Do you know that your home is the number one culprit for you getting all sorts of diseases? Yes, it might come as a surprise, we are speaking about your safe place, after all. But it turns out it is not always as safe as one might think.
The explanation is quite simple: people do not clean important areas in their homes properly. Not to mention they neglect others completely, like the mattress and the sofa. Yet, these two particular items are the perfect grounds for bacteria breeding.
So, what’s there to do? How can you clean them as thoroughly as possible and keep them clean and free of microbes, fungi and mites? Read on to find out some really useful tricks and tips to clean your sofa and mattress the right way and stay healthy in the meantime.
Get rid of the bed and sofa coverings
First things first…make sure you remove the bedding and sofa coverings. The idea is for the bed to have no shell, so out with the mattress and pillow coverings. When it comes to your sofa, take out the cushions and vacuum all the places where debris and dust might gather.
Also, if you want to get rid of stains and bad odors, you can opt for an easy and safe solution: sprinkle some baking soda on the spots! You’ll be surprised by the results. Vinegar is also used by many people but you might want to read this article first STOP Cleaning These 7 Things with Vinegar! and see if couches are on the list or not.
Unfold the sofa and mattress
If you are the proud owner of a sofa bed, you have to open it up to be able to clean it properly. If you keep it folded, make no mistake, there will be areas full of dust and consequently, dust mites. Generally, these tiny creatures are harmless but for people with allergies, they come with runny noses, sneezing and many other respiratory problems.
When it comes to the mattress, open it up so as to make it as accessible as possible for cleaning. It’s important that you do this regularly to make sure there’s no thriving ecosystem of mites and fungi sharing the bed with you.
While you’re at it, check out these 10 Cleaning Mistakes That Make Your Home Dirtier. Maybe it’s also time you change your cleaning routine.
Vacuum your sofa and mattress
If you’ve removed the coverings from the mattress and sofa, the next step, and the most important one, is to do the vacuuming. This should be performed as frequently as possible.
To clean your sofa and mattress, you’ll need:
A vacuum cleaner
Dish soap or upholstery shampoo
Baking soda
Microfiber cloths
Cold water
When it comes to stains, these can be cleaned with a barely wet cloth. The recommendation is to use cold water and not rub the stain too vigorously as it can affect the fabric. Let the freshly cleaned spot dry before trying another cleaning trick, whatever that might be.
As there might be areas that are often disregarded during a regular cleaning process, don’t forget that the mattress should be cleaned on both sides. The flat part of the sofa can be cleared of dust with a brush attachment while the dust and crumbs in the creases can be eliminated with the help of the hose accessory of the vacuum cleaner.
Get rid of stains on sofa and mattress
No matter how much we want to keep our couches and mattresses free of stains, it’s practically impossible. Especially when it comes to light-colored sofas. Fortunately, it’s not impossible to get rid of those pesky stains.
In the case of fabric sofa, the easiest and safest solution is an upholstery shampoo. When it comes to non-washable fabric sofas, a dry-cleaning solvent is recommended. Dampen a cloth/sponge with the solvent and gently rub the stain until it disappears. Let the wet parts to dry while cleaning the non-upholstered parts of the sofa, e.g frames, and legs, with a wet piece of cloth, to eliminate dust, and then clean it again with a dry cloth.
Sanitize your sofa and mattress
After the mattress and couch are thoroughly cleaned, the last step is to sanitize them and make sure there are no bacteria hiding somewhere. Maybe you missed a spot.
Therefore, the disinfection process is highly required. Be careful not to mix the disinfecting solvent with shampoo or solvent, as it might affect the sanitizer’s strength in eliminating the harmful bacteria.
“Regularly cleaning your mattress removes material that could be contributing to allergies in the spring and fall, which is prime dust mite breeding season,” says Monika Stuczen, a senior research manager at Dyson. So, after the cleaning process is completed, start the sanitation process.
Opt for a professional cleaner
If you’re not sure you could do a deep cleaning by yourself, you can always outsource the job. There are countless professional cleaning companies happy to help you out. They can do the heavy lifting by cleaning and disinfecting your sofa and mattresses using safe and quality products.
Another option would be to rent the right equipment and do the cleaning yourself. There are many companies that provide specialized tools and cleaning solutions to get rid of all the dirt, grime, dust and bacteria lurking beneath the surface. For example, an upholstery cleaner can be rented for less than 24 hours for approximately 35 dollars.
And while they’re at it, they might also clean some of these 19 Surprising Things You Don’t Clean Enough in Your Home.
Ready to tackle this task and get rid of dust and bacteria? Good for you! But first, see these 12 Great Hypoallergenic Cleaning Products that might help you in this endeavor and keep you from sneezing every single time you want to clean.
