Save your couch: How to clean a microfiber couch
Let me show you how to clean a microfiber couch and restore it for under $10!
I have saved my couch from certain death! Ok, maybe that is a bit dramatic but I figured out how to clean my microfiber couch.
And that along with a bit of restuffing has basically transformed it into a whole new sofa!
Our family room sofa hasn’t been doing so well lately. Five years ago we bought a tan microfiber sofa/loveseat duo.
Somewhat bland and boring but nice and neutral and perfectly harmless. Well, unfortunately, the years haven’t been so kind to our sofa.
Okay, so really just this past year. You see little Griffin was a major spitter. And once he moved past the spit-up days, he turned into a King drooler.
And somehow much of our family activity tends to revolve around our bland little sofa because it also happens to be oh so comfy.
Which means it was looking like this. Warning: these pictures contain graphic content not suitable for all viewers. ;)
Oh yes, I did just put that nasty, disgusting picture of my sofa on the Internet for the world to see.
I know I am not the only mom out there despairing over her spotted, stained couch. And I am here to say there is hope!
As you can see, the stains and nastiness were certainly not the only problems.
The best way I know to describe the situation was the couch had gotten quite shlumpy.
The cushions were looking saggy and squished and generally not good at all.
Now I would LOVE to go out and buy a new, gorgeous couch. A sweet chesterfield sofa.
Or a nice durable leather. Something with some sweet tufting and gorgeous legs. But that is so far outside the budget right now, that it really didn’t even cross my radar.
We have a couch. And other than the shlumpy cushions, it is actually quite comfy. So by golly, I was going to have to figure out a way to make it work.
And I am so thrilled to report I did! No, it did not transform into the sofa of my dreams, but I am happy to report that visitors no longer need to be scared to sit on it. And all it took was a few basic supplies.
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SUPPLIES NEEDED TO CLEAN A MICROFIBER COUCH
- rubbing alcohol
HOW TO CLEAN A MICROFIBER COUCH
First, I had to take care of all those nasty spots. Whoever said that microfiber doesn’t stain was clearly on some sort of mind-altering medication.
Luckily, I knew what to do to take care of that from a post on my friend Julia’s blog, 551 East.
I followed her instructions on how to clean a microfiber couch to a T and it worked perfectly. (Although, disclaimer, I did have to repeat the process three times to get it really looking clean.)
It’s a pretty simple process. Just fill the spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and completely saturate the entire thing with it.
I found it easier to do one cushion/section at a time. They use the sponge to scrub, scrub, and scrub.
You may need to put a little extra effort into any badly stained areas.
Let the whole thing dry and then use the scrub brush to brush the entire surface of the couch in a circular motion.
This helps soften the microfiber back up and fluff things up. After this step, your couch should look a thousand times better.
If there are still areas that are looking bad, just start over with the spraying again.
Once that was done, I was determined to do something about the saggy cushions.
The back cushions on the sofa are attached and simple fluffing was not making any difference.
I decided the best solution was going to be restuffing the cushions.
My plan was to cut a small hole in the attached cushions in a discrete spot underneath and stuff new stuffing in the hole before sewing it closed.
Luckily for me, before I cut anything, I discovered there was a zipper along the underside of the cushions near where they attach to the back of the sofa. Yay!
I bought a simple bag of Polyfill from Walmart, unzipped each cushion, and stuffed lots of stuffing up in there, making sure to stuff it all the way up into the corners.
I tried to keep all of the polyfills behind the original stuffing to prevent lumps and bumps.
Drumroll, please….
This couch has been saved! Sad, stained, and shlumpy no more! I am beyond thrilled with how this turned out.
Ten dollars of supplies and a little elbow grease and I practically have a new couch! Happy dance!
Does anyone else struggle with a less-than-perfect couch? Please tell me I am not the only one with that kind of nastiness going on!
And are you totally amazed by this transformation like I am?
And if after all that you’re still on the hunt for a new sofa, I managed to find some gorgeous sofas for as little as $400.
Save Your Couch: How To Clean A Microfiber Couch
Extend the life of your microfiber couch with these simple steps.
Materials
- Spray Bottle
- Rubbing Alcohol
- White or Tan Sponge
- Poly-fil
Tools
- Scrub Brush
Instructions
- Fill the spray bottle with rubbing alcohol.
- Completely saturate the entire couch with it.
- Use the sponge to scrub, especially badly stained areas.
- Let the couch dry. Brush the entire surface of the couch, in a circular motion, with the scrub brush.
- Unzip each cushion and fill with poly-fil. Make sure you stuff into the corners as well.
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Wow, what a difference! I always love to see it when people try to fix what they have rather than give up on it and buy something new. Looks great!
Thanks Ashley! I am totally a ‘make what you have work’ kind of girl. I hate to waste your current stuff just so you can buy new stuff!
That couch story made me want to refill my couch it’s five years old no kids I just wanted it back sturdy I have the pillows with zippers I didn’t know about buying Polyserster to restuff ok then I will try this thank you for the info
Adding more stuffing to our couch made a huge difference for us. Hopefully it will for you too!
