How do I freshen up fabric furniture?
Reviving tired fabric furniture between deep cleans — deodorising, de-bobbling and reshaping cushions.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 1 hr
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Vacuum thoroughly, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over the fabric and leave it an hour before vacuuming again, then plump and rotate the cushions. A fabric shaver removes bobbling and makes an old sofa look considerably better for a few pounds.
Most tired-looking fabric furniture is not dirty so much as flattened, bobbled and slightly stale. Those three things have easy fixes that do not involve wetting the fabric at all, which is the risky part of upholstery cleaning.
What you'll need
- Vacuum with upholstery tool
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Fabric shaver (optional)
- Upholstery brush (optional)
Step by step
- Take the cushions off and vacuum everything, including the frame and crevices.Grit in the fabric abrades the fibres every time someone sits down.
- Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over the fabric surfaces.A sieve gives an even layer. It absorbs odour and some surface moisture.
- Leave it at least an hour, then vacuum thoroughly.Go over it twice — it works into the weave more than expected.
- Run a fabric shaver over any bobbled areas.Arms and seat fronts bobble first. This makes more visible difference than anything else on the list.
- Plump the cushions by beating them on both sides and reshaping the corners.Foam and fibre both compress. Beating redistributes the filling.
- Rotate and flip cushions so wear spreads evenly.Do this monthly and cushions keep their shape years longer.
- Brush the fabric in one direction with an upholstery brush.It lifts the pile and evens out the appearance, particularly on velvet and chenille.
Tips
- Check whether the covers are removable and washable — many are, and it transforms a tired sofa.
- Direct sunlight fades upholstery unevenly. Rotating cushions helps; moving the sofa or using blinds helps more.
- Do this monthly and you will need a proper deep clean far less often.
Common mistakes
- Wetting fabric without checking the cleaning code — Water on an S-coded fabric leaves permanent rings.
- Picking at bobbles — It pulls fibres out and thins the fabric. A fabric shaver cuts them cleanly.
- Never rotating cushions — One seat wears out while the others stay new, which is what makes a sofa look old.
Questions people ask
How do I get rid of bobbling on a sofa?
A battery fabric shaver, used lightly over the affected areas. It cuts the bobbles off rather than pulling them, and it costs very little.
Does bicarbonate of soda actually deodorise fabric?
Yes, for general staleness — it absorbs odour compounds and moisture. It will not remove an active source such as a pet accident, which needs an enzyme cleaner.