Restore your sofa to odorless luxury
A small fire in a home can cause a lot of damage. The superficial damage – the soot and ash that has been left behind – needs to be tackled carefully. You’ll need to employ the equipment, clothing, and experience that professionals use to clean smoke damage after a fire.
If you don’t do the cleanup properly, smoke smells can linger forever. Microfiber sofas absorb smoke smells like other soft furnishings and carpet.
Here’s how to clean microfiber sofas, so that you’ll never be reminded of the fire that nearly ruined your life.
Step 1: Take note of your furniture’s cleaning instructions.
Always read the cleaning instructions that came with your microfiber sofa. If you no longer have them, get in touch with the retailer or manufacturer. Often, you’ll find cleaning instructions on the manufacturer’s website.
The real important thing to take note of is whether the sofa can be cleaned with water-based or microfiber solvents. Some can be cleaned with both.
The following steps are for a water-based sofa. Simply replace the water-based solution with a microfiber solution if your sofa requires it.
Step 3: Mix a cleaning solution into a lather.
Mix a solution of warm water and dishwasher detergent (7 parts water to 1 part detergent). Mix the solution into a lather.
Step 4: Lather the sofa.
Dip a clean sponge into the lather solution, and work gently into the sofa. Use circular motions to encourage the lather deep into the microfiber. Work on an area about one square foot at a time.
Step 5: ‘Rinse’ the sofa.
Dampen a clean cloth with clean water. Use this to ‘rinse’ the area of sofa that you have cleaned.
Step 6: Remove excess moisture.
Now, use a clean, dry cloth to soak up excess moisture from the area you have cleaned.
Step 7: Repeat steps 4 to 6 until the whole sofa has been cleaned.
Step 8: Allow the sofa to air dry.
Use fans to help the process, and open windows and doors to help air circulate.
Step 9: Time for baking soda!
Sprinkle the dry microfiber sofa with baking soda. This will absorb the remnants of smoke smell.
Step 10: Leave overnight.
Now, leave the sofa overnight, and vacuum the following morning.
All you need to do now is to brush the microfiber sofa to return it to its original nook.
For more cleaning tips, or if you need a quote for furniture or home restoration in the NJ area after a fire, contact Porter’s Cleaning.