Homeowners Struggle with Cleaning & Maintenance
Users are seeking advice and solutions for cleaning various household items, surfaces, and appliances. Common issues include stubborn stains, difficult-to-reach areas, and concerns about damage during the cleaning process.
SOURCES (60)
“I’m thinking about buying this couch for $300 and I’m wondering if it’s worth my time and energy to try to clean it. MSRP $1400. Will cleaning even work on this? submitted by /u/jansenweddings [link] [comments]”
“The stains aren't from one specific occasion, just years worth of accumulation. The cushion covers are removable, but I'm hesitant to put them in the washing machine because the inside feels like a felt material. Additionally, there's stains on the side upholstery that wouldn't be able to go in a machine anyway. There are no cleaning instruction tags included. Any tips are welcome submitted by /u/bluedog204 [link] [comments]”
“Today while I was attempting to catch a spider on the ceiling the broom I was holding fell out of my hands and landed on the couch cushion. This broom in particular is the one I use to sweep up cat litter and since it landed on the couch cushion it really grossed me out so I sprayed it with Lysol spray and just kind of dapped up the left over fur and litter with a napkin. I don’t think it’s clean enough so my question is what cleaning product would be best to use on the couch? (and yeah it’s my”
“I don’t wanna damage the leather not sure what products to use submitted by /u/ViolinistCurrent413 [link] [comments]”
“im posting this on my main now bc I got accused of being a karma farming bot but I posted on hear a few hours ago asking if my couch can be saved from the mold that’s on it, my mom saw somone on YouTube spray vinegar on a moldy couch and it worked to make it disappear, but my concern is that like…it feels too moldy now. But she’s unconvinced and swears it’s gonna fix it.. and like ig i never know so I’ll try it anyways but is there a good chance ? Idek rn. And also some people said check for mol”
“Hello. I just bought a cleaning machine for my mattresses and sofas. What chemical/mixture can I use on these and how long do I have to let it sit? Thank youuuu! submitted by /u/geytor-ali [link] [comments]”
“Hello. I just bought a cleaning machine for my mattresses and sofas. What chemical/mixture can I use on these and how long do I have to let it sit? Thank youuuu! submitted by /u/geytor-ali [link] [comments]”
“Hello! We have a 1500 sq ft, two story, single family home. We are two young kids and two adults and no pets. I’m a teacher and during the school year I am soooo busy and I would rather prioritize quality time with my kids when I’m not at work but also I want our house to be cleaner! And also I haaaate mopping. What would you recommend: 1) A mop/vacuum combo Roomba for about $600 (can we use it on both floors? Do the combo ones work well?) 2) A cleaner who comes for two hours every two weeks, ab”
“Pest control came in and left a dark stain on my couch. I'm guessing he sat on it. It came out partially with a Lysol wipe. Any advice on removing this? submitted by /u/Inevitable-Mud3349 [link] [comments]”
“hello everyone. i am a college student and bought this couch secondhand from someone. they completely left out the fact that the couch is severely stained. i have tried steam cleaning it 3x and bought stain removers. nothing has worked. i bought some couch covers online that look 1000x better. however, i am not sure how to fix the stains on the very base of the couch. the covers are only for the cushions and can not go over the entire couch. any tips? i thought about maybe buying fabric and stap”
“Hi friends! :) We just moved into our forever/dream home and really want to take care of it properly from the beginning! There are a few materials we’ve never had before, so I’d love all the tips, products, routines, and things to avoid. Some of the main surfaces we have: Taj Mahal quartzite countertops Wood floors Stainless steel sinks + appliances Glass shower doors Lots of windows/glass What products do you swear by? How often do you deep clean, polish, seal, etc.? I’d especially love prevent”
“I inherited this couch from a friend whose Nan passed on. Her house was always well kept, no moisture or mold issues according to the friend. It's a really nicely kept and 80s as hell piece. In the light of the nans house, it looked almost perfect if not slightly faded. I'm doing a once over with some light green machining. Really light upholstery cleaner with an inoffensive scent. Might have been scotchgarded at some point since it resists moisture. I don't know why it isn't com”
