At a Glance:
Which Stains Can Steamer Clean?
Is All Furniture Safe to Steam Clean?
What You’ll Need to Steam Clean Your Furniture
Steps to Steam Cleaning a Couch
You and your loved ones aren’t the only ones enjoying your couch, sofa, or recliner. Deep in their fibers, there could be a host of bacteria, pests, and odors, turning a favorite spot in the home to relax into a haven for allergens and skin irritants without you even realizing it.
But with the power of steam, you can eliminate those threats while also bringing new life into used seating furniture. All it takes is the right tools and a little know-how, and you can enjoy your favorite seat in the house with peace of mind knowing it’s stain-free and clear of any unwanted guests.
If you’re wondering how to steam clean furniture, give our roundup a read. We cover everything from the dos to the don’ts, plus a step-by-step guide on how to steam clean a couch and other furniture.
Furniture Stains Solved with a Steam Cleaner
Before you venture on Project: Deep Clean Couch, take a moment to consider the type of stain you’re dealing with. Unlike wax or grease accidents, steam works best on water-soluble stains. Luckily, these are common furniture messes where steam can be used for:
- Getting rid of chocolate milk from fabric
- Removing juice spills on upholstery
- Cleaning food stains on sofas, couches, and chairs
- Eliminating felt tip marker stains on seating materials
- Washing away watercolor paints in fabrics
- Erasing graphite pencil marks on upholstery
- Blasting away coffee and tea stains on furniture
- Neutralizing pet stains on fabric surfaces
- Ridding set-in dirt on upholstery
Is All Furniture Upholstery Safe for Steaming?
Water may be the universal solvent but think twice before giving your furniture a steam cleaning. That’s because every piece of furniture comes with a specific upholstery cleaning code that instructs owners on how to clean couch, loveseat, recliner, and ottoman surfaces correctly. These labels can be found beneath the cushions or underneath seating and come in a variety of codes.
If your furniture has a W (wet) or WS (wet cleaning and solvent) code, you’re good to give its surfaces a steam cleaning. You should never steam furniture labeled S (solvent) or X (no cleaning). Doing so can damage its upholstery, and it can even void the manufacturer’s warranty.
The best furniture upholsteries to steam include:
✓ Cotton
✓ Polyester
✓ Nylon blends
✓ Microfiber
✓ Velvet
Steam is not recommended on furniture with:
✖ Leather upholstery
✖ Silk surfaces
✖ Suede material
Tools to Steam Clean Furniture
Since it uses no chemicals, steam is one of the best and healthiest ways to clean furniture. But for the best results, you need the right tools. We recommend steam cleaning machines over carpet cleaners with brush attachments since steam machines are designed specifically for delivering high-temperature water vapor deep into the fibers of fabric and upholsteries.
Carpet cleaners will still do a good job cleaning your furniture, but they require special care not to oversaturate the fibers, which could lead to damage and mold. If you don’t own a steam cleaner, try looking into local shops where you can rent one.
How to Steam Clean a Couch
You know that wonderful feeling of soft and plush upholstery cradling your body while you relax over your favorite series? In the first year or so of owning a couch, you can expect that luxury every time you sit down to unwind. But without proper maintenance, soft piles and that velvety surface of a comfy recliner can quickly become rough.
With regular steaming, you can revive fibers back to life, making them plush, soft, and enjoyable for longer. That’s just one more perk to steaming your couch on top of sanitizing the surfaces deep down, eliminating pests, bacteria, and odor.
The good news is that a steam clean couch session only needs to be done twice a year in order to redeem those benefits. And once you learn how to steam clean a couch, you’ll know how to steam recliner chairs, accents chairs, ottomans, and other upholstered seating furniture.
Here’s how to do it.
→ Take care of dry messes first.
Between Saturday morning cartoons and late-night movie marathons, a couch is bound to have a few food messes. The last thing you want to do is pass a steamer over these crumbs and potentially transfer food dyes or stains on a couch. That’s why the first step to steam cleaning any piece of furniture is to give it a good vacuuming.
Take your time during this phase, and make sure to get into all the areas in between the cushions, underneath the seating, and any throw pillows, too.
