How to get rid of the smell on the couch
Each sofa contains several fillers. Any liquid or dirt that gets on the upholstery can be absorbed into it. The result is stains and an unpleasant odor. It can be difficult to get rid of the latter.
Therefore, it is necessary to figure out how to remove the smell from the sofa without damaging the upholstery.
Why does the sofa smell bad
Before choosing the right odor control method, you need to find out why the problem is occurring. It depends on which means can effectively cope with the situation.
There are several main reasons for bad odor:
- Animals living in the house;
- Human urine or traces of vomiting;
- A spilled drink with a bright, pungent aroma;
- Smoke from tobacco;
- High room humidity, causing mold.
Lack of regular cleaning of furniture also causes an unpleasant odor.
Also, the smell in the room can spread to the furniture and be absorbed into the upholstery. Then the disposal begins with airing the room and wet cleaning the entire space.
How to get rid of different odors
The method of getting rid of this problem must be chosen, depending on the nature of the pollution and the reason for its appearance. This will allow you to choose a more effective remedy.
In some cases, you have to repeat the procedure several times to achieve the desired result.
Smell of baby urine
In a house where a small child lives, a situation often arises when a wet spot appears on the sofa. If a baby is described, it is enough to treat the affected area with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It should have a pale pink tint.
Note! The specified tool is suitable only for dark upholstery. It is not recommended to use potassium permanganate for a light surface.
You can also use a regular detergent. It is mixed with water and treated with the resulting product, the problematic part of the sofa. Soda helps to get rid of the smell of baby urine. It also removes stains and germs that have spread to the surface.
If an older child is described, it is recommended to use vinegar mixed with water in a 1: 5 ratio. The rag is mixed in the prepared solution, wipe the problem surface with it and leave the product for 60 minutes. Then the sofa is treated with clean water.
Animal urine
Many pet owners are faced with the problem of pet urine on the upholstery. If you find such a problem, you need to act quickly. It is more difficult to remove an old stain, because the liquid has managed to penetrate deeply into the upholstery.
If a puddle is found, it is recommended to do the following:
- With a dry cloth, soak traces of urine;
- Apply dry baking soda to the stain for 10 minutes;
- A solution of vinegar and water, mixed in the same ratio, is added to the soda. After 5 minutes, everything is removed with a cloth soaked in clean water.
After processing, it is imperative to dry the upholstery.
Another option to get rid of the smell of animal urine is to use ammonia. They rub the upholstery and leave for half an hour. Then apply laundry soap. Wash off everything with a solution consisting of a tablespoon of vinegar and a liter of water.
If the urine has managed to be absorbed into the sofa, then it is necessary to approach cleansing in a comprehensive manner. Cleaning is required not only upholstery, but also filler. After such treatment, the sofa must be thoroughly dried.
Adult urine
Elderly people or those suffering from a serious illness can also find it difficult to retain urine. As a result, a stain may appear on the sofa. It is important that the older a person becomes, the more acrid and strong the smell of his urine becomes. Therefore, in this case, getting rid of the unpleasant odor will be more difficult.
There are several effective methods for solving the problem:
- Chlorine. Eliminates odor and bacteria that have spread on the surface. The prepared solution with bleach is applied to the problem area with a sponge or brush for 30 minutes. After the remnants of the product are removed with clean water. It is important that this method can be used for plain upholstery;
- Laundry soap. A simple and quick way to solve the problem. It is enough to rub the damaged area with laundry soap, having previously moistened with water. Leave for 15 minutes;
- Lemon juice. It is made from half a lemon. It is poured into a spray bottle and applied to the surface with its help. After 30 minutes, wash off with clean water. This option will not work if the residents are allergic to citrus fruits.
Feces smell
Some try to remove fecal odors with gasoline, perfume, alcohol, acetone, or turpentine. You can not use the listed products, as well as whiteness and formaldehyde.
