If there is something most people hate to do it may be cleaning a stain, especially if it is on sofa, armchair, or other item, that is impossible to cram in the laundry machine. It is just awful when you have to deal with a food or beverage spill on the freshly cleaned sofa, right? But if you are familiar with Murphy’s law you already know that a stain occurs MOSTLY when the upholstery has just been cleaned.

However, our cleaning experts shared a little secret: there is a way to spot-clean a stain without having to treat the whole item. All you need is iron and a few common household cleaning items and ingredients.

Check if the Upholstery Fabric

Before reaching to your iron it is good to know that not all fabrics can be cleaned using this procedure. Some kinds of upholstery are water sensitive and can be treated only by professional upholstery cleaner. If you think there could be any risk of damaging the fabric, better leave the stain removal to a cleaning company. If you have already cleaned your furniture by yourself and you are sure it can be water treated continue reading.

Recipe #1: Vinegar and Water

You will need:

• Dull knife/Spatula/Hard brush
• White distilled vinegar
• Water
• Clean cotton rags or towels
• Spray bottle
• Iron

Instructions:

Make a solution from 1 part distilled vinegar and 3 parts lukewarm water. Pour it in a clean spray bottle. Turn on the iron and set it on medium temperature. Use the knife in case the stain is fresh and there is excessive dirt remaining on the fabric.

Spray onto the spot on the upholstery. Don’t use too much of the solution, just enough to cover evenly the stain. Let it stay like this for 2-3 minutes. Lay the towel on the stain and iron it. Iron gently and the stain will imprint onto the cloth. If you push the iron very hard – the stain will go deeper into the upholstery. Never set the temperature on maximum because instead of cleaning it you will seal the stain.

Recipe #2: Vinegar, and Water

You will need:

• Dull knife/Spatula/Hard brush
• Spot removing product
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Clean cloth
• Iron

Instructions:

Prepare a solution using 1 part stain remover and 3 parts water, pour in the spray bottle. Set the iron on high temperature, because you will be using the steam. Take a clean cloth, spray the mixture onto it, and lay it on the stain. Put the iron over the cloth and hold it pushing the steam button. Hold it like this for 5 minutes. The dirt should evaporate on the towel along with the stain-removing product.

Cleaning with iron is appropriate for fresh stains only. Don’t clean blood, red vine, blueberry and any other dark stains using iron. If you are dealing with grease spill sprinkle salt generously over the stain and let the salt absorb the oil, before using the iron.