I love my microfiber couch; it’s soft, cozy and easy to clean… Yes, I said easy to clean! The downside to microfiber is that it stains easily; even the smallest of water spills leave evidence. Don’t worry there is a simple solution to this tiny problem. I have found a DIY mix that uses just three basic ingredients to be a life saver. Every time I use this homemade solution my couch looks brand new.
What you will need:
White Vinegar
Dish Soap (like Palmolive)
Warm Water
Instructions:
- Combine 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 cup warm water and 2 to 3 drops of natural liquid soap, such as Palmolive, in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle vigorously to combine the ingredients.
- Spray the stained area with the solution. Scrub the area in a circular motion with a soft dish brush, working the cleanser into the fabric.
- Lightly spray entire cushion and using a sponge clean the entire cushion wiping the cushions in the same direction so that it dries evenly.
BEFORE & AFTER
Questions/Tips:
Does the vinegar smell make the couch smell like vinegar?
The room and couch will smell wonderful like the soap and vinegar for about an hour but will quickly disappear as the couch dries, leaving no scent behind.
How often can I do this to my couch?
I clean my couch monthly and haven’t had any damage to the fabric.
It didn’t get all the stains out. Why?
You have to scrub the stain out and then wash the cushion evenly. If you weren’t able to get all the stain out the first time, wait a day or two and try it again.
How long does it take the solution to dry?
I usually let mine dry over night.
How will this affect the warranty on my couch?
Please be sure to call the company to find out because every warranty is different. Our warranty ran up a long time five years ago, but as you can see the couch still looks good as gold.
***Thank you Palmolive for sending me samples to use and giveaway so that The Playful Parent could share messipies and cleaning tips. The Playful Parent is not paid to endorse companies. I write articles based on my own experience and opinion to help families. ***
May 8, 2017 at 12:53 pm
I use vinegar when I clean pretty often. It really works well and I am definitely trying this for my loveseat.
May 8, 2017 at 2:20 pm
I have a microfibre couch so I’m definitely going to have to try this. I know vinegar is a great natural cleansing agent.
May 8, 2017 at 3:51 pm
That is great to know. Thanks for the tip!
May 8, 2017 at 3:55 pm
I need to do this! Our couch looks gross at times thanks to cats and kids.
May 8, 2017 at 5:48 pm
Great tips, that I am going to use to get the crushed biscuit that the kiddies left on the sofa out.
May 8, 2017 at 6:35 pm
Do you think that this would work on things like mattresses and duvets too? I don’t have a couch but I will be sure to try out the method on things that I see stains on x
May 9, 2017 at 3:17 pm
This solution is like a magical cleaner, it works great on carpet stains and cleaning the bathroom. To make a toilet paste just add baking soda. You also add essential oils for a daily cleaner that smells great too!
May 8, 2017 at 7:19 pm
Omg thank you for this! Ive had juice stains on my microfiber couch for MONTHS and didn’t even know where to start with removing it.
May 9, 2017 at 12:16 am
I have no idea what microfiber couches are but i get the hassle of having a couch with no washable cover and then having no way to clean it out. Professional cleaning cost a ton and the chemical cleaners from stores will leave you woozy from the smell. This DIY cleaner sounds awesome for these kind of instances. Will it help to dry the couch outside the house?
May 9, 2017 at 12:56 am
Awesome! Wonderful tips. I actually have to use this on my sheets. Thank you!
May 9, 2017 at 1:19 am
Great ideas of couch cleaning. And I do love the look of your microfiber couch. I seem to love those types of couches.
May 9, 2017 at 3:21 am
This is a great solution to cleaning microfiber couches. The cleaning recipe I will have to try on my couch for sure. It is so hard to get microfiber furniture clean and this sound like a great solution.Thanks for sharing the recipe.
May 9, 2017 at 4:21 am
Great cleaning post I enjoyed reading it. I use Palmolive to clean more than dishes too. I use it on my rugs, and shoes as well.
May 9, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Me too! My boys need their shoes cleaned badly. might do that today lol
May 9, 2017 at 5:11 am
Thank you for sharing this cleaning hack! I definitely need it this coming weekend for.my spring cleaning weekend. 🙂
May 9, 2017 at 6:29 am
Can I ask how old your couch is? I was doing something similar to this with mine, and it worked for awhile, but I’ve given up all hope on it now. I really think the couch is just too old to recover, but who knows.
May 9, 2017 at 3:19 pm
I bought my couch for my house when I moved in soooo seven years old
May 9, 2017 at 2:48 pm
I never knew this! Thanks for sharing, I will be using this weekend to get out some tough stains I have!
May 9, 2017 at 2:53 pm
This is such a clever idea! I always wonder who comes up with these cool little life hacks
May 9, 2017 at 3:03 pm
Great tips for spring cleaning. We usually just use vinegar and water and it does the trick just great! I do use dishsoap and water to clean my rings some times.
May 9, 2017 at 4:45 pm
What a great tip! My sofa is leather as I learnt my lesson when the kids were much smaller! Kids are so messy!
May 10, 2017 at 3:02 am
That is one seriously gorgeous looking couch, but my kids would trash it in a matter of minutes! I’m a leather couch kinda gal, I wonder if this product would clean that easily too?
May 10, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Homemade cleaners are sometimes more effective and what’s great is that they’re also less expensive than the cleaners you buy in stores. I really should give this one a try!
May 10, 2017 at 2:02 pm
When you have a dog, chances are the couch has stains and spots that you need to clean! I love how this cleaner makes your couch look good as new! I should try and make this at home as well.
May 11, 2017 at 4:05 pm
I didn’t know about this. This is so great to know because I always worried about cleaning couches when our son gets older and is making a mess everywhere, haha.
March 22, 2022 at 12:41 pm
In step 3, do we spray the couch with solution again or with plain warm water?
April 1, 2022 at 1:20 pm
Solution
August 28, 2022 at 8:05 am
Will it clean stains on car fabric like hot chocolate
August 28, 2022 at 11:37 am
My son threw up a chocolate milk shake in the car and it cleaned that up very well. I would give it a try. If not you may need a steam cleaner or rug doctor wet vac to suck the moisture up first before treating the stain.