Some families come with an adorable and furry little member, but pets can definitely come with a lot of messes and cleaning concerns, especially when it comes to your upholstery. Chances are that your fluffy little companion wants nothing more than to be with you—enough to hop on your sofa whenever they can—but this can actually expose your fabric sofas to a wide range of dirt and impurities. Here are a few tips to keep your sofas as clean as possible!
Regularly Vacuum Your Sofa
This is a very fundamental step to keeping any sofa clean, but you might have to kick it up a notch when you have pets running around. When your pet is jumping on top of your sofa, it’s probably bringing some dust, dirt, and other debris along with it, so the recommended once-a-week vacuuming might not be enough to cut it anymore.
Staying on top of your sofa vacuuming will help eliminate surface-level impurities, such as pet dander and other particles, so assess how quickly your sofa gets dirty and adjust your vacuuming accordingly. When doing this, make sure that you use either an upholstery or soft brush attachment to get a gentle but thorough cleaning. You should also go over each area several times while also getting into any hard-to-reach corners and crevices.
Clean Spills and Stains Immediately
There’s no telling when your pet will make a little mess on your sofa, but the important thing is that you clean it up as soon as possible. Not only will this prevent any permanent staining and stubborn odors, but it’ll also make it much easier to clean up overall. Here’s how you can do this:
- Always start by blotting the stained area with a clean cloth to absorb the excess liquid.
- You can either use any pet-friendly commercial stain remover, remembering to read and follow the instructions properly, or add a bit of mild detergent to some water for an easy homemade cleaner that won’t bother your pet.
- Dampen a clean cloth with your chosen cleaner before applying it to the stain, making sure that you work from the outside and make your way towards the center.
- When the stain is completely gone, soak up the remnants of your cleaner with a damp cloth before using another clean cloth to absorb the moisture left behind. Finally, let the area air dry fully.
Use Sofa Covers and Protectors
Investing in some high-quality slipcovers can be a good idea if you have pets in your home. They’ll add an extra layer of protection to your sofa and make it much harder for any pet-related accidents to absorb into your sofa’s fabric. Aside from that, they can also take the brunt of any scratches or damage that your pet may cause in lieu of your sofa. The maintenance of these protectors isn’t that complicated either, as they can be easily tossed into the washing machine.
Use Odor Eliminators
Aside from ensuring that it’s stain-free, maintaining a clean sofa also means keeping it free from unpleasant odors. There are many different pet-safe odor eliminators and deodorizers available in the market that can help neutralize pet odors without making your pet uncomfortable in any way. Alternatively, you can also sprinkle some baking soda over the offending area and leave it for around 30 minutes before using your vacuum cleaner to clean everything up.
Regular Grooming
Staying on top of your pet’s hygiene will do wonders for both their health and the cleanliness of your sofa. Apart from eliminating any strong odors, regular grooming will also reduce your pet’s shedding, significantly reducing the amount of pet hair and dander that ends up burrowing into your sofa’s material. It’ll also wash away any dirt or dust that may have clung onto their fur from their adventures outside, which stops them from transferring onto your sofa later on.
These are some simple but effective cleaning habits that you can start getting into, but remember that the true secret to keeping your sofa cleaner for longer is having a regular sofa cleaning routine that you can actually stick to. Understandably, this isn’t something that everyone can always do, but the better alternative is to let sofa cleaning Singapore professionals take care of it for you rather than foregoing your cleaning completely.
