If you have a microfiber couch, you know that they are oh-so-comfy, but there is one serious downside: they can stain easily.
If you have found yourself frantically googling how to get stains out of a couch, don’t worry—I’ve got the solution for you! This post will show you exactly how to clean a microfiber couch, even if it’s a really tough stain. The best part is this solution is chemical-free and safe to use around children and pets.
How to Get Stains Out of a Couch
Last week I shared how to clean a microfiber couch and even remove pen and marker from microfiber (thanks to our helpful kiddos.)
But what happens when the usual method doesn’t work? If you have kids and a microfiber couch, you’ve probably seen some tough stains that refuse to leave no matter how hard you scrub them with the usual method. What do you do then?
I discovered an awesome solution that effectively removes really tough set-in stains from microfiber. The awesome part is this tough stain-removing method has no harsh chemicals – so you can safely clean your microfiber fabric around your children and pets.
How to Get Stains Out of Couch with Baking Soda
Are you ready to learn the secret to removing tough stains from microfiber?
The secret formula isn’t that secret. I mean, the heading above kind of gives it away. 😉 It’s really simple and you’re almost sure to already have the ingredients.
It’s baking soda and water.
All you need to do is make a paste using more baking soda than water. It should be on the thicker side.
Test Out on a Small Inconspicuous Area
Note: Just like when cleaning any material, you should test this on an inconspicuous area before trying it on a large section, just to make sure it won’t discolor or damage it.
I had absolutely no issues on my light brown couch and the material is perfectly fine or I wouldn’t recommend this method. I also felt that my couch was already somewhat ruined and if my little baking soda trick discolored it slightly, it was still an improvement over the previous yucky stains. But thankfully there was no discoloration or issue at all.
How to Get Stains Out of a Couch
Here are a couple of nasty stains on our couch – I don’t know how/why/what it is (and I really don’t want to know) but I did know that no amount of normal cleaning helped.
{Naturally, my youngest decided to mark up the stains further with a marker. Why not just make it more obvious, you know?}
Rub the Paste on the Stain
Once you’ve spot-tested the area and made sure the baking soda paste won’t permanently stain your sofa, let’s tackle the stains. All you need to do is rub the baking soda paste in a circular motion on the stain.
Keep rubbing and rubbing and gradually the mark will disappear.
I just use my finger to do it, but you could use a toothbrush or a rag if you would like. See how it’s coming off?
I think the grit in the baking soda helps release the stain in a way that usual cleaning methods don’t.
Remove the Paste
Once the stain is removed, you’ll want to dab a clean cleaning rag in some water. Then use it to scrub the area and remove any of the baking soda that was left behind.
Let the Couch Dry
At this point, you’ll notice that the spot is noticeably darker than the rest of the couch. With any luck, this is just from being damp. As it dries, the spot should fade and disappear.
The area may feel a bit stiff compared to the rest of the couch. To fix this, all you need to do is brush the area with circular motions to bring the softness back. It sounds odd, but It really does work!
The stain should be completely gone by now.
Repeat if Necessary
If it’s not – don’t panic. It doesn’t mean this trick hasn’t worked. Sometimes it’s hard to see when you’re cleaning microfiber, so just try another round of baking soda/water paste.
I can’t make any guarantees that this method of cleaning stains off a microfiber couch will work for absolutely everything, but I will say it’s worked for everything I’ve personally tried. So give it a shot, what have you got to lose?
Pin the image below to find the instructions for cleaning your couch later.
Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says
I tried this and it removed some of the stains, but not all of them sadly. At least they are not as bad as they were 🙂
Erika says
Did you make a baking soda paste? It has to be mostly baking soda to work- I first tried a little baking soda with more water and that did nothing – there has to be a lot of baking soda for the grit to remove the stain. I haven’t found a stain yet it won’t take out!
Esbeida Depaz says
What about possible finger nail polish clear?
debora says
I just tried it. Brand new dining room set chair with dye or ink…imma not sure, but it came out right away. Yes you have to make it pasty. Really works! Thank you!!!
Nancy @ Whispered Inspirations says
I need this, my couches are looking a different color. Baking soda?? So trying this.
Stacey- Travel Blogger says
Baking soda has so many uses! I have a few stains I should try this on!
mykidsguide says
Baking soda is like magic. I use it everywhere in the house. I am glad you were able to remove stains
Marcie W. says
This is amazing and I can not believe you did it naturally without using a cleaner with harsh chemicals. I will definitely be sharing this amongst friends.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
I need to do this to my couch but it’s not microfiber. Having 5 kids our couch is a wreck!
Erika says
I’m sure you could try it on a regular couch too. Just try a little on a spot it won’t be noticed and see how it works. Good luck!
Shauna says
This is so super-awesome. I need to do my WHOLE couch in baking soda and water. LOL. Do you know if it works on older stains??
