From family movie nights and entertaining friends to cuddling with pets, the couch receives a lot of daily use — which means it tends to collect crumbs, pet hair and the occasional food spill. Microfiber couches, while a durable choice for heavy-traffic homes, must be properly cleaned to ensure long-lasting quality. Keep in mind that the wrong cleaning methods can leave watermarks or damage your upholstery.
Luckily, we’re sharing a step-by-step guide on how to clean a microfiber couch by Carolyn Forté, executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab, that’ll quickly refresh your living room. For a deeper clean, we recommend following all of these instructions, but for lighter debris and stains, you can stick to the simpler steps, like vacuuming the upholstery or spot-treating with an upholstery cleaner. A piece of key advice from Forté: “Always start with the gentlest method first and work your way up.”
What You’ll Need
Step-by-Step Instructions for Cleaning Your Microfiber Couch:
1. Determine the right cleaning method.
The upholstered furniture industry uses a coding system to safely clean your couch. Check your couch’s tag or under-the-seat cushions to find its cleaning code.
- W means the fabric can be treated with water-based cleaners.
- W/S means that both water- or solvent-based cleaners are safe to use.
- S means the fabric cannot be treated with water and only solvent-based cleaning chemicals should be used.
- X means the fabric can only be vacuumed or lightly brushed.
2. Steam clean the couch.
Not only are handheld garment steamers gentle on microfiber, but hot steam can kill surface dust mites and lift stains from the fabric. Go over the entire couch, allowing just the steam to touch and penetrate the upholstery. (We recommend using a garment steamer to start your deep clean, but feel free to skip this step if you don’t have one).
3. Vacuum the upholstery.
With the upholstery attachment, vacuum the entire sofa: back, arms, skirt and cushions. Use the crevice tool to clean tricky areas — think crumbs and pet hair stuck in seams, around buttons or along the trim. If the cushions are removable, take them off and vacuum the fabric underneath, as well as both sides of each cushion.
Quick cleaning tip: In between vacuums, use a lint roller to pick up stray hairs or a few crumbs.
4. Test your cleaning solution.
Whether you’ve created your own cleaning solution (¼ teaspoon of mild dish soap mixed with one cup of warm water might do the trick) or you’ve bought an upholstery cleaner, it’s important to test the product on a hidden area first. Apply the cleaning solution to a small spot to be certain that it’s safe for the fabric and doesn’t cause any water spotting or color loss.
RELATED: 8 Best Upholstery Cleaners, Recommended by Stain Removal Experts
5. Spot clean stains.
When using any store-bought upholstery cleaner, always follow the package instructions. For water-safe fabrics, tackle stains with an enzyme-containing formula like Bissell Professional Pet Stain & Odor Remover. If your cushions have removable covers, unzip them and place a paper towel between the fabric and filling to absorb excess moisture. Apply upholstery cleaner to a microfiber cloth and blot the stain carefully, working from the outside in. Once the stain is removed, dab the area with a damp cloth, then blot dry. For “S” fabrics, clean stains according to label directions with a solvent-based product such as ForceField Dry.
6. Bring in a carpet or upholstery cleaner for tougher stains.
For fabrics that can be treated with water, use a portable extraction cleaner, like Bissell’s Little Green Portable Cleaner, for a deeper clean. Dispense the cleaner and water mixture through the hose, agitate the fabric with the brush nozzle and vacuum up the dirt into the tank.
7. Allow fabric to air dry.
Let your couch completely dry, ideally overnight, before sitting or laying on the cushions. To speed up the drying process, use fans or open the windows on a warm day.
8. Sanitize the couch.
Once your sofa is clean and dry, kill lingering bacteria and remove smells on water-safe fabrics using a sanitizing spray, like GH Seal star Tide Antibacterial Fabric Spray.
Quick cleaning tip: Between deep cleans, eliminate any odors by sprinkling baking soda all over the sofa or spraying it with GH Seal Star Febreze FABRIC.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
