Cleaning Velvet Couch
A velvet can quench your thirst for luxury. It is a soft and luxurious fabric that gives your furniture a plush feel and is a great choice for your cozy home. However, cleaning velvet couch without proper care can damage them quickly. That’s why you must learn how to clean velvet couch the right way to keep it in good shape longer.
A velvet couch in a living room makes a bold statement – its soft sheen and rich colour add elegance, style, and class. However, this cosy material, inevitably, also means any stain and dirt are easily seen. Fortunately, Cleaning velvet couch is simple, and within no time, you can restore its pristine look. Here are practical tips to keep you abreast on how to clean velvet couch without damaging your beautiful couch.
Types of Velvets
There are several types of Velvets, and it is important to identify the type of velvet in your couch before cleaning it. The common types are cotton and polyester, both easily cleaned at home.
Ideally, choose a velvet sofa set depending on your lifestyle. Both types are beautiful and will add class to your living room. But if you are concerned about velvet couch with pets, then the synthetic polyester is best for you. While having a comfortable feeling like cotton velvet, the polyester type is easier to clean and maintain.
Other velvets types, including silk, rayon, and acetate are very sensitive, and you may easily ruin it while cleaning. Thus when cleaning velvet couch at home, be very careful; otherwise, you may end up with a bad day.
How To Clean Velvet Couch
After identifying the type of your velvet, the next step is how to clean velvet couch. Probably you are now wondering – is velvet easy to clean? Yes, cleaning velvet furniture is straightforward, as outlined below.
General Cleaning And Maintenance
Many people fear velvet couches thinking that it’s fussy, high-maintenance and a preserve for the super clean elite. And what about a couch with pets? Your pets will probably leave prints and dirt on the velvet furniture.
Contrary to this belief, cleaning velvet fabrics is not harder than other materials or fabrics. However, cleaning velvet is trickier because you have to remove stain and dirt while taking care not to damage its fiber.
Best Way To Clean Velvet Couch
Besides, regular pillow fluffing and flipping, there are several simple ways to keep your velvet looking pristine. And to clean your velvet couch effectively, you need the following materials:
- Vacuum cleaner
- Soft-bristle brush
- Absorbent cloth
- An upholstery velvet cleaner or Soap and water.
Brush your Velvet Sofa with a Soft-bristle Brush
Brushing velvet couch is the quickest and simpler way to clean a sofa. First, remove any pillow or blanket on the sofa. Then grab a soft brush and gently brush your sofa from one end in long and even strokes.
Repeat each section 2-3 times to loosen dirt, crumbs, dust, or grime on your sofa. Brushing the sofa set is done before vacuuming. And always brush but do not scrub velvet couch to avoid damaging the fabric.
Clean Velvet Couch with Vacuum Cleaner
In just under 10 minutes, Vacuum cleaner effectively cleans dust and particles in velvet sofas. When vacuuming ensure that you have a soft brush attached to the vacuum cleaner otherwise, you might end up with nicks and scratches on the velvet.
The soft brush also loosens dirt and sweeps it away. With the vacuum cleaner turned to its lowest setting, vacuum across each pillow either horizontally or vertically. For better results, always vacuum in the same direction with each motion. Next, vacuum the top and side of the sofa, and under cushions.
Vacuuming once a month effectively reduces dust build-up in your sofas, but spills and stains need more cleaning as you will soon learn.
Cleaning Velvet Couches with Upholstery Cleaner
Whether made of polyester or cotton, using Upholstery cleaner is one of the best way to clean velvet couch. However, before you clean the velvet couch, it is essential to test the cleaner in hidden places. This will enable you to know whether the cleaner can damage or discolour the fabric.
Here is how to wash velvet couch. Using a soft sponge, apply the cleaner and then gently clean your sofa. Before you clean, always wring the sponge to remove excess water and avoid soaking your sofa. Clean with gentle taps and soft strokes and ensure that you do not disturb the velvet’s pile. After cleaning, vacuum and brush several times until the velvet looks neat.
Steaming Velvet Couch
One of the annoying problems with velvet is the creases or white stains that appear when used for a long time. Velvets have higher taller strands of fabrics which compress when sat on for long hours. Fortunately, this problem is fixed easily with a steamer.
A steam iron does the job. Get a steam iron and set it to the lowest heat setting. While hot, move the steamer gently across the velvet in the reverse direction of the pile. Always ensure that you hold the steamer briefly in a single spot to avoid burns. For better results, brush the fibres up with a stiff brush while steaming.
