A few weeks before Christmas as I was deep cleaning the house, I noticed how dingy and dirty our light beige sofa was starting to look. I’ve tried spot cleaning some of the most heavily used areas (like the arms) with my spot cleaning machine, but I just felt like the entire sofa really needed a bath. It’s only about 2 ½ years old (you can see what it looked like when I first bought it here), and I assume it’s most likely not recommended to be washed in a washing machine by the maker. But… I discovered that the cushions DO have zippers, which makes them removable, and I really feel like they wouldn’t add a zipper if they weren’t meant to be removed and thrown in the washing machine… right?

That’s the hope I went with anyway, and I ended up removing all the covers and researching the best way to clean them. Here’s what I found…

I don’t know if you’ve seen the laundry stripping videos all over social media, but essentially…

LAUNDRY STRIPPING

is a deep cleaning method of soaking items in a homemade borax solution that removes built-up detergent or fabric softener residue, minerals from hard water, and body oils that have collected on your fabrics over time.

I decided to give it a shot, hoping I wasn’t about to completely ruin my expensive sofa. You can see in the photo below the dark shadow on the side cushion where dirt has built up… probably from the dogs… so gross. You’re not going to believe what happened…

How to Laundry Strip a Sofa

 

Vacuum the couch cushions

• Vacuum the cushions first to remove dirt, hair, and debris.

Remove the cushion covers

• Unzip and remove the cushion covers. You may want to turn them inside out to help protect the fabric. 

Pre-treat stains

• Use a stain remover safe for upholstery to pre-treat any stains before washing.

Wash first

• Wash the cushion covers first in the washing machine with detergent and cold water on the gentle cycle to remove dirt and grime. This will make it easier to remove build-up during the stripping process.

Fill a bathtub with detergent mixture

• Fill a bathtub with cold water and add: ¼ cup borax + ¼ cup washing soda + ½ cup powdered laundry detergent. Stir until the mixture is completely dissolved.

Soak the cushions 

• Submerge the cushion covers in the detergent mixture, and allow to soak for 4 hours to overnight, stirring occasionally. 

Transfer to washing machine

• Drain the bathtub, and gently wring excess water from the covers. Transfer to the washing machine, and wash with cold water on the gentle cycle. 

Allow to air dry

• Lay the cushion covers flat to air dry – a heated dryer may shrink them. While they are still just slightly damp, put the covers back on the cushions, as they will be a little easier to stretch while damp. This will also help smooth out any wrinkles as they finish drying.

– If using this laundry stripping method on other fabrics in your home that can tolerate heat, use very hot water when filling your tub for the best results.

 

I am equally disgusted and impressed, but I know I will definitely being doing this once or twice a year from now on. This laundry stripping process works on all kinds of fabrics in your home – clothing, sheets, towels, blankets, and more. Just make sure to use hot water when soaking if the fabric is able to handle it for the best results!

Have you tried laundry stripping anything before? Did you use anything different? What were your results? 

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