“I am currently at war with my rugs, I need help. For context growing up my family only had hardwood floors and no rugs. I am not accustomed to vacuuming rugs. Now I have 2 runners and 2 area rugs in my apartment. My bf and I were gifted a bissell vacuum specifically for pet hair that we have been using the past couple years. I sweep the hard wood every other day and my bf extensively vacuums at least weekly. The problem is every time I am bare foot I get crumbs and cat hair all over my feet. It’”
“Hey everyone. Ive been searching but havent gotten a solid answer. I have light beige fabric couches and live in the Carolinas so there is lots of red clay in the area. A year ago my roommate moved her dog in and he has turned my couches complete red. Is there a way to get this out? I called a local couch cleaner and they said they could clean it but theyre a steaming company and ive read that steaming clay actually makes it worse. Is there anyway to safely remove the red stains on my couches? &”
“I have a crappy faux leather couch. It’s begun to fall apart (finish is peeling, getting worse). It needs a slip cover badly. I got one that’s something like microfiber but after 2 days on the couch it STINKS. And washing it is a multiple day process because it requires washing, drying, then line airing in the sun to kill the smell. I also have a picnic blanket of sorts that has one side with a wipeable surface that I like for overnight and when we’re away that the dogs can lay on. It also absor”
“I was cleaning my living room last weekend and noticed that the area behind my sofa looked much dirtier than I expected. I usually vacuum the main floor regularly, but I almost never move the furniture. I pulled the sofa forward and found dust, crumbs, and a few things I thought I had lost months ago. It honestly made me realize how easy it is to clean the areas we see while completely forgetting about the hidden ones. Now I’m thinking about moving one piece of furniture each week and cleaning u”
“I have a kid and a dog, so my couch and rugs are basically never clean for long. I used to just blot spills with a towel, spray something on them and tell myself I'd properly clean it later. Obviously later rarely happened lol. Getting a little fabric cleaner actually changed that. Now if the dog has an accident or my kid spills something, I just clean that spot right away and move on. Way less annoying than letting it sit there until I have to deal with the whole rug. The other surprise was”
“I had a friend house-sit for me for two weeks and he left the place a total mess. I've learned that he doesn't really pay attention to hygiene when left to his own devices, so my couch and bamboo sleeping mat both feel a bit contaminated right now. Looking for advice on how to clean both. I use this bamboo sleeping mat (picture from product page attached) in the summers. He did not want to sleep on my couch or an airbed so he used this on the ground the whole time. I'm fairly certain”
“This stain has been here on the couch for a few years and it's pretty baked in by the sun that hits it. The couch is an IKEA Vimle and has a rough texture which probably doesn't help. The original stain I think was from a soda and water. I have tried cleaning with some Pro foam you can see in the photo as well as some water but it's seems to have just spread it. We are moving out soon so would appreciate any tips please!! submitted by /u/Formal_Growth_4843 [link] [c”
“Have had this sectional for about 3 years. In that time it has only had normal use, no spills/stains/pet accidents but I am not exactly sure how to clean this material. The couch cushions to sit on don’t come out but the case covers on the top pieces do. They don’t have any tags inside to say if they’re washable. As for the rest of the sectional, what’s the best way to clean something like this? Is baking soda with a couch cleaning solution the best way with spot treatment? Or can you use a vacu”
“Hello! I recently purchased these items for my daughter and they arrived a little grungy and have a musty smell (thanks eBay). Any advice for cleaning? Warm damp rag and sun? 50/50 water alcohol solution spray? Cut my losses? Let me know if additional information is needed! submitted by /u/such_corn [link] [comments]”
“Any tips for cleaning a door mat? My door mat is caked with dog hair and grass. I don’t want to keep purchasing a new one but I’m not sure how to clean it. submitted by /u/ladydoodleface [link] [comments]”
“We bought sofa from marketplace & it is very itchy. Yesterday after leaving the couch I was itchy for about 30-40 minutes. Not sure if cleaning might help or it’s just the fabric type. I am attaching a close photo of the fabric. We hav tri cleaning yet, but I will vacuum it & try removing some lint to see if it helps. Any suggestions or similar experiences? submitted by /u/Minimum-Instance-444 [link] [comments]”