Spot Cleaning Velvet Couches
In the living room, accidental spills from soup, coffee, tea etc. happen, creating messy spots. And if you have young children in your house, spills are inevitable. The best way is to clean these spots immediately before they set and become sticky on your couch.
To clean wet spills off velvet couches, use a soft lint-free absorbent cloth to absorb the excess spill. Please avoid the lint cloth as it can get stuck in the velvet fibers. Next, prepare a cleaning solution by mixing dishwashing soap with water and shake vigorously.
Then dab a cloth on the cleaning solution and use it to blot out the stain. Repeat the cleaning process until you have removed as much stain as possible. This method is also quite effective in cleaning dried stains.
Take Note: do not rub the cloth on the velvet fabric.
Use a soft-bristle brush to Restore your Velvet fabric
After cleaning velvet couch, leave it to dry and restore its fabric for a flush and pristine finish. Grab a soft-bristle brush and then brush the dried area with quick flicks motions until the velvet restores its original condition.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Cleaning Velvet Couch
Below are the FAQs to help answer all your velvet cleaning worries.
Is a velvet couch easy to clean?
Easily clean your velvet couch at home using different methods. Either use a vacuum cleaner, a steam cleaner, or a mild cleaning solution. Velvet cleaning varies depending on the fabric used. Some have strict specifications on how to clean. Check your labels to see how to clean your specific type of velvet.
Can you clean velvet with water?
Most velvet are sensitive to water hence not advisable to wet them. They have specific instructions to only dry clean. If your fabric is antique, it will stain when cleaned with water. However, some synthetic velvet can be machine washed, or hand washed using mild detergents. Check labels before cleaning.
Can I get dog scratches out of velvet couch?
Use a razor to shave-off the loose threads from your velvet. Use a stiff bristle brush to brush off the area. Brush in all directions to straighten the fabric grains. Spray some alcohol and use a cloth to wipe it off. Repeat this process until you get an even tone.
How can I clean my couch without a vacuum?
Use a steam cleaner. Gently move your steamer through the entire couch. Avoid steaming one spot longer or you could damage the fabric. Also, use a brush and a cleaning solution such as vinegar, shampoo, or water and liquid soap. Dump the cloth with the solution and wipe the couch.
How can I deodorize a velvet?
Make a solution of vinegar and water. Use a spray bottle to spray the velvet and let it soak for 20 minutes. Next, use a microfiber cloth, dampen it in the solution and rub the velvet. Leave it to dry for 2-3 hours. Using a steamer can also help freshen velvet.
How do you get the musty smell out of velvet?
To remove odor, use baking soda. Sprinkle the baking soda all over the velvet. It absorbs the odors and also acts as a cleaning agent to loosen any stains on the velvet. Leave it for about 30 minutes. Then, use a vacuum or a dump cloth to wipe off the powder.
Does water stain velvet?
Velvet can get damaged by water. However, not all velvet is sensitive to water stains. It depends on which fabric was used to make it. In case your velvet gets wet, avoid applying pressure on it. Let it dry, then follow the guidelines for cleaning your specific type of velvet.
Is Febreze Safe to use on velvet?
Febreze is a fabric freshener used to eliminate odor from household upholstery. However, it’s not safe to use on fabrics that get water stains. Hence, you can use it on velvet fabrics that can be hand washed such as polyester velvet. Always check on the fabric specification and mode of cleaning.
Is polyester velvet easy to clean?
Polyester velvet is a synthetic fabric, high quality, and often resistant to fading and forming marks. These qualities make it very easy to clean as some dirt like mud or lint can be brushed off easily. In addition, this kind of velvet has up to 200,000 double rubs, making damage resistant from frequent cleaning.
How do you clean velvet furniture?
Post groom the furniture by brushing it. Either make a cleaning solution or use an upholstery cleaner. First, damp microfiber cloth, then rub the furniture in all directions, scrubbing places with stains or marks. Also, vacuum the furniture in the same direction to remove lint and dust, and also remove creases.
How to clean stain off velvet sofa?
Use a mixture of water and liquid soap. Shake until it forms bubbles. Spray the stained spot sparingly and rub it with a clean cloth. Dry with a hair drier. Repeat these until the stain is removed completely. Do this in the area surrounding the stain to keep the texture and color even.
BottomLine
While there is no silver bullet for cleaning velvet couch, the steps above offer the best way to clean it without ruining your sofa. Velvet is soft to the touch and refreshing to the eye. Cleaning velvet couch can be very easy if done regularly. However, it requires patience by working small areas at a time.
By choosing the right method to clean your velvet, you will maintain your furniture in good condition and retain its color for a long time. Make your cleaning work a breeze when you learn how to clean velvet couch the right way.
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