I think I will do same
I clean my sofa this way all the time…kind of have to with a Queen drooler and dog that likes to lick and lick and lick…ugh lol. I know how much time it takes to do a little section, I can’t imagine how long it took you to do the whole freakin thing! It looks amazing :) I never thought to refill the cushions!
It did take a bit of time – but well worth it. I clearly need to be doing it more often!
Will the rubbing alcohol bleach color? Mine is red.
It shouldn’t bleach the color but I would definitely try a small amount on an inconspicuous spot first.
Wow! That’s awesome! I have the same problem with our love seat! I think I’ll try this.
You definitely should! You will love the results. Good luck. :)
Wow! What a transformation! I love that you were able to “rescue” it instead of having to go out and buy a new one. It looks great now! I popped over from Home Stories A to Z– thanks for sharing!
~Abby =)
Thanks! I am definitely glad I don’t have to go out and buy a new one.
I grew up hearing the story about my dear, paternal grandmother saying to her newlywed daughter-in-law, my mother, “Patty Sue, I believe you would put the couch in the washer if it would fit!” And, all because my mother, being “the baby” of an eight child family, did not know that dirty sneakers don’t belong in the washer. Imagine my grandmother’s surprise and delight when the shoes came out almost like new, which was actually a lucky surprise. That was in 1950, the year before I was born. Fortunately, I inherited my mother’s genes. which brings me to this question. Do you think you could have taken the cushion covers off, secured them in an old pillowcase, and put them in the washer, mostly soaking in cold, soapy water, and then washing on a short delicate cycle? (Airdrying to avoid any shrinkage.)
Great story! I do think I could have taken the bottom cushion covers off and washed them in the washing machine. But I unfortunately have a couch with attached back cushions – which drive me crazy, definitely won’t choose that next time. And, honestly, my whole couch really needed some cleaning – arms and all. But I might just try the washing machine for the cushion covers next time – they seem to need to be cleaned the most often. Thanks for the idea. (Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the hardest to think of :)
Good job. I know exactly how u feel. Yes, whoever said microfiber doesn’t stain must not have used it. I wish I would have seen your post before I threw my set out.
Angela, you are so right! Everyone said microfiber was wonderful for kids and pets because it is so easy to keep clean – so not true.
I hadn’t heard that about microfiber – I find just the thought of a beige microfiber couch terrifying! Yours looks so much better though. Nice work!
Great idea for the back cushions, would you recommend the same for the bottom cushions? I think mine are “memory foam” so they definitely remember someone’s imprint! I spent kind of a lot just a couple years ago and want to keep it as long as possible. Do you also have a suggestion to rehab the springs invert the bottom cushions?
Eileen, I haven’t done anything to my bottom cushions because they were still good, but I think the cotton fill would not be firm enough. I would probably get thick foam and cut it to size. I have heard that it is much cheaper on Amazon than at sewing supply stores. And no suggestions for the springs, sorry!
Thank you so much for posting! I tried it today after many tries of cleaning the sofa other ways. I am happy to report it worked fabulously! I only wish I had taken a picture before to show before an after. Thanks again and now I don;t have to go out and purchase another sofa:)
I am so glad it worked so well for you Sandy! It really makes a huge difference!
I haven’t tried this yet but I’m excited that my microfiber couch has a chance to live again!
Thank you!
When I saw the pics of your couches before you cleaned them I thought I was in my living room! I have the same couch and loveseat combo and was snookered by the whole “microfiber doesn’t stain & is easy to clean” spiel. My Moose dog licks continuously – himself, others and licks the furniture and beds (why????) and every bit of moisture,including sterile water, stains the micro-fiber crap. Heck, even when I try to clean it, it leaves visible spots! Actually, previous cleaning attempts have left it looking even worse because of the spotting issues. I’ve been wanting to buy new furniture for years but it’s just not in the budget yet. Hopefully soon. Until then, I can afford a couple of bottles of alcohol and elbow grease! Thank you so much for this post. It’s going to be a house-saver. Maybe people can come over, not think we are pigs and be afraid to take a seat!
I can relate so much to all of this Christie! Except I have drooly kids instead of a dog! I’m so glad my cleaning tips can help – it was a total lifesaver for us. And yes, I have totally been there with staring at my gross looking couch before people come over, hoping they aren’t grossed out!
Our Chesterfield is red fabric with all it’s faults, just as you describe. Do you happen to know how I could clean it? Enjoyed all your suggestions, thanks!!
I think it really depends on what type of fabric it is. I don’t know if your couch has removable seat cushions (some Chesterfields do and some don’t.) If it does, I would try a few cleaners on the underside of a cushion and see if they help. Besides the spray bottle of alcohol I mentioned in the post, I have also used Dawn dish soap mixed with water and Resolve spot remover. Just be sure to test them first because I had one stubborn couch that would get white spots no matter how mild a cleaner I used. If you don’t have removable cushions, you could do a small test near the bottom of the back or sides. Good luck!
You should be able to quickly remove the ink from a dry erase marker or pen with the additional strength of hydrogen peroxide. Ink may be safely removed from microfiber with this technique.
Thanks for the tip!