Coates Total Money Makeover: $0.44 Couch Clean Up

My kids make a HUGE mess of our couches. We knew that would be the case and that's why we chose Microfiber upholstery. And it really is true...it's easy to clean--IF you catch the spill right away. Other wise you can run a cloth over the mess, but you can almost never get it completely clean.

And then there are the smells!

We use to rent a Rug Doctor each spring to clean our upholstery, but I recently tried something new and I love it even more.

All you need is:

A good vacuum
Baking Soda--likely the only thing you need to buy! And I got mine for $0.44 the other day.
Water
A washing machine and detergent

Step 1: Vacuum all the loose dirt off your cushions and frame

Step 2: Unzip the cusion covers and remove them. (Our seat cushions are foam, but our back cushions are filled with stuffing, so we used garbage bags to hold the stuffing while we cleaned).

Step 3: Throw your cushion covers into the washing machine (first make sure the dye in your fabric won't run). This is suppose to work for all microfiber material.

Step 4: While your upholstery is in the washing machine, use a damp cloth to clean the parts of your frame that can't go into the washing machine.

Step 5: Make sure that the couch is still damp...take a handful of baking soda and rub it all over the damp part of the couch.

Step 6: Trust me on this. Make a huge mess! Rub the baking soda into the fabric. It should make a flaky paste.

Step 7: Walk away. Leave the couch alone until the baking soda dries. We let ours sit overnight.

Step 8: While the soda is drying remove the upholstery from the washing machine and let it air dry. We like to use our dining room chairs for this.