If you want to give your couch a really deep cleaning, you should use steam cleaning methods. Steam cleaners are an easy way to freshen up your furniture without harsh chemicals or expensive services. The only drawback of steam cleaners, however, is that they may cause some damage to your couch if you don’t follow the manufacturer’s instructions closely enough. Can you use a steam cleaner on a couch? Should you go about it the right way? Keep reading to find out more!
What Are Steam Cleaners
So can you use a steam cleaner on a couch? In most cases, it’s not recommended. Steam cleaners are intended for hard surfaces like floors and countertops. Even if you used an attachment to convert your floor steamer into something you could use on upholstery, there’s still a risk that it could damage upholstery fibers and cause rips and tears.
However, there is one exception to that rule: some companies make upright vacuums with attachments that allow them to clean things other than carpets. If you find one of these, feel free to use it—but check its instruction manual first (no pun intended) because some models have limitations as well.
Are They Safe?
Couch steam cleaning is essential to any home, and couch steam cleaners are perfect for getting difficult stains out of fabric. Before you grab your steamer, make sure you’re not doing more damage than good. Like all household appliances, there are limitations to what they can clean; in fact, their power makes them dangerous for a number of items including clothing and upholstery.
One easy rule: Anything you wouldn’t put in your dryer isn’t safe to put in your steamer. For example, it’s never wise to use a steam cleaner on clothing or upholstery because it will ruin any decoration permanently as well as create holes in the cloth due to excess moisture.
How to Use One
Start by removing your couch cushions and wiping down both sides with a clean rag. Add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to your steam cleaner, set it to steam (not sanitize) mode, and run it over any stains or spills that you may have in an inconspicuous area.
Once that’s dry, vacuum up any loose dirt and apply 1/4 cup of baking soda directly to your couch cushions with more rags. Now you’re ready for some cleaning! Set your steam cleaner to another setting besides steam (you can use sanitize or clean + sanitize), start it, then follow its instructions for attachment assembly.
Conclusion
Couch steam cleaning may seem like a good idea, but there are two major problems with it. First, most of your steam cleaner’s hot water supply will be used up by what you’re cleaning at that moment in time and leaving very little for your couch or any other items you plan to clean. Second, while steam cleaners are great tools, they are only meant to clean hard surfaces and are not built to get into crevices or curves such as those found in couches.
These machines work best when they can easily glide across surfaces getting them wet rather than having to work their way around awkward nooks and crannies. Couch steam cleaning just doesn’t make sense when there are so many other options available instead!