One morning, I woke up to find my lounge suite was green. It is normally blue. It was now a living organism, growing on remains of sticky hands and tomato sauce!

Getting your lounge suite cleaned professionally or using chemical products can be an expensive exercise.

We at SAHM have discovered how to clean a lounge suite at a fraction of the price and without using chemicals. The products you use to clean your lounge will depend on the type of lounge it is and how dirty it is (i.e., if there are stains, dirt marks or other nasties).

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How to Clean a Leather Couch

Leather couches are durable and last longer than the ones made from fibre. It’s also easy to clean and it will look brand new if you do the cleaning right.

1. Use a Gentle Soap

For a general day-to-day clean, use warm soapy water (with a gentle soap such as Dove). It works well as a general clean. Place a soft cloth into your bucket of soapy mix and wipe the couch over gently, then wipe over with a dry cloth to absorb any moisture.

via holisticallyinspired.com

2. Use a Leather Conditioner

This will protect the leather and keep it looking good. To make your own leather conditioner at home, mix one part white vinegar with two parts linseed oil or olive oil. Wipe the mixture over the lounge, leave for ten minutes, then buff off with a dry microfibre cloth.

3. Don’t Use Straight Vinegar or Baby Wipes Containing Alcohol

These will strip moisture from the leather, causing it to crack.

4. Use Mild Toothpaste or Hairspray for Stains

To remove any stains on a leather couch, apply a mild toothpaste or a hairspray directly to the stain (after patch testing first!). Wipe off immediately. Repeat if required.

Hairspray is particularly good for removing ink.

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How to Clean a Microfibre Lounge Suite

Microfibre couches are made to be stain-resistant but there’s still a tendency that they will get dirty. Don’t use bleach!

1. Use Steam or Soapy Water

Microfibre can be cleaned using steam (if you have an attachment for lounges on your steam cleaner) or with soapy water.

via indigodaily.com

2. Use Baby Wipes

Baby wipes are great for getting rid of most stains. Just dab at them gently until the stain starts to come away.

3. Use Bicarbonate of Soda

To freshen up a microfibre lounge suite all over, sprinkle with very dry bicarbonate of soda and leave it to absorb for a few minutes. If you want it to smell nice, mix through a few drops eucalyptus oil – but just enough not to make the mixture wet. Just a few tiny drops and mix well. Then vacuum away, then brush with a dry brush.

4. Use Damp Cloth on Scotchguard-ed Lounge

If your lounge has been Scotchguard-ed, most of the time the lounge can be wiped over with a damp cloth (check your Scotchguard instruction booklet).

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How to Clean a Suede Couch

Suede couches are a nightmare with kids. If you have dared to go there, here are the tips to keep it looking good.

1. Use a Dry Brush

For general day-to-day cleaning of a suede couch, use a dry brush. Special brushes for suede can be purchased at most vacuum shops.

via realfoodrn.com

2. Don’t Use Water to Clean Suede

This will shrink, stain and ruin the suede.

3. Use Steam Very Carefully

If you have a steam cleaner, you can use steam (very carefully) to clean suede, but ensure that the lounge does not get too wet.

4. Just Brush the Stain Out

To remove any stains on a suede couch, either allow the stain to dry, then use the brush to ‘brush’ the stain out (good for stains like drool, water or toothpaste).

For more hardcore stains, either use a very small amount of white vinegar on a dry cloth and sponge the stain carefully (trying not to get the couch too wet).

via pinterest.co.uk

5. Use Couch Covers or Sheets

If you have animals or young children with a suede couch, consider couch covers or sheets or selling on ‘Buy, Sell or Swap’ and investing in fabric, vinyl or leather!

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How to Clean a Fabric Couch

Fabric couches actually stand up very well to a bit of scrubbing and are by far the best choice if you have little children!

1. Use a Soft Cloth

For day-to-day cleaning of a fabric couch, use a soft cloth and a mixture of 1/2 warm water and 1/2 white vinegar. Sponge any marks or stains with this mixture.

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2. Use Washing Up Liquid

Another good way to clean fabric and remove stains is by mixing two cups of warm to hot water with 1/2 teaspoon of washing up liquid such as Morning Fresh. Use a soft cloth dipped in the soapy mixture to sponge out any stains.

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3. Spray with Fabric Softener

For any odours, spray your fabric couch regularly with homemade Febreeze.

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How to Clean a Vinyl or Faux Leather Couch

One downside of faux leather couches is that the surface tends to get cracked. Nonetheless, it’s durable, but not as durable as real leather.

1. Use Soapy Water

Warm soapy water can effectively clean vinyl.

2. Don’t Use Abrasive Household Cleaners or Solvents

This will make the vinyl brittle.

3. Spray with Vinegar and Water Mix

You can also mix one part vinegar to two parts water in a spray bottle to spray and wipe the lounge.

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Other Tips:

Just remember to patch test anything you use on an inconspicuous area to make sure it won’t damage the lounge. A good area to do this is on the back, in the bottom corner.

As a general rule, vacuum your lounge regularly. If toys or wrappers are stuck under the cushions, constant wear will damage the fabric or leather. Always check the care instruction label on your lounge. If it recommends a certain cleaner, then you must use that.

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We hope these tips would be of help to you!