how to clean microfiber furniture

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Cleaning Microfiber

Over the last several years, microfiber has quickly become one of the most popular types of furniture upholstery. It's an attractive choice for sofas and couches in particular, thanks to microfiber's affordability, durability, and its moderate resistance to stains.

And although many furniture makers and salespeople will talk about microfiber upholstery as though it is indestructible or impervious to stains, that isn't actually the case! (Just ask anyone who has both a microfiber couch and a dog at home! They can probably just point you to their couch, and the numerous drool marks will speak for themselves.) ;-)

Related: How to Clean a Leather Couch

Cleaning Microfiber

But as long as you understand how microfiber differs from other upholstery materials, it's actually quite easy to keep it clean! And today I'll be sharing everything you need to know about the process of cleaning and caring for microfiber upholstery. By the end of this post, you'll be ready to spruce up your microfiber couch to the point of looking brand new!

Related: How to Clean Suede Shoes in 6 Easy Steps

Cleaning Microfiber

A Quick Explanation Of Microfiber Cleaning Codes

Before you get to cleaning it, you will need to determine the correct cleaning method to use on your microfiber furniture. There should be a tag somewhere on the furniture that shows one of four cleaning codes. Here are the codes, along with a brief description of what they mean:

W – Clean with a water-based cleaner.
S – Clean with a solvent cleaner.
S-W – Clean with either a solvent cleaner or water-based cleaner.
X – Vacuum clean only, without using any type of cleaning solution.

Cleaning Microfiber

Water-Based Cleaners vs. Solvent Cleaners

If your microfiber furniture has a W code, consider yourself lucky! Most cleaning products are water-based cleaners, so you have a lot of options to choose from. You could use a store-bought upholstery cleaner to get the job done, or even some warm, soapy water.

But unfortunately, most of us don't have it quite so easy! The majority of microfiber couches and sofa tags have either an S code or no code at all. (If your tag doesn't have a code, your best bet is to treat it as though it has an S code. Water-based cleaners can leave behind rings or water stains on certain types of microfiber, so it's better to be safe than sorry!)

If you need to use a solvent cleaner on your furniture, rubbing alcohol makes a great choice! It's cheap, readily available, and dries quickly. Here's how to use rubbing alcohol to clean your microfiber couch, sofa, or other furniture items in two easy steps.

How To Clean A Microfiber Couch (& Other Furniture)

Cleaning Microfiber

1. Spray Soiled Areas

Spray the soiled areas of your sofa with undiluted rubbing alcohol or, if your microfiber furniture is "W" rated, spray with a diluted soap and water mixture.

Cleaning Microfiber

2. Blot With a Cloth

Blot the dampened areas with a clean cloth to lift dirt and stains out of the fabric. Gently rub the microfiber in small circles if necessary. Repeat until the soiled areas are clean and there are no remaining stains on the fabric.

Cleaning Microfiber

3. Restore The Fluff

After cleaning microfiber, the fabric may feel stiff to the touch after it dries. But it's easy to soften it back up, and you only need a soft scrub brush to do it.

Rub the fibers gently with a soft brush to fluff up the fibers of the fabric. This simple step will leave your microfiber feeling soft and plush again!

Do you have any microfiber furniture at home?

Cleaning Microfiber

How to Clean Microfiber Couch (Step by Step)

Microfiber furniture is versatile and easy to maintain, as long as you understand the right way to keep microfiber clean! Follow these steps and you'll have a clean microfiber couch in no time :-)

Prep Time 2 mins

Active Time 5 mins

Drying Time 30 mins

Total Time 37 mins

Yield 1 clean microfiber couch

spray bottle
Soft Scrub Brush
Soft Sponge
Clean Cloth

1 cup isopropyl alcohol
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp dish soap

Spray the soiled areas of your sofa with undiluted rubbing alcohol or, if your microfiber furniture is "W" rated, spray with a diluted soap and water mixture.
Blot the dampened areas with a clean cloth to lift dirt and stains out of the fabric. Gently rub the microfiber in small circles if necessary. Repeat until the soiled areas are clean and there are no remaining stains on the fabric.
After cleaning microfiber, the fabric may feel stiff to the touch after it dries. But it's easy to soften it back up, and you only need a soft scrub brush to do it. Rub the fibers gently with a soft brush to fluff up the fibers of the fabric. This simple step will leave your microfiber feeling soft and plush again!