Life Hack: How to clean a velvet sofa without ruining the fabric
"Velvet sofas are undoubtedly becoming more popular, with the green velvet sofa, in particular, featuring in many home-magazine spreads and Pinterest inspiration boards."
Velvet furniture seems to be having a moment: where once ‘millenial grey’ dominated our homes in a one-tone look, it has been replaced by dopamine decor.
This offers fun bursts of colour and texture that remind us our homes are for living in, and enjoying.
One item of furniture at the heart of the trend — and the home — is the sofa.
Velvet sofas are undoubtedly becoming more popular, with the green velvet sofa, in particular, featuring in many home-magazine spreads and Pinterest inspiration boards.
However, many will baulk at the idea of opting for velvet in such a high-traffic item of furniture.
Velvet and water do not mix well, so spills are certainly to be avoided, and this issue also means you will need to be more creative when it comes to cleaning any stains on your sofa too: alternatives to a damp cloth will have to be used, for fear of making a spill or stain worse.
Here’s what to keep in mind to ensure your sofa remains a statement piece in your home, and not an eyesore.
Dust is a common issue in every home, but velvet sofas will make any dust settlement more evident to the eye.
It tends to build up quickly on velvet sofas, so a regular dusting will help keep everything spick and span.
For velvet sofas, a lint roller will be your best friend when it comes to removing dust.
Rubbing this over the surface will quickly clear up any dust build-up in a matter of seconds.
Similarly, running your vacuum over the surface of the sofa once a week will pick up any extra dirt and debris.
Make sure you use a soft brush attachment to avoid damaging the sofa material.
As mentioned, you really don’t want any liquid to come into contact with a velvet sofa.
However, it will likely be impossible to avoid some contact as time goes on.
If you do spill a drink on the fabric, it seems counter-intuitive but allow it to dry in — yes, even milk.
Once dried, use a barely dampened cloth with a mix of warm, soapy water to gently rub at the stain.
Alternatively, you could use a baby wipe in place of a damp cloth.
It is best to stick with gentle cleaners when tackling spills and stains.
Chemical cleaners should be avoided on velvet (and on regular fabric sofas too), as the chemicals they contain can cause colours to fade, as well as potentially degrade the fibres in your upholstery.
From time to time, those spills may develop into stains, but you can tackle this too with some household items.
Mix together equal parts water and white vinegar, using this combination to dampen a clean microfiber cloth.
Gently blot any stained areas gently with this cleaning mixture, starting at the outside of each stain and slowly and working your way in. Blot until the stain begins to vanish.
Once the stain is gone, use a clean cloth dampened slightly with just water to blot the area again, to remove any cleaning solution residue.
Then, gently blot the area you have cleaned with a dry cloth to absorb any excess moisture.
Once dry, brush the fabric gently using a soft-bristle brush, making sure you sweep in the direction of the nap — this will restore the velvet's texture and remove any dust from the fabric.
Make sure the sofa air dries and then use the vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment for a final once-over of the sofa to fluff up the fibres.
Like all sofas, velvet ones are likely to hold odours after prolonged use, particularly if they are in the home of a pet owner.
You can get them professionally cleaned to remove built-up scents.
EZ Living Furniture recommends you get a specialist to steam clean and/or shampoo your upholstery every 12-18 months, ensuring you have all matching pieces cleaned at the same time, to ensure any fading is even across the item of furniture.