Erika says
It wouldn’t hurt to try. (And I waited over a month to tackle the nasty stains I showed in this post and it worked!)
Liz Mays says
You know, that’s a really good idea. I need to go do a check on my furniture and see if there is anything I can remove.
Aimee SMith says
We have microfiber couches and this is so good to know! Do you have any problems with it leaving water rings behind?
Erika says
Yes one time when I used too much water as I washed the baking soda off, but I just used the rubbing alcohol trick to clean that.
Jenny says
What is the rubbing alcohol trick for water rings?
Erika says
Hi Jenny, here you go – https://livingwellmom.com/clean-microfiber-couch/
elizabeth says
I know I’m super late to these posts, but, I have two boys, 4 & 2, who love to smear all kinds of junk on our microfiber couch. I’ve been toying with the idea of washing the covers in the washer before going further to spot-clean them. We’ve had this couch almost as long as our oldest child and I haven’t cleaned it once 🙁 I know, I’m a horrid housekeeper. I was thinking of using baking soda and vinegar in the washer to clean the covers first and then spot cleaning, after taking out of the washer. Have you tried anything like that before? I haven’t seen it done anywhere yet. I might just start with one of the throw pillows that came with the couch before moving on to the whole thing
Erica Dana says
My young son chose to use black magic marker to draw circles ALL OVER our light brown microsuede sectional. I figured I had nothing to lose so I took the covers off of the couch cushions and pillows, threw them INSIDE OUT into the wash, set the water for hot and used a Tide pod. When the covers came out of the washing machine, they were perfectly cleaned. I even put them in the dryer on high heat without any problems at all. Microsuede is the way to go! My couch has seen dogs, cats, kids, markers, even red wine and I’ve never had a stain to not come out!
Erika says
That’s great, Erica! Thanks for the tip, especially about keeping them INSIDE out!
Angie says
What would be the best way to get red candle wax out of a microfiber couch? I could really use some advice…please???
DeeJay Gaugh says
I’ve use Goo Gone on crayon and it worked great!!! I placed the goo gone on a rag vs applying directly to my couch when this happened to me and it left no stain. However, I would still test your furniture before hand on a hidden spot to make certain it didn’t change the color in yours.
Corissa says
I’ve used rubbing alcohol to remove water stains. But, they seem to just come back in a few months. Any suggestions?
Merlyn says
I had grease from potato chips on my couch…….this worked…….one whole cusion on my couch was stained from potato chips where they were sat on……thank you so much for sharing an May God richly bless you!!!!
Erika says
Thank you, Merlyn! I’m so glad this helped you and may God bless you too. 🙂
Helen says
Melted ice cream and whipped cream fell and splattered on my rocking chair. I tried whipping down with warm water and it didn’t work. Next I tried dawn soap and it seems to have made it worse. I am going to try this solution to save my rocking chair.
Annika says
Unfortunately I used this method (though i think I used too much water and did not get the remainder of the baking soda off well enough) and it had a lightening effect so my couch is much worse off than before. I am extremely sad and frustrated. 🙁
Edwin Gonzalez says
Some fire smoke ruin how sofas. We have a furniture a dark chocolate set how do I remove the smoke fire smoke furniture?
Erika says
Hi Edwin, I’ve never dealt with smoke damage with furniture. You could try some of the tips I shared here or continue googling for more info. Good luck!
Alicia Hursley says
It truly is amazing what baking soda can do. I had some tougher pet stains on my couch and this tip worked remarkably to remove them. Thank you!
Carol says
This method cleaned my 16 year old beige microfibre couches better than any methods I have used over the years. Got rid of spots that I thought were permanent. I used rubber gloves and rubbed the baking soda paste all over the seat cushions. I couldn’t believe how quickly my rinse water got dirty. The best part was brushing it up after it dried and seeing it looking almost new again! I also gave it a good vacuuming in case there was residual paste left on. Thank you!!
Erika says
I’m glad to hear it, Carol!
Dorinda says
My husband just passed away from cancer. Before they inserted a catheter, he had a couple of accidents in the bed. Now there are yellow pee stains all over the mattress. Do you think this would take the stains out? What about the smell? I know you can use baking soda to get smells out of dishes that have had spicy food in them, so i would think it should work.
Erika says
I am so sorry for your loss. Baking soda should help get rid of the smell. I have removed animal pee from our couch with this method so it should work.
Diane says
Hi Erika. I have an oil stain on the seat of my microfiber sofa from oily Greek dressing spilling! It dripped on top and over the side of the cushion. (quite a bit!) Do you think this baking soda method would work on this stain? I tried cleaning it with soap and water and now have a ring around the oil stains!
Thanks!
Erika says
It’s worth trying – I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think it would hurt. Good luck!