Use this handy hint if there’s a funky smell lurking in your couch: Sprinkle baking soda on the fabric and let it sit. Baking soda will help to release odors and break up some light stains in the fabric.
Cleaning a Couch With Baking Soda
Updated on Jan. 23, 2025
Upholstered furniture, like your sofa or couch, sees much more abuse than you might think. Whether it is rambunctious kids, food and beverage spills, or family pets sleeping there, your couch may begin to smell somewhat funky after a while. That’s why knowing how to clean a couch is a very useful skill to have in your repertoire, especially if you like to have people over regularly to catch up or watch movies.
Even though the task may seem daunting, you can get the smell out of your couch for next to nothing. You don’t need to call in a professional upholstery cleaning service or buy an upholstery spot cleaning machine to eliminate the odor or light stains on your couch. Try this simple hint instead. You only need some baking soda, a soft-bristled brush, and a handheld or upright vacuum with the proper attachment.
Baking soda might seem like an odd choice, but it’s actually quite a versatile substance. In addition to showing you how to use baking soda to clean your couch, we also spoke to Allen Rathey, the director of Indoor Health Councilâ„¢, to find out why baking soda is so effective.
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How to Clean a Couch with Baking Soda
- If the cushions on the couch are removable, remove them and set them aside.
- Use your hand-held vacuum cleaner or vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment to remove any standing dirt or pet hair from the cushions and cushion-less couch.
- Spread a generous layer of baking soda evenly over the entire surface of the couch and on both sides of each cushion.
- Work the baking soda powder gently into the fabric with an upholstery cleaning brush or any other clean, soft-bristled brush. To avoid damaging the upholstery, do not use a stiff-bristled brush or brush it against the fabric’s grain.
- Allow the baking soda to rest and absorb odors for 20 minutes to an hour (wait longer if the odor is abnormally strong).
- Using your handheld vacuum or vacuum cleaner with its upholstery attachment, meticulously vacuum up all the baking soda powder from the entire surface of the couch and cushions. Then, replace the cushions in their original positions.
That’s all there is to it! Your couch will not only look great but also smell great.
This method effectively removes odors from most upholstered fabric furniture, such as sofas, armchairs, dining room sets, and even vehicle seats.
What Makes Baking Soda Such an Effective Cleaner?
Baking soda is a jack of all trades. Besides being one of the most effective tools for cleaning couches, upholstery, fabrics, and carpets, baking soda can be used to clean bathroom tiles, absorb odors from footwear or litter boxes, polish silverware, and even act as an antacid. Rathey cautions that “since couch materials vary, test first in an inconspicuous spot.”
Baking soda is so versatile because it is a mild alkali. Rathey states that it sits at 8.3 on the pH scale. The non-toxic powder absorbs moisture and neutralizes the pH of odor-causing substances, mold or mildew, or stomach acidity.
About the Expert
Allen Rathey is the director of Indoor Health Councilâ„¢, an organization dedicated to connecting cleaning with science and public health.
