How to remove the smell from upholstered furniture?

Upholstered furniture is always at risk. You can accidentally spill beer, wine, coffee and other drinks on it during the festive feasts. Children and pets are very fond of playing on soft chairs and sofas, leaving various “surprises” and surprises on pieces of furniture. To always have a place where they like to relax with the whole family in a clean, fresh and beautiful view, you need to know how to remove the smell from upholstered furniture. Of course, you can always use the services of a professional dry cleaning service, but such a service is not cheap. We suggest trying to defeat the “set” of aromas on your own, using home remedies and folk experience.

to contents ↑

Causes of Odor

Odor is the evaporation of organic and inorganic compounds that are capable of trapping the sense of smell. To determine how to fix the problem, you need to find out the cause of its occurrence. The most common causes of odor include:

• Tobacco smoke. A pungent tobacco extract impregnates all home furnishings, clothes and, of course, upholstered furniture.
• Spilled drinks with a strong aroma.
• Damp and musty.
• Cinder during a fire.
• Traces of life, tags and various "surprises" of animals.
• Children's "surprises" in the form of urine and vomit.
• General pollution of the upholstery.

Very often, upholstered furniture is saturated with the unpleasant odor that “reigns” in the apartment. In this case, the fight against the problem must begin with the general cleaning of the entire apartment, washing things and airing the room.

to contents ↑

How to remove smell from upholstered furniture?

The main rule of effective struggle with the smell of upholstered furniture is to eliminate the cause and remove the stain from the upholstery. This rule is especially relevant when using such products as vinegar or citric acid, since they can “strengthen” the stain, in the future - pollution simply cannot be removed. In addition, all the methods and means used must be tested on an inconspicuous area of ​​the interior, so as not to spoil the upholstery. Next, we will tell you how to get rid of the smell of upholstered furniture in each case.

How to destroy a musty smell?

If the sofa is just damp and it’s not about a fungal infection, then just take the interior to fresh air and the smell will disappear by itself. If the house has a fungus, then cleaning any interior item is completely useless until the mold is completely removed from the house. After the problem with the fungus is resolved, proceed to clean all traces left of it:

1. Dry the sofa completely from dampness, both inside and out.
2. Vacuum upholstery to remove all dust, dirt and mold spores. It is better to do this outdoors to prevent the spread of fungal spores throughout the house.
3. Prepare a solution of denatured alcohol by mixing 1 part of the drug with 1 part of water.
4. Moisten a rag in solution, wring it out thoroughly.
5. Wipe the sofa upholstery with a slightly damp cloth.
6. Place the sofa in direct sunlight and leave the furniture to dry for several hours. The ultraviolet rays of the sun will kill the remnants of mold spores.

Important! To combat fungus, use special disinfectants that can destroy fungal spores and prevent their appearance. You can use fungicide in liquid form for this purpose.Spray the fungicide solution onto the sofa (inside and out) with a spray bottle, let the sofa dry completely.

How to remove the smell from the old sofa?

If the sofa has not been cleaned for a long time, then this product just needs a bathing day. You can clean an old, worn-out sofa with any chemical detergent or use folk methods.

Step-by-step instructions for cleaning the sofa:

1. Wet the old sheet in water, wring it out well. If the sheet is too wet, all the dust collected will leave mud stains on the upholstery.
2. Cover the sofa with a damp cloth, knock dust out of it.
3. Vacuum the furniture.
4. Fill the sofa upholstery with salt (regular food or flavored) and leave it for the whole day.
5. Collect salt with a vacuum cleaner.
6. Prepare a detergent: dissolve the soap in 1 liter of water, add 1 tbsp. tablespoon of citric acid and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vinegar.
7. Beat the mixture until foamy.
8. Put the product on a sponge (foam), cover it with the upholstery of the sofa.
9. Leave the furniture for several hours.
10. Remove dried foam with a stiff brush.
11. Give the sofa time to dry.

Advice:

• For capricious upholstery materials (leather, leatherette), use a soap solution (1-2 teaspoons of liquid soap in 1-1.5 liters of water) with the addition of 1 tbsp. spoons ammonia. After cleaning, wipe the sofa first with a damp cloth and then with a dry one.
• Clean velor, jacquard, flock without the use of chemical solvents. Use soapy water and soda: first clean with soapy water and then wipe the contaminated area with baking soda mixed with milk.

to contents ↑

How to remove odor from upholstered furniture from liquids?

Drinks spilled on the sofa penetrate deep into the upholstery, so sometimes washing the covers is sometimes not enough to get rid of the smells that have crept into the foam and wooden furniture frame. To neutralize the amber, you can use special preparations from pet and auto stores (Liqui Moly Geruchskiller, HG5185, Organics Zoo-Zym, Orange-Oxy), or you can use improvised means.

The most effective home remedies are:

• Acetic acid.
• Lemon juice.
• Potassium permanganate.
• Hydrogen peroxide.
• Salt (table or flavored).
• Tea (black or green).
• Freshly ground coffee.
• Soap solution + ammonia.

