Microfiber is a beautiful and affordable fabric that is durable. Because of these properties, it is fairly popular for couches, love seats, recliners, ottomans and chairs to be made using this material. However, one of the downsides to microfiber fabric is that it can be challenging to clean. Many cleaning products can leave marks behind, including water. The fabric may forever show water or chemical spots, indicating where a spill was. If you have this type of couch or chair, you may be wondering if you can clean it when it gets dirty. Follow these directions to properly clean your microfiber furniture. 

Brush It

If you own a microfiber couch or chair, it is recommended that you use a soft-bristled carpet brush to remove dirt, dust, pet hair and other debris. Depending on how often your furniture gets used, this should be done nightly or weekly. For example, chairs that you eat in should be brushed nightly to remove crumbs. A love seat that is rarely used may be able to go a week between brushings. Removing dirt and dust helps to remove items that can lead to staining or discoloration in the future. 

Vacuum It

While brushing helps to remove some of the dirt and dust from your furniture, it cannot remove everything. As such, the furniture should be vacuumed on a monthly basis. As you are vacuuming the couch, be sure to use the upholstery attachment for your vacuum cleaner. Using the wand alone may be rough on the material and cause scratches or imperfections. Be sure to reach around the edges or between seat cushions to suck up debris that is not removed while brushing. 

Use Windex to Remove Spots

If you do see a small spot or stain on the microfiber fabric, the best way to remove it is by spritzing the spot with either Windex or rubbing alcohol. Do not soak the area. Simply lightly spritz it and use your soft-bristled brush to brush the area. Some spots and stains will lift away. 

Brushing, vacuuming and removing small spots with Windex are all basic cleaning tips for your microfiber furniture. However, if a larger stain or spot is present, you may be unable to lift the spot yourself. In this case, you will want to hire an upholstery cleaning company. They can use steam or hot water extraction to help lift the stain or spot without leaving behind any signs that cleaning was done.