. It perfectly manages any stains and can even be better than any means for suede. So, if you accidentally spoil your suede sofa with persistent stains, pour baking soda on the spot. To get rid of the stain faster:

• Take a suede brush and rub the soda with it. Do this carefully and slowly;
• After that, wait 15-20 minutes, and then you can wipe off the soda;
• Next, vacuum the area and wipe it with a microfiber cloth.

To eliminate unpleasant odors, you can leave baking soda on the sofa overnight and clean everything in the morning. So the effect will be even better.

6. Use A Suede Couch Stain Remover

Sometimes it is difficult to cope with home methods to clean suede couches. In such cases, you should use suede couch stain remover. They must be used as soon as possible for their best effect. Therefore, if you have accidentally seriously spoiled a suede sofa, for example, spilled wine or something like that:

• Apply a stain remover immediately. For instance, it can be the spray with alcohol or dishwashing soap;
• Before using such products, wet cloth to the contaminated area. It will help absorb excess moisture and prevent dirt from quickly getting into the fabric of the sofa;
• When you have done that, it’s time to apply the suede couch stain remover. Usually, there is written instruction for each tool, so follow the rules for this.

7. Use Vinegar For Stains

It is a powerful remedy that must be applied in the correct proportions, but If misused, you can only do worse. So to avoid this, take the following steps: 

• Pour a spoonful of baking soda and powder into the bottle. Add 50 ml of vinegar there;
• Add no more than half a bottle of water and start shaking it;
• Put the sprayer on the bottle and treat the sofa’s surface with the solution;
• Leave it for a few minutes and wipe it with a wet cloth.

It is considered one of the best ways to clean a suede couch because vinegar works quickly. Therefore, I advise you to use this option if you can not handle any other suede cleaner for the couch.

8. Apply A Spray To Protect The Suede

After using any suede cleaner for a couch, you had better to:

• Use a protective spray against dirt. It is available in any household store so that you can buy it in advance;
• When you spray this spray on a suede sofa, it creates an invisible protective layer. Of course, this will not help to prevent dust from getting on the couch, but it is ideal for avoiding severe contamination.

You can always keep such a tool and use it before the arrival of guests or if there are children at home. So any spillage of food, drinks, or wool will not be so severe and noticeable.

So, as you can see, a suede leather couch is not so hard to care for. You just need to determine what type of material you have and choose the appropriate suede couch stain removers for it. Then follow the instructions, and that’s it. Any dirt will disappear, and you will have a renewed feel of a suede sofa.

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