Each method has its pros and cons, so before using these tools, test them on an inconspicuous area of ​​the upholstery. About how to properly use improvised tools, we will consider below.

Vinegar

The remaining odor from fish, tobacco, vomiting, beer, as well as the smell of a dog can be removed using acetic acid or table vinegar:

1. Dilute 2 tbsp. tablespoons of acid in a liter of water.
2. Soak a clean cloth in the solution.
3. Handle problem areas carefully. If necessary, treat the entire surface of the furniture and leave to dry completely.
4. Ventilate the room to get rid of the pungent smell of vinegar.

Advice:

• Acetic acid can be replaced with lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide.
• If you use ordinary table vinegar, then dilute it in a bucket (basin) until a weak solution is obtained. Dip the unnecessary sheet in the prepared solution, wring it out carefully and cover the sofa (press it against the upholstery). Leave the sofa for an hour so that the vinegar solution penetrates the upper layers of the furniture. Repeat the procedure several times until the unpleasant amber is completely destroyed.

Salt

Flavored or table salt will help to get rid of a douche eaten in the upholstery:

1. Spread the product evenly on the sofa upholstery.
2. Leave the product for 8-10 hours.
3. Remove any contaminated salt with a vacuum cleaner or a medium hard brush.

Important! Salt can be replaced with a mixture of baking soda and potato starch. Prepare the mixture by taking the ingredients in a 1: 1 ratio. Due to the porous structure, this mixture perfectly absorbs unpleasant odors.

Tea and coffee

Black or green tea and coffee can help get rid of an unpleasant douche. For this:

1. Put tea bags on a sofa or couch, leave for several days.
2. Pour freshly ground coffee on the upholstery, leave for 3-6 hours.
3. Carefully remove coffee residues with a vacuum cleaner.

Potassium permanganate

You can remove the darling left by your pet with a solution of potassium permanganate. The product oxidizes the urine and deodorizes the damaged area of ​​the sofa upholstery. Handle the cat's mark with the solution and let the sofa dry.

Ammonia

A stain and smell from urine is best removed from upholstered furniture ammonia:

1. Wipe the stained area with ammonia, leave for half an hour.
2. Rub the soiled area upholstery with soap and leave again for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse off the rest of the product with clean water and vinegar (1 tablespoon of the product in 1 liter of water).
4. Dry the furniture.

Important! Children's urine has a lighter smell than adult urine, so the smell is eliminated more easily. Use a solution of vinegar in the ratio of 1: 5 in favor of water instead of ammonia to remove ducky. Then rub the contaminated area with laundry soap and leave for 20 minutes. You can wash off the product with an aqueous solution with the addition of lemon juice or potassium permanganate. A solution of iodine (15 drops per 1 liter of water) has proven itself, but they can not clean a light surface.

Vinegar + Soda + Hydrogen Peroxide

To get rid of the pungent odor of an animal’s urine, use heavy “artillery”:

1. Prepare a solution of vinegar in a ratio of 1: 3 in favor of water.
2. Moisten the soiled area of ​​the upholstery with the prepared solution, leave for half an hour.
3. Sprinkle the treated area with baking soda.
4. Dilute hydrogen peroxide with water and a soap solution in the ratio: 1 part of the drug per 100 ml of water and 1 part of the soap solution.
5. Spray the prepared detergent on the stain, leave for 2 hours.
6. Remove residue with a damp cloth.
7. Vacuum the sofa and dry the surface.

to contents ↑

General furniture care recommendations

Upholstered furniture requires not only respect for it, but also regular care. In order for the sofa and armchairs to serve for a long time and be in excellent condition, you must adhere to the following rules:

• Periodically clean the upholstery of upholstered furniture. Every month, knock out the sofa from accumulated dust and treat the upholstery with soapy water or special shampoo to care for upholstered furniture. Unpleasant odors can appear not only from urine, sweat, but also from general pollution during the operation of the product.

Important! Manufacturers of sofas recommend cleaning sofas at least 2 times a year, otherwise - in addition to smells, dust mites can also get in the fabric.

• Clean up spills immediately. As soon as you notice a stain from a spilled drink, try to collect the liquid as soon as possible with napkins, paper towels or rags so that it does not pass through the upholstery fabric and does not get on non-woven fabric (technical fabric) and synthetic winterizer. If a lot of liquid is spilled, it can reach a wooden base. In this case, it will be very difficult to remove the smell from the upholstered furniture.
• Do not allow animals to sit on upholstered furniture. The coat and the peculiar smell of a pet can soak up the sofa for a long time.
• Cover the upholstered furniture with small children and animals. In this case, you will protect the sofa upholstery from unexpected “surprises”. In addition, the cover can be easily washed in the washing machine.
• Maintain a constant, dry environment in the furniture room so that harmful microorganisms (mold and fungus) do not spread in the room.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

The problem is always easier to prevent than to solve, so take care of furniture, follow all the manufacturer's recommendations and properly care for interior items. And if something unexpected happened, and the upholstery of your favorite sofa began to exude an unpleasant odor, use our tips to correct the situation.