How to Clean Microfiber Upholstery

How To Clean a Microfiber Couch

Safe and Effective Advice for Cleaning Microfiber Upholstery

Advantages of Microfiber Upholstery

Microfiber has become a popular material for many household furniture pieces. The advantages this synthetic fiber offers makes it a popular choice for covering furniture, especially in homes with kids and pets.

Durable and Stain Resistant

There are multiple benefits to choosing microfiber over other materials; it’s stain resistant, durable, and cost effective. But whether it’s leather or microfiber, every couch gets dirty from normal use and is occasionally stained from spills.

Knowing how to clean a microfiber sofa or other piece of furniture properly can keep your upholstery looking new for years. However, cleaning it the wrong way can create an unwanted crisis in your home. Here are some tips to keep you happy with a clean couch.

How to Clean Microfiber to Save Money

Some stains happen in the blink of an eye. Others happen slowly over time from everyday use. Invisible dirt and debris from our clothes, bodies, and pets can sink deep into the fabric if it is not frequently cleaned.

Microfiber usually cleans up very well. It also responds well to professional upholstery cleaning.

You don’t need an expensive microfiber cleaner for regular maintenance. Often using just a vacuum cleaner is a good starting point.

Vacuuming a Microfiber Couch

Use your vacuum cleaner’s upholstery attachment to remove allergens and pet hair. Vacuuming weekly can keep your couch looking new and save you from needing more frequent professional cleaning.

After vacuuming, you can fluff up the upholstery with a sponge’s rough side.

Weekly vacuuming is important, and it is especially effective when coupled with deep cleanings. The big question is, how often should this be done? This depends on how much your sofa is used, the presence of pets and/or kids, and your sensitivity to allergens.

Cleaning a Microfiber Couch by the Codes

Read the tag

Do not go out and purchase an expensive, or even a bargain-priced, microfiber cleaner and start scrubbing your couch. You should start by reading the manufacturer’s fiber care tag. Here you can learn how to clean microfiber furniture safely and optimally.

Understanding Upholstery Cleaning Codes

The tag on your upholstery has a code system that needs to be carefully followed. The codes are W, S, S-W, and X. Here’s what they mean:

W = water-based cleaning solutions. Use distilled water to prevent damage from minerals found in tap water.
S = solvents containing no water. Use a mild, water-free dry-cleaning solvent. Be careful when using these and make sure you have adequate ventilation.
S-W = solvents without water or water-based solutions. Both options can be used, but do not use tap water.
X = no cleaning agent. Only vacuum.

How to Clean Microfiber Stains

The big day arrives! Your heart is racing. You’re ready to tackle cleaning your microfiber couch. Maybe it was a spilled cup of coffee. Or maybe you’re like most people and didn’t vacuum your couch weekly and deep clean seasonally.

Couch maintenance and prevention is easy to neglect, whether you’re distracted by your car, your kids, or even updates to your iPhone. But have no fear. You can rescue your microfiber sofa faster than an update to your iPhone. Here are the steps:

STEP 1. Vacuum your couch.
STEP 2. Read the manufacturer’s tag. DON’T SKIP THIS. DO THIS FIRST.
STEP 3. Gather your supplies. If you skipped step 2, you wouldn’t know what these are. This could include light-colored cloths and sponges, brushes, spray bottles, distilled water, mild dish-washing detergent(clear), bucket or bowl, solvent-based dry-cleaning solution, rubbing alcohol.
STEP 4. Test the cleaning solution. Spray a small amount in an inconspicuous area to make sure you are using the proper cleaning product.
STEP 5.
For W or S-W tags: Mix the detergent and distilled water in a bowl or bucket to create soap suds. Apply the soap suds with a brush evenly to the area you are cleaning and scrub. Rinse and dry the brush frequently. Wipe the area with a damp white microfiber cloth. After air-drying, fluff the clean area with a brush or rough side of a sponge.
For S tags: Place a solvent, such as rubbing alcohol, in a spray bottle. Spray and clean with a sponge or soft-bristled brush. Allow the upholstery to dry, and then vacuum or brush to fluff the fibers.

