4 Ways to Restore the Look of Your Sofa

Does your sofa look a bit tired? If so, it might be tempting to get a new one. However, getting a new sofa is a significant investment that requires a lot of research and patience. Even if you choose it quickly, you may have to wait weeks to have it delivered, only to find out that it doesn’t fit your place the way you imagined. So, why not try to upgrade the sofa you already have? After all, you liked it when you bought it, and it has served you well so far, right? If the frame isn’t broken, you can improve the look and condition of your furniture with a few simple tricks. Our fabric care specialists share how to revamp your old sofa and enjoy it for many more years.

Read also: How to Choose a Comfortable Sofa That Will Last You For Years

Here’s an example from our archive: the difference before and after cleaning of an old sofa.

Call Your Sofa Cleaner

When the sofa starts looking worn out, the first and most crucial step is to arrange a deep upholstery cleaning. Professional treatment is the best way to restore the beautiful look of your soft furniture. It is an inexpensive and fast solution for refreshing the dull look of the sofa, even when there are old, unsightly stains. Experts use powerful equipment and advanced products to deal with various types of dirt; for example, we at Cleaner Cleaner use over 20 different solutions that help us get rid of all kinds of stains, including grease, blood, urine, coffee, red wine, soy sauce and many more. 

Deep cleaning at least once a year helps not only refresh its look but also prolongs the life of your sofa. Professional treatments such as hot water extraction will remove the dirt and dust embedded deeply into the fabrics and prevent them from wear and tear. And don’t forget to request stain protection together with the deep sofa cleaning service to protect your freshly cleaned furniture. In the end of the day, sofa cleaning costs less than buying new furniture.

Check also: How To Clean Your Sofa Properly At Home

This little gadget will help you deal with piling on the upholstery.

Remove Piling

Over time you may notice there’s some piling on the surface of your sofa – much similar to the piling that forms on clothes. This issue is most common with looser, shorter fibres and some fabrics tend to pill more than others. Upholstery made from only one type of thread – natural or synthetic- tends to develop pills more readily than sofas covered in blended materials, with the exception of velvet, silk, and linen. You can learn more about different types of upholstery fabrics in our post: How to Choose Upholstery Fabric for Easy Care of Your Furniture

These pesky fabric pills result from everyday wear and tear as broken fibres on the upholstery surface become tangled. Over time, these threads clump together, forming distinctive lint balls stuck to your furniture. And although these little balls are pretty unsightly and can make your sofa look worn out, they are quite easy to deal with. All you need is a battery-operated fabric shaver – the same kind you can use for sweaters and other clothing. Run the gadget over the problematic areas, and it will remove the excess pills, instantly improving the look of your sofa.

Read also: What you should know about cleaning upholstered furniture

Reupholstering is a good solution when you are dealing with ripped fabric on vintage furniture.

Reupholster Vintage Pieces

To be fair, covering your sofa with new upholstery is not the simplest solution. We only recommend it if the colours have faded and there are tears on the fabric. Reupholstering is a complex process and doesn’t happen in a day. It’s also pretty inconvenient – you have to part with your sofa for a few weeks because professionals can’t work on it in your home. Usually, you need to arrange transport of the furniture to their atelier, where they have the tools and materials they need to restore it. Still, reupholstering is suitable for revamping faded or torn luxurious or vintage soft furnishings. If the sofa’s frame is intact, and you still love the piece, reupholstering is a way to salvage it and still can be cheaper than buying a new one.

Check also: Decode Upholstery Labels and Choose the Best Sofa for Your Needs

Slipcovers are inexpensive and come in many different designs.

Try Slipcovers

If your furniture has removable cushions, you can find a professional to sew you entirely new upholstery covers that fit perfectly to each section of the sofa. However, this doesn’t work with furnishings that have fixed cushions. Slipcovers are the more fuss-free and budget-friendly cousin of reupholstering your soft furniture. Nowadays, you can buy whole-piece covers that dress your sofa in full. They are elastic and fit quite snugly to your couch’s curves. Another advantage is that you can choose from many designs, which helps you to alter your furniture’s look. However, although the ready-made elastic covers are beautiful, they are just cosmetic solution. They won’t make dirt and lingering odours go away. So, it’s still wise to book professional upholstery cleaning and ensure your sofa is hygienic under its fresh new slipcover.

Read also: 6 Ways to Keep Furniture and Carpets Clean All Year Round