How to Avoid Bleeding the Color of a Microfiber Couch When Cleaning

"D," "S" and "X" Tags

• 1

  Vacuum your entire microfiber couch if you see the "D," "S" or "X"label on your tag. Use a hand-held vacuum cleaner or a full-sized vacuum cleaner with a thin hose attachment.

• 2

  Scrub the microfiber with a soft cloth or brush to remove deeper layers of dirt. Keep your cleaning surface dry, and do not apply any water or cleaning solutions. Couches marked with a "D," "S" or "X" label are sensitive to moisture, so dry cleaning methods are essential.

• 3

  Wipe down the microfiber couch with a dry-cleaning solvent if vacuuming alone fails to remove all of the dirt from the surface. Do not use a dry-cleaning solvent on a couch with an "X" label. These couches have the highest level of sensitivity, and you must use dry brushes and vacuum cleaners only. Use the dry-cleaning solvent only for "D" and "S" couches.

"F" Tags

• 4

  Brush or vacuum your entire microfiber couch. No matter what tag you have on your couch, you should always begin with the least invasive cleaning method. If vacuuming or brushing does the trick, you can stop here. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.

• 5

  Apply a small amount of foam upholstery cleaner to a soft cloth. The "F" on your tag stands for "foam," meaning that the microfiber can withstand a foam treatment.

• 6

  Scrub a small, inconspicuous area of the couch (such as the underside of a cushion) to test for color-fastness. Even if the tag says that you can safely apply foam, it never hurts to check first. If the color remains intact, proceed to the next step.

• 7

  Scrub any stains or stubborn spots gently. Do not use foam to clean the entire microfiber couch, but spot-treat only as needed. Use a dry, soft cloth to gently wipe away the foam.

"W" Tags

• 8

  Apply a small amount of water-based upholstery cleaner to a soft cloth. The "W" on your tag stands for "water," meaning that the microfiber can handle water-based cleaners, as long as they are designated for upholstery.

• 9

  Scrub a small, inconspicuous area of the couch to test for color-fastness. If the color bleeds, do not proceed, but stick with dry cleaning methods. If the color remains intact, proceed to the next step.

• 10

  Spot-treat any stains or stubborn spots using your cloth. Use a second damp cloth to rinse. Do not saturate your cloth, but use as little water as you possibly can.