When Cleaning a Microfiber Couch Fails

If you are nervous about tackling microfiber couch stains on your own, or if you attempted to do the cleaning, and it just didn’t bring satisfactory results, don’t panic.

Professional upholstery cleaning has saved many couches from the dumpster.

Before you give up on your couch, or if you’re struggling to get the results you want, we’d be happy to help you if you’re in the Greater Denver Area.

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Or Call: 1-720-233-0761

Why Carpet Protectors Are a Great Idea

Why Carpet Protectors Are a Great Idea

Why Carpet Protectors are Important

We recommend each customer apply Scotchgard ™ or a similar carpet protector product after a professional carpet cleaning in Denver. It’s a smart idea to keep your carpets looking their best. There are a number of different carpet protector products available to protect your carpets and upholstery. The most well-known of these is Scotchgard ™.

A carpet protector or upholstery protector like Scotchgard can help avoid stains on carpet or upholstery like the wine spill in this image

Why use a Carpet Protector?

Most carpets these days come from the factory with some kind of protective coating. You probably have noticed that new carpets are more resistant to spills, stains and soiling than those with a few years on them.

Over time, factory applied carpet protection fades away. When this happens, this protective coating needs to be restored. In addition to the benefits of added soil and stain resistance, you will also experience faster and easier dry soil removal with your vacuum. The result is that your carpets will stay looking better, longer.

How Carpet Protector Works

Different carpet protector manufacturers claim different methods of action. Scotchgard ™ claims to “force liquids to the surface where they bead up for easy cleanup”. Effectively, it surrounds carpets and upholstery fibers with an invisible barrier to protect against oil and water based stains. This allows for more time to clean up the spill before it penetrates the fiber and causes a stain.

Meanwhile, products like Maxim Advanced claim to “coat the fibers with a stain barrier to protect them from difficult dye stains ‘from the inside out’.” Both products are considered environmentally friendly.

Which Carpet Protector Do We Recommend?

We apply either Scotchgard ™ and Maxim Advanced ™ products depending on a customer’s preference or brand loyalty. In general, we prefer the Maxim Advanced product, but we’re happy to apply Scotchgard ™ instead if you like.

We have had positive experiences with the Maxim Advanced solution. It also both Shaw Approved and also meets Wool Balance standards. Either product can be applied to nylon carpets or to wool carpets.

Applying carpet protectant to white carpet with a power sprayer

MSS Cleaning employee grooming the carpet to evenly apply carpet protector

How Do We Professionally Apply Carpet Protector?

The best time to apply carpet protector is after the carpet or upholstery has been professionally cleaned. We use a power sprayer to apply the solution to the surface carefully and evenly. Of course, we are careful to ensure we cover all areas. For carpet, we then use a carpet grooming rake to work the solution into the fibers to ensure even and deep coverage.

Can Carpet Protector Products Provide Upholstery Protection too?

They absolutely can! Upholstery protectors work great and will mitigate damage caused by spots or spills. They also allow for easier cleaning and maintenance. This means your upholstery will stay looking its best and not dirty or worn. After a professional upholstery cleaning, we apply different products, still from Scotchgard™ or Maxim™ than we use for carpet.

The reason for this is that upholstery need to stretch and flex, while carpet does not. Specific solutions, therefore, need to be used to make sure they are flexible and won’t come off prematurely.

Before and after sofa cleaning and upholstery protection

Final Thoughts on Carpet Protectors

Applying carpet or upholstery protectors after cleaning carpet in Denver or nearby areas is a great idea. It will keep your carpets and upholstery looking better, longer. It will also help avoid the panic immediately after a spill occurs. You’ll both have more time to clean it up and you’ll know that anything remaining from the spill can be more easily cleaned the next time we clean your carpets or upholstery.