Getting Rid Of Musty Smell From Upholstery

Getting Rid Of Musty Smell From Upholstery – Upholstery gets musty over time, especially with improper cleaning and poor maintenance. But, ensuring that your upholstery smells fresh and clean will require professional assistance.

Beyond that, you will also do some essential cleaning works and pack yourself with a sack of patience. Most of you will automatically head to the grocery store and look for cleaning products to remove the musty smell in your upholstery.

But, not using these products properly may worsen the smell. But worry no more as there are always effective cleaning techniques to manage disgusting smells in your furniture. Read on – Getting Rid Of Musty Smell From Upholstery

Using A Steam Cleaner Or Steam Cleaning Solution

First on the list is getting rid of the musty smell in your couch using a steam cleaner. This works in most types of upholstery and ensures that odor-causing bacteria and germs are eliminated.

A steam cleaner also works great for removing nasty cat pee smell from your couch or flooring.

Steam cleaning is also ideal for getting rid of stubborn odors caused by pet pee. This is a perfect solution for removing the foul smell in fabric upholstery. You may also add your favorite steam cleaner shampoo for a more extensive deodorizing process.

If you deal with string fabric stench or stinky smell caused by food, spread baking soda through your upholstery. Leave it for an hour before vacuuming. When done correctly, you will surely enjoy lying down on your couch.

Use Borax To Manage Foul Stench

If you have tried almost everything but still smell the stubborn odor in your upholstery, you must check the foam condition. Removing the smell from cushion foams may require some basic work. Here are the things you should do:

• Unzip your cushions and remove the foam
  
• Move the foam outdoors and let it sit under the sun for three hours. This is effective for killing bacteria.
  
• It would be best to wash their covers if you have fabric upholsteries. Make sure to follow the washing instructions or guidelines provided by the manufacturer.
  
• Prepare warm water in a bowl and add a mixture of detergent powder and a cup of borax.
  
• Soak the cushions to the mixture and dry them properly to prevent shrinkage.
  
• Dry the foam using a vacuum.

Use Rubbing Alcohol And Vinegar To Remove Foul Odor In Your Upholstery

White vinegar is good for removing foul smells caused by cat urine. On the other hand, rubbing alcohol is an excellent solution to kill odor-causing bacteria. You can combine white vinegar and rubbing alcohol to bring back the fresh smell of your upholstery.

You may also consider adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the solution. Aside from freshening up your couch, the essential oil can mask the strong vinegar scent.

To create this solution, you will need:

• A spray bottle
• Paper cloth
• Essential oil of your choice
• Rubbing alcohol
• White vinegar
• Water

Combine white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, water, and essential oil into a spray bottle. Shake the solution for a few minutes to combine. Remove the cushions from your upholstery and take them outside.

After that, you can now start spraying the deodorizer throughout your entire upholstery. Make sure that the solution reaches each side of your couch. You can use a paper towel or clean cloth to blot the extra moisture.

Deodorize Your Leather Upholstery Using Lemon

Among the different types of upholstery available, a leather couch absorbs pet or body odor quickly. You can get rid of it using basic materials readily available in your kitchen. One of these is lemon.

You can squeeze a lemon into a bowl and mix it with water. This will help you properly deal with your upholstery’s musty smell without spending a fortune. Beyond that, this is also an excellent solution for removing foul odor caused by mildew and mold.

To use lemon to deodorize your upholstery, the first thing you should do is to detach the back cushions and seats. Soak a clean cloth in lemon and rub it through your upholstery surface. This is a good solution for removing nasty smells because of its neutralizing components.

When using a lemon solution, make sure to remove it a few minutes after applying. This is because lemon contains bleaching components that could damage the color of your furniture. Take note that this solution only works with leather upholstery.

Dry Your Wet Upholstery

In most cases, a foul smell in your upholstery is caused by wet upholstered furniture. This might be the main problem of homeowners in Singapore since the country has a long rainy season. If left damp and undried, the moisture will cause mold and mildew.

Thus, the first thing you should do is ensure that your upholstered sofa is dry. To do this, you must remove all the back and seat cushions. Take them outdoors and let the sun dry them naturally. When the upholstery has been dried completely, apply this solution that contains:

• Distilled vinegar
• Freshwater
• Essential oil

After combining the three ingredients:

• Soak a cotton towel into the solution.
• Rub the solution through the affected areas gently.
• Let the solution sit for a few minutes to evaporate the foul odor.
• Dry your upholstery with a dryer.

This solution may contain bleaching components. Thus, test it in the back part of your upholstery to check for possible discoloration.

Clean Your Upholstery Regularly

The best tip to ensure that your upholstery smells excellent is to clean it regularly. It would be best to clean your upholstery as frequently as one week. Vacuum your fabric couch every Sunday or rub your leather upholstery every Saturday.

Getting Rid Of Musty Smell From Upholstery – Final Thoughts

When you reach this section, you know that you can eliminate the musty smell from upholstery using inexpensive materials. No matter how severe the scent of your couch is, you can create a DIY deodorizing solution using ingredients you can find in your kitchen.

On the other hand, you may hire professionals if you don’t have enough time to clean and deodorize your upholstery.

But remember that cleaning companies may charge you higher than expected. You can rest assured that they will leave your upholstery with a fresh smell.