If traces of faeces are found on the upholstery, it is recommended to do the following:
- The remains of excrement are removed;
- Prepare a soapy solution, treat the surface with it. The foam is removed with cold water. The surface is dried with napkins to get rid of moisture;
- Next, you need to use coffee, strong brew, soda, salt, activated carbon, dry mustard. Any of the listed ingredients is rubbed on the upholstery and left to dry completely.
You can also treat the surface with a solution of iodine or potassium permanganate. He must be weak. Leave it on for 30 minutes.
The smell of cigarettes
Tobacco contains substances that can be absorbed into various materials. Therefore, if you smoke in the room, the upholstery of the sofa can be saturated with a tobacco smell. A few days are enough for such a problem to appear. You can get rid of the tobacco smell by covering the sofa with a damp towel.
One procedure may not be enough. You need to repeat the process until the aroma completely disappears. It is also recommended to regularly ventilate the room.
The smell of burning
In the event of a fire, substances are released, leaving a burning smell, which is absorbed into all materials in the room. Getting rid of that scent can be tricky. First of all, it is necessary to ventilate the room regularly for several days.
It is recommended to beat the shampoo until lather, apply it on the stains and wait until it dries. It is recommended to add baking soda to improve the effect. The following recipes also allow you to get rid of burning:
- Mix a glass of water with half a glass of apple cider vinegar. The resulting solution is mixed with shampoo foam, applied to the desired area and left for 30 minutes;
- You will need soda, vinegar and ammonia. They are mixed with water in equal proportions. The resulting mixture is applied to the stain for 10 minutes. This recipe can only be used in a well-ventilated room;
- Rice and soda are scattered over the surface of the furniture, and covered with a terry towel on top.
Additionally, you can use a professional upholstery cleaner to speed up the effect.
Damp smell
Owners of old sofas face a similar problem. Apple cider vinegar, a weak solution of potassium permanganate, but only for plain upholstery, helps to get rid of the aroma of dampness. Activated carbon or soda will also help.
You can use special anti-fungal agents. They are applied not to the upholstery, but to the wooden elements of the furniture. To enhance and accelerate the effect, it is permissible to combine the indicated means.
Alcoholic smell
In addition to stains, alcohol leaves a pungent scent on the surface. Dry cleaning helps to get rid of this problem. But you can solve it yourself. You must first take a dry napkin or paper towel and blot the contaminated area, moving from the edges to the middle.
After removing the maximum amount of alcohol from the upholstery, a solution of vinegar and water is applied to it. You need 3 tablespoons of vinegar per liter of liquid. Leave for 5 minutes and remove the mixture with a damp cloth or sponge. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat the procedure several times, constantly ventilating the room. The effectiveness of odor removal is improved if you start removing it immediately after the alcohol has been on the furniture.
Launching means
Means that allow you to get rid of an unpleasant odor on furniture are divided into professional ones and those that you can prepare yourself from improvised ingredients. Sometimes it is necessary to combine them when the pollution is too serious and it is difficult to remove the aroma. It is worthwhile to get acquainted in more detail with the most effective means of dealing with such a problem.
Folk remedies
The advantage of folk methods is their budget. Ingredients are always at hand and you can use them at any time. It is relevant when you need to immediately start getting rid of an unpleasant odor.
Vinegar
It is enough to mix the vinegar with water in a weak concentration and the solution is ready to use. It is applied to the problematic part of the furniture and left for a while, for a maximum of an hour. The downside to this recipe is that the ingredient can leave an unpleasant odor behind.
Therefore, it is worth noting how to remove the vinegar smell from sofas. It is enough to mix a small amount of dishwashing detergent with water and wipe the upholstery with the resulting detergent. Also, baking soda can act as an absorbent.
Salt
Often used when processing a new sofa. It is enough to sprinkle salt on the upholstery in a layer of 1.5 cm and leave it for several days. You can remove the remnants of the product with a vacuum cleaner.
