How to Clean a Sofa with Baking Soda

Baking soda is an age-old cleaner and deodoriser that’s both gentle and effective.

As a cleaning agent, baking soda is ideal for people who don’t want to introduce harmful cleaning concoctions into their homes, and for those who are environmentally conscious.

One of its pre-eminent uses is in cleaning furniture – especially old, musty sofas that need refreshing!

In this guide, we’ll explore:

• Why baking soda is ideal for sofa cleaning
• The best baking soda cleaning method
• The tools and ingredients you’ll need for cleaning sofas with baking soda

Without further ado, let’s get sprinkling!

Why You Should Use Baking Soda to Clean Sofas

Effective in Removing Odours

Baking soda is a wonderful odour absorber.

Whether your dog has been sleeping on the couch or you’re carrying out the annual spring clean, you can reach for baking soda to get the job done.

The reason it works so well is quite simple. When you sprinkle baking soda onto your couch, it works to neutralise the odours. It balances the pH of bad smells, which are generally acidic (that’s why your nose scrunches up).

With the acidity gone, baking soda allows your couch to smell fresh once more!

Safe for Most Upholstered Fabrics

In most cases, baking soda will be completely fine on your couch’s fabric. However, it’s best to do a small patch test before covering the whole thing in powder.

Baking soda has a high pH, which means it can damage natural fibres like wool, cashmere, or silk by breaking down the proteins in these fabrics and degrading the fabric as a whole.

Repeated use of excessive amounts of baking soda can also result in your couch feeling rough or coarse. In addition to that, the chemical has the potential to gradually fade colours.

Luckily, most couch upholstery is not wool, cashmere, or silk – so in the majority of cases, baking soda will be harmless!

Easy to Use

You can use baking soda for a wide variety of things: cleaning your drain, brushing your teeth, or getting a stain out of a white t-shirt.

Anyone can pick up a box, packet, or scoop of bulk bin baking soda, take it home, and use it for cleaning. In terms of cleaning your couch, all it takes is a sprinkle.

Baking soda is harmless to you and the environment and requires next to no elbow grease to apply!

Affordable Alternative to Commercial Cleaners

Not only is baking soda blissfully cheap, but it’s also available in virtually all supermarkets and corner shops.

Unless you have a massive stench or stain problem with your couch, you won’t need to fork out hundreds of dollars for professional cleaning.

How to Clean a Sofa with Baking Soda

Now that you have a better appreciation for all the wonders that baking soda has in store for your sofa, it’s time to learn how exactly you should get to work with this chemical:

Materials

While baking soda is the star of the show, you’ll need a few other materials at the ready to make the entire cleaning process faster and more effective.

• Baking soda: You probably already have some in your kitchen or laundry room! If not, visit your local corner shop or supermarket. A little box or packet will be plenty.
• Hand-held vacuum cleaner or vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment.
• You’ll need to clean up the baking soda after letting it sit for a while. Instead of going through all the trouble wiping up powder, make the cleanup part stress-free by using a vacuum cleaner.
• Upholstery cleaning brush or any other clean, soft bristled brush. Use this to work the baking soda into the fabric.
• Vinegar-water-soap solution (optional). For really tough stains, baking soda alone might not be enough. Make sure to have a batch of vinegar, water, and soap that you can quickly mix to form a powerful solution.

Procedure

Step 1: Remove Sofa Cushions, If Possible

Whenever possible, remove anything that might get in the way of the baking soda, (which includes the sofa cushions). This is an ideal time to pop the cushion covers into the washing machine.

Step 2: Vacuum Debris (Dirt, Hair, Crumbs)

Before getting to work, make sure that you first have a clean space to work on.

Leaving any dirt, dust, or crumbs on the surface is unhygienic and you’ll risk having them stick to the fabric.

It’s always good practice to ensure that the sofa is free of all debris so that the subsequent cleaning process is more effective.

Step 3: Sprinkle on a Thin, Even Layer of Baking Soda

Now that you have a visually clean surface, it’s time to sprinkle on your baking soda. You don’t need to overdo this — a thin, even layer of the compound will be sufficient.

If you have tougher stains, the additional steps below are recommended. These methods will make any heavy-set marks a lot more manageable.

3.1 Grab Your Vinegar Cleaning Solution

Vinegar, like baking soda, is cheap and widely available. To make a vinegar solution, mix equal parts vinegar and water in a bowl or a spray bottle.

Vinegar, combined with baking soda, is a strong yet safe cleaner. The two ingredients are at opposite extremes of the pH scale, and when they combine a fizzy reaction occurs.

The acidic vinegar breaks down the baking soda, “releasing carbon dioxide gas that can help lift dirt from the surfaces being cleaned.”

It’s important not to use equal parts of baking soda and (undiluted) vinegar for cleaning because the two will essentially just cancel each other out!

You’ll want to stick with an acidic or basic solution (ie, mixing more vinegar or mixing more baking soda) as it’ll be more effective.

3.2 Dab Stains with Solution on Cloth

Don’t feel the need to scrub or completely saturate the areas that don’t have any tough stains.

Simply dab the solution on and apply gentle pressure; this should be enough to do the trick.

Step 4: Brush Gently

The key word here: gently! Don’t scrub or push the baking soda into the fabric; instead, let the chemicals do the work for you.

Each baking soda particle has the mineral structure to provide a gentle abrasive clean without scratching or otherwise damaging the surface.

Step 5: Wait 20–60 minutes

Patience is a vital when using baking soda, Allow the chemical compound to sit and work its magic, cleaning the stains and absorbing the odours of your couch. A good timeframe to wait is around 20 to 60 minutes.

Step 6: Wipe (If with Solution) Or Vacuum Thoroughly

Once the baking soda has done its job, it’s time to vacuum the sofa thoroughly.

Make sure to get into all of the couch’s crevices with the vacuum attachment for a comprehensive cleanup.

If you used a vinegar solution, wipe the areas that were cleaned with a damp cloth.

Step 7: Enjoy Your Fresh-Smelling and Clean-Looking Couch!

Now that it’s clean and fresh, your couch is ready for you, your family, and guests to enjoy!

The Bottom Line

Baking soda is cheap, readily accessible, and very effective. Add it to your home cleaning toolkit and you’ll be amazed by what it can do.

Anytime your couch is stained or smells a bit funky, follow the steps we’ve detailed above to remedy the problem.

And as soon as you’re done, you’ll be rewarded with the bright, fresh scent of a clean sofa — something that you’re sure to love!