We used to have the MOST comfortable couches on the planet at our old house. A really nice grey microfibre that was super soft with big comfy cushions!! Lots happened, we moved a few times, couches ended up in storage, and ultimately needed tossed after the storage locker they were in caused them (and multiple other furniture items) to be covered in mold!
When we discovered this tragedy, we went looking for something quick and cheap to replace it as we needed a new one ASAP! We ended up finding this leather monster that I never really liked. So cold and unforgiving. So I’ve been watching sales and buy and sell groups basically since we moved to try and find something a little more cozy. I wasn’t necessarily looking for microfibre again, but I knew I wanted something I wouldn’t mind falling asleep on, or snuggling up on with my hunny to watch a movie late at night.
A week ago I was browsing Kijiji (similar to craigslist for my American friends), and found this beauty that someone was just giving away…. 100% free! I mean, you really can’t beat a deal like that! So we went to take a look first, and honestly guys, I have no idea why it was free, but I’m oh so glad I found it!! Yes, it needed a good clean, but that didn’t scare me away!
So we got it home, and I started researching. I knew it was going to be a big job, but I also knew once it was done this couch would be perfect! There were soooo many articles about just using rubbing alcohol to clean microfibre, amazing before and afters, so I figured “what the heck, it can’t get any worse than it is”, and started going to town.
Here’s a list of everything I ended up using:
• vacuum
• baking soda
• 70% rubbing alcohol
• hard bristle scrub brush
• microfibre cleaning cloth
• spray bottle
• distilled water
I wish I had thought at the time to take more photos of each step, but I was exhausted from a little get together we had had the night before and am still dealing with issues with my leg after surgery, so my head wasn’t in the right space, so please bare with me here!
First things first, I hauled out my vacuum. The cushions are attached, but each one has a zipper on the back to remove the actual inside cushion. I got them out and vacuumed absolutely every inch of it.
Next was “deodorizing”. I had a big box of baking soda, and many things I read had said to just slop it on and leave for 15-20 minutes to get rid of any smells. I loaded it on and then rubbed it into the fabric as well as I could with this little scrub brush I found at Canadian Tire.
After letting that do it’s thing for about half an hour, the vacuum came back out to suck up all the baking soda. If this doesn’t get rid of unwanted doors on your couch, I’ve also read great things about using a water/vinegar mix!
So now the true test: the rubbing alcohol! Now, I definitely recommend grabbing a spray bottle for this. Mine came from the local dollar store, but really any spray bottle would work. Just pour in the alcohol, spray a generous amount onto the couch, and start scrubbing at it with the same brush we used on the baking soda. I think I went over the couch 3-4 times with this, but it still looked dingy and dull. After seeing so many amazing before and afters, I was pretty bummed.
So I researched more. And what I found was that yes, rubbing alcohol will get rid of the first and grime, but it doesn’t get rid of all the marks on microfibre. The solution was so simple once I found it: distilled water. Once the couch is dry after using the alcohol, just spray an even amount of distilled water on it. This can be used as a spot cleaner as well for any little water marks. Spray and scrub until the marks are no longer visible, let it dry, scrub once more with the hard bristle brush to stand the fibres back up, and voila!!!
(It’s hard to see here, but if look closely at the first photo there were some rather large dog drool spots on this section of the couch that are now completely gone!)
It wasn’t exactly drying properly in our garage, so my husband and his nifty thinking managed to get it all in the house (minus any help from my crippled self) by wheeling it in on the kids’ skateboards — of all things — so that it could finish drying. It still needed some spot cleaning so I repeated the alcohol then distilled water a few times, and by the end of the next day it was all ready to get set up in the livingroom.
(Ignore the mess…. even though we’ve been in this house for a year, it’s still VERY MUCH a work in progress. Plus, you know…. kids.)
And now we now have a gorgeous, clean couch! I’m pretty sure I’ll still go over it one more time with a steamer, but 99% of the grime is gone, the doggy slobber marks are gone, and it’s back to looking almost new again! My kids are in love and we can all fit together on it, which makes it absolutely perfect!
Pretty Bitty Chaos 