Hello, sofa – the office’s comfiest refuge. The best spot for a sandwich. A quiet place to tackle the noisy tasks in your brain. Your tea break’s only other requirement – except for maybe a few biscuits.
We all love office sofas, where colleagues collaborate, share lunches, and snatch a few moments of peace on a hectic day. But all those bums, lunches, teas, and feet up on the cushions (tsk tsk, at least take your shoes off, people!) make office sofas a magnet for filth.
Cleaning office soft furnishings helps in a lot of ways – it makes your furniture last longer, maintains a professional image, and keeps your team clean and safe. Nobody wants to sit on a stained or grubby sofa, do they?
So, let’s walk you through the essentials of cleaning office sofas, to keep them looking (and smelling) their best.
Tackling office sofa cleaning
Before getting into cleaning methods, you’ve got to know what you’re dealing with. Office soft furnishings face slightly different challenges compared to your home furniture. For one, your home sofa gets a lot less traffic – if you’re not throwing parties every day, that is. And most people don’t wear shoes in their houses or put them up on their sofas, or eat lunch on them every single day.
Office sofas have to face all the dirt, mud and dust from outside – not to mention pollen, dead skin, as well as clothing and paper fibres.
They have to face an onslaught of spills: coffee, tea, ink, and lunchtime mishaps. Crumbs can be smooshed into the fabric, or get mouldy when they slip through the cracks under cushions.
Oils in skin and hair can build up over time, creating dull patches and attracting more dirt. And while cleaning up after an office party, you’ll probably notice a lot more grime on the office sofas than usual.
It’s a tough life, being an office sofa. But, when well taken care of, all of this can be dealt with – leaving your office sofa clean and ready for a nice sit down.
Before you clean – always check the fabric care label
Before applying any cleaning products, check the care label. Usually, it’s hidden under the cushions. Follow this like it’ll save your life – and you won’t have any problems with shrinking, discolouration, or fabric damage!
Your essential cleaning toolkit
To tackle sofa cleaning effectively, it’s helpful to have a few key items to hand:
- A powerful hoover with an upholstery attachment
- Clean, white, microfibre cloths (coloured cloths can stain light fabrics!)
- A clean, soft-bristled toothbrush for agitating stains
- White vinegar and baking soda
- A mild washing up liquid
- Commercial upholstery cleaner that match your sofa’s fabric care instructions
- Clean, lukewarm water
Daily, weekly, and deep cleaning for office sofas
A proactive cleaning routine prevents the buildup of dirt, and makes stains easier to remove (because they’ll have less chance of being caked in).
The simplest and most effective thing you can do for your office sofas is to hoover them regularly. This should be done at least once a week, and maybe more frequently in areas like reception where clients and visitors will be sitting.
Use an upholstery attachment to thoroughly go over all surfaces: the seats, the backs, the arms, and the sides.
Don’t forget to remove all the cushions and hoover both sides of them – and pay special attention to all the crevices between the seat and the backrest, where crumbs and bits of food love to hide!
A quick daily plump and flip of the cushions can also help to distribute wear evenly.
A periodic deep clean
Even with regular hoovering, oils and dirt will accumulate. So, every three to six months, give your office sofas a deeper clean. For suitable fabrics, you can use a commercial upholstery shampoo (always test any cleaner on a small, inconspicuous area first to make sure it doesn’t cause staining).
Apply the cleaner according to the product instructions – working it into the fabric with a soft brush or cloth. Our pro tip is to avoid overwetting the fabric: use minimal moisture and work in small sections.
After cleaning, let the sofa dry completely.
You can open windows or use fans to speed up the process. A damp sofa can lead to mildew and a musty smell, which is worse than the dirt you started with!
For some sofa fabrics, you will need to use a solvent-based cleaner. These are widely available, but you’d probably be better off hiring a professional commercial cleaning service to make sure it’s done safely and effectively. Solvents can have strong fumes and be harmful to skin, and professionals know what they’re dealing with.
Spills
Coffee always spills when you need it most, and jam on toast always lands jam side down. Accidents happen – but as long you act quickly, stains can be successfully removed.
Read more: Common Office Stains & How to Clean Them
Pro tip: always blot, never rub – rubbing a spill will only push it deeper into the fabric and can damage the fibres. Keeping the affected area slightly moist with clean water can buy you extra time, if you need it.
For coffee and tea spills, blot up as much of the liquid as possible. After checking your fabric care label, mix a solution of one part mild washing-up liquid to ten parts warm water. Dip a cloth in the solution, wring it out so it’s only damp, and blot the stain. Follow by blotting with a cloth dipped in clean water to rinse – then blot dry with a clean, dry cloth.
What if a pen leaks on the sofa? We’re not going to sugarcoat it – this can be really tough…
You can try dabbing the stain with rubbing alcohol or a dedicated solvent-based stain remover (check the fabric label first!).
Place a clean cloth over the stain to absorb the ink as it lifts. You may need to repeat this process several times, and if the fabric is on the lighter side, you could be stuck with an inky patch. Just don’t scrub it, or you’ll spread it even wider!
Grease or oil from food needs a generous amount of baking soda to absorb it. Leave it for 15-20 minutes, then vacuum it away. A washing up liquid solution can help here, too – the detergent can lift out oils and greases quite effectively. Just remember to dab and dry, not scrub.
For mystery stains? Well, a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water can be remarkably effective. Lightly mist it onto the stain (do not soak), blot vigorously with a clean cloth, and allow to air dry. The vinegar smell will dissipate as it dries, but a dusting of baking soda can also neutralise it.
And if at any point you feel like you’re in over your head, then get in touch with a professional commercial cleaner – like our top team at The Abbey Cleaning Service!
Make your office sofas irresistable
Keep your office clean – with regular, professional office cleaning from The Abbey Cleaning Service. Call 029 2067 9323 today, and find out how we’ll help get your office clean, without disrupting your workday.