→ Give stains a head start on cleaning.
The faster your couch dries, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy it during your favorite series. That’s why it’s important to not overdo it with a steamer since it can waterlog a couch rendering it unusable until it fully dries.
To help avoid this inconvenience, make sure to pre-treat stains before steam cleaning your couch. Pre-treating couch stains will help the messes break down with fewer passes from a steamer, and that means less water in the fibers and quicker drying times.
Always read the couch label carefully to determine how to clean couch stains and the kinds of chemicals that are suited for your furniture’s surfaces. If you have a wax or oil-based stain, make sure to treat those with a cleaner that is safe on your couch’s upholstery. This is important since water vapor will only repel off of the waxy surface rather than penetrating down into fibers to release the stain from the material.
→ Start steaming!
With all the prep steps done, you’re now ready to start steaming your couch. The best way how to steam clean upholstery is with an upholstery steam cleaner, but in a pinch, a carpet cleaner with a brush attachment is also effective.
Rather than starting from anywhere, be strategic. The best way to steam a couch is by working in small portions. This will give the surface time to dry faster, and it prevents reduces the chance of oversaturation, which could damage the upholstery.
When passing the steam wand over the couch, think fast strokes rather than slow movements. Brisk strokes help lift stains from the fibers, and it lessens the amount of water that seeps into the upholstery.
For hard tougher stains, pass the steamer over the affected area until it loosens. If the stain won’t lift, consider applying a mix of dish soap and water and gently blotting the stain until it is removed.
✓ Pro tip: Never use a colored towel to remove stains from upholstery. Chemicals in cleaners and detergent could cause the dye to leak, further staining your couch.
→ Give your couch time to dry.
A fresh, clean is almost ready for you to enjoy. All that’s left to do is to give it time to completely dry. To speed to process along, you can use a fan or open a window to allow fresh air to aerate the fibers. You’ll also want to keep any doors open to prevent the area from becoming humid, which can promote mold growth. Once your couch is completely dry, give it another vacuuming to remove any leftover residue.
Now that you know how to clean couch fabric, you can apply your new knowledge to all your upholstered furniture, including your favorite recliner. To extend the life of your furniture, give their surfaces a steaming once every six months.
Steam Cleaning FAQs
Steaming can feel like a new process for some furniture owners, but it shouldn’t feel intimidating. Let’s answer a few more common questions about furniture steam cleaning that we get from furniture owners like you.
Is steam cleaning good for furniture?
Steam cleaning your furniture can be better than many other alternative cleaning methods. By using a steam cleaner, you can forgo any noxious chemicals and detergents you might normally use. Harnessing the power of steam allows you to thoroughly clean your furniture without relying on potentially harmful chemicals.
Can you steam clean a mattress?
Learning how to steam clean a mattress is a highly recommended skill to add to your mattress maintenance. For the best results, steam your mattress once every three months. This can be done with a steam cleaner, a fabric steamer, or by simply using the steam setting on an iron.
Is it worth it to steam clean a couch?
Steam cleaning is a very effective way to clean your couch. When you steam clean your couch, you kill a majority of the bacteria and germs which are causing your couch to emit an unpleasant odor. Steam cleaning can also remove pet dander, dust, and allergens, thus making your home a healthier environment.
Why Trust Us?
At Bob Mills Furniture, we believe that everyone is family. Since 1971, we have delivered beautiful furniture for 50 years (and counting), with ten sprawling locations in the U.S. — from our flagship store in Oklahoma City to San Antonio in Texas to Wichita in Kansas. Our friendly staff aims to offer the greatest comfort and value, with elegant styles to match your taste, décor, and design. In addition to coziness and style, we also stock furniture and mattress brands with strong reputations and track records of durability so that you can enjoy your investment for years to come.
Shop Furniture at Bob Mills
Start reveling in endless comfort and shop sofas and loveseats online for unbeatable prices at Bob Mills. Our friendly experts are always happy to help you master how to steam clean furniture — whether you call the Bob Mills Furniture store nearest you or use our online chat feature. Better yet, stop by one our showrooms throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas to discover why we are everyone’s favorite local furniture store. Visit us today!
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