Ammonia
It in the amount of 3 teaspoons is mixed with 4 teaspoons of liquid soap and a liter of warm water. After mixing in the liquid, moisten the sponge and moisten the upholstery.
Then it is enough to get the furniture wet with a napkin and wait for the sofa to dry completely.
Lemon juice
It has already been noted how to prepare a remedy based on lemon juice. It is enough to squeeze the juice of half a lemon, pour it into a spray bottle and spray over the problem area.
Special means
If it is not possible to prepare folk compositions, you can use special tools designed for cleaning furniture. It is important that the composition of such products is based on chemistry, which can be harmful to health. Therefore, it is necessary to use such products in a room when there are no children, the elderly and animals. It is also important to organize high-quality ventilation of the room.
It is necessary to strictly follow the manufacturer's recommendations and follow the instructions. Depending on the severity of the problem, the desired result can be achieved in several procedures. To get rid of the smell, agents based on chlorine or hydrogen peroxide are often used. If they do not work, it is recommended to use special bioproducts. It is based on live microorganisms aimed at combating pathogenic microflora.
Among the popular tools, it is worth noting:
- Dufta. The basis is made up of vegetable proteins. They allow you to increase the rate of decomposition of organic compounds. The tool does not mask the unpleasant aroma, but removes it completely;
- Simple Solution. The tool is aimed at eliminating the odor of pets feces. The composition contains enzymes that allow you to remove even an extremely pungent odor. They are used to treat surfaces affected by urine or animal faeces;
- Nature's Miracle. The advantage of the product is good efficiency even in the case of a strong, ingrained odor. Like the previous remedy, it contains an enzyme formula that destroys all microorganisms and bacteria, removing an unpleasant odor.
How to clean a sofa properly
In order not to harm the furniture more, it is important to know how to properly clean the product. All of these products must be applied carefully so as not to damage the upholstery. Start by choosing the right cleaning agent. It must match the color and type of upholstery material. There are professional products designed for a specific type of fabric.
Before using the selected product, it is recommended to carefully study the instructions. Compositions for natural leather are not suitable for fabric upholstery. Therefore, you need to take this into account and carefully follow the instructions for proportions, application of the product and its exposure.
It is recommended to use only proven recipes that have proven themselves on the positive side. The detergents should not contain dyes. Otherwise, traces of paint and stains on the surface cannot be avoided.
Problem prevention
In order not to look for suitable means to get rid of unpleasant, persistent odors, it is better to prevent their appearance. To do this, you should adhere to simple preventive measures. It is enough to clean the sofa regularly. This will help prevent a musty, soggy aroma from developing. Also, if the upholstery is wet, it must be dried immediately.
Do not allow furniture to be constantly wet or damp. Do not eat or drink on the couch to prevent liquid or food from accidentally falling onto the cover. The solution to the problem can be the use of special covers. They will protect not only from smell, but also stains. Even if the liquid comes through the cover, there will be little of it and it will be easier to remove it.
How to properly care for your sofa
Not only prevention, but also competent sofa care can reduce the risk of such a problem. It is important to consider the material of the upholstery. The exact care of the furniture depends on this.
But there are general rules. And the first of them is that it is necessary to clean the sofa regularly. For this, a special soft-bristled brush is used. You can use a vacuum cleaner. If stains are found, do not pull to remove them. It's important to start getting rid of them right away. Start removing dirt from the edges, moving towards the middle.
It is recommended that you test your chosen cleaner on a small area to make sure it does not damage the upholstery. If the smell or contamination does not disappear after several attempts, it is worth contacting a professional dry-cleaner. But the sooner the removal of an unpleasant odor begins, the higher the chance of a positive cleaning result.
An unpleasant smell from a sofa can ruin any room. Getting rid of it can be difficult. Therefore, it is recommended to act in a comprehensive manner. Be sure to carry out constant airing in the room. Additionally, professional remedies and folk recipes are used to get rid of the unpleasant odor.
Video: tips for housewives - how to get rid of the smell of furniture
