How to Clean A White
Couch: A Definitive Guide

Here’s the scenario. You’ve finally gotten that white couch of your dreams. It’s soft, roomy, and works great in your living room. Maybe it’s plush white microfiber or beautiful white leather. No matter your taste, every time you walk in the door, your couch is waiting there, ready to comfort you after a long day at work.

Suddenly, it all goes horribly wrong. A glass of red wine or a bowl of spaghetti gets spilled, and your beautiful white couch has been disfigured with a horrible stain! You gasp in horror as you wonder how you’ll ever remove the stain from your beloved couch.

Sound familiar? As we all know, white couches (and white clothes and fabric, for that matter) are notoriously hard to clean. Fortunately, there’s hope. Follow these tips from The Maids® below to learn how to get stains out of a white couch for good and other cleaning ideas that will keep your furniture in good shape all year long (even if you have pets!).

In the Case of a Spill: Clean the Stain as Quickly as Possible

Spill stains on your white sofa follow the general rule for stains: it’s easier to clean it sooner rather than later. As the liquid sits on your sofa’s white fabric, it will soak deeper into the material and make it extremely hard to get out. If you have time to clean the sofa right after the stain, do it. As far as how to get stains out of a white couch, there are a couple of different methods you can try.

For Wet Stains

• Use a water-based solution for liquid stains.
• Mix together baking soda and water for use on wine and coffee stains.
• Apply the paste with a cloth and let it sit for a few minutes.
• Blot the stain with paper towels using gentle pressure until the stain no longer lifts from the paper towel.

For Dry Stains

• For a dry stain, vacuum the area and get up all the residue you can.
• Use basic dish soap mixed into cool (not hot) water.
• Dab the stain with a clean white cloth until it’s gone.

Other Tips:

• Use salt on fresh wine stains to help remove the color.
• For grease or oil stains, cover them with corn starch for 15 to 20 minutes before vacuuming. This should remove most of the darker spots.

If none of this is working, it might be time to call in a professional cleaning service such as The Maids to tackle the problem.

Cleaning Different Types of White Couches: Regular Cleaning is Paramount

When cleaning a white couch, consistency is king. A weekly cleaning is best, allowing you to get rid of dirt and dust that can build up quickly and start making your white couch grimy and ugly to look at.

• For fabric sofas, vacuum the entire couch, including the cushions and the frame.
• For white leather couches, wipe down the entire couch, including the frame and cushions, every week.
• With regular cleaning and the occasional deep clean, your white couch should stay in tip-top shape for much longer.

If you can afford it, hiring a professional cleaning service for this can be a lifesaver, especially if you don’t want to put the effort into buying good products for deep cleaning your couch.

A Few DIY Products You Can Use as White Couch Cleaner

It’s always good to have some good DIY cleaning products around for cleaning your furniture. Some of these we mentioned before, but here are the essentials:

• Baking Soda: Use baking soda to get out lingering stains on your couch without doing any damage to the fabric.
• White Vinegar: Use this to help naturally whiten your couch, especially if it has slowly become discolored over the years.
• Microfiber Cloth: Use with dish soap or vinegar to treat stains or clean furniture fabric during regular cleanings.
• Dish soap: Use this non-damaging cleaner for stains on white fabrics.
• Rubbing alcohol: Use alcohol to help break down the stains on white furniture.

How to Keep a White Couch Clean: Slipcovers and General Couch Upkeep

The best way to avoid discoloration of your beautiful white sofa is to rotate your cushions regularly so that one part of your couch doesn’t get too much sunlight. You can also make sure that you pull the blinds down on days when your couch is getting a lot of direct sunlight.

Using slipcovers is a great way to protect your couch over the long run. This is especially true if you’re throwing a party or having friends over. If the chances are high that something can be spilled on your couch, then it’s probably better to put a slipcover on it temporarily than fret over a stain that could have been avoided.

For more general info on cleaning a couch or other things in your home, such as wood furniture and floors, read our other blog posts.

The Maids Are Here for You

If you need help with any home cleaning services, including how to clean a white couch, get in touch with The Maids. Our team of professional cleaners bring years of experience in tackling tough home cleaning projects, taking dirty homes, and making them shine again.

To learn more about our services, give us a call or fill out our online cleaning estimate form. With The Maids, you can always count on a cleaner, healthier home.