“Is this accumulated dirt or something else? And how do i clean/treat it? submitted by /u/superdabi [link] [comments]”
“took a nap on the couch, and got makeup on it. tips for cleaning? i dont wanna do anything that might make it worse submitted by /u/CutePenguin1968 [link] [comments]”
“Hello, I’m looking to buy a spot cleaner because I’ve had my sofa for two years and would like to give it a deep clean. I’ve also just bought an exhibition/display rug at a very low price, but it’s quite dirty and I’d like to clean it thoroughly. I’ve seen several different brands and models, including Shark, the BISSELL Clean Pro, and Valberg, but I’m having a hard time deciding which one to choose. Which spot cleaner would you recommend? I’m mainly looking for something powerful and effective”
“I googled "How to clean Snorlax bean bag chair" and the results were mixed and complicated, so apropos of nothing, I just wanted to post here what I did! So other people googling it might see! I know this is hyper-specific and maybe a bit obvious, but I hope it helps someone or provides a little sense of validation regardless. :) My Snorlax bean bag has no zipper and I didn't want to de-bean it or deal with sewing in a new zipper (though I might someday) SO I took it to the nearest”
“I’m looking for a good upholstery cleaner for my sofa and a couple of fabric chairs that have picked up quite a few stains and general dirt over time. I’ve tried a few basic fabric cleaners before, but some either didn’t do much or left the fabric feeling a bit stiff afterward. I’d prefer something that actually cleans well, removes stains and odors, and is safe to use on different types of upholstery without causing discoloration. I’m open to both a spray/cleaning solution and a portable uphols”
“Any suggestions on how to help with creating a routine for cleaning? Currently we clean the house once a week with the robot hoover coming out once a day to hover the downstairs. And we clean the kitchen when it needs. The issue is it comes to a month mark and I wait for my housemate to work his weekend so I can bliz the place as there are areas which he is blind to. He does have ADHD so I tend to have to highlight the mess in areas or if something is kinda disgusting. Both of us are good with r”
“Still works well, and has been in the living room for a good 10/15 years. There was a sort of cover over it and we’re a clean family so it was always vacuumed and kept clean. But it’s being given to a family member moving into a new house and we wanna just freshen it up. Again it’s not dirty but any tips to give it some life would be much appreciated 🙏🏼 submitted by /u/Metalhead831 [link] [comments]”
“Taken good care of this couch for over a year. Unfortunately it’s finally showing signs of body oils from being used, any tips on getting this type of material cleaned would be amazing! submitted by /u/Simplysupreme_ [link] [comments]”
“Any tips for cleaning these food stains? Theres no tag on it so I don’t know if I can zip it off and wash it. submitted by /u/CalligrapherGood3877 [link] [comments]”
“Does anybody have tips for cleaning the part of this chair that has palm trees on it without possibly damaging the design? submitted by /u/Fun_Implement2379 [link] [comments]”
“Having trouble figuring out the best way to clean this type of fabric. I tried an upholstery cleaner that has a little brush on the end but it just kind of rubbed the fabric and starting causing lint balls. I tried a wet rag with dish soap and that didn’t do much. Any help would be appreciated. submitted by /u/jazzy_de [link] [comments]”
“Hi all, I have this couch (purchased used) and I’m wanting to clean it, but I’m not finding any instructions on how to wash the cushion covers. I’d love to throw them in the washer, and my default would be on cold water inside out. But I don’t want to ruin it. I have also tried to look up the washing instructions but I cannot find anything. Can anyone help with whether I can machine wash these cushions? submitted by /u/Practical-Glove-1238 [link] [comments]”
“Hi guys, Just moved into a new place and want to do a deep clean, any advice appreciated 🙏 THANK YOU submitted by /u/A_hallucination [link] [comments]”
“How can I make this look better… tried polish conditioner cleaner…. submitted by /u/Saltlife0116 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all, My husband and I are moving out of our rented flat soon, and need to fix up the couch before we leave. We're not sure what the material is, but literally all the stains on it are from water(!), and one mark from a bag of (sealed) frozen fruit that was left out by accident. I've attached some pics. Any ideas for how to get rid of this? Our landlord will probably keep our entire £3K deposit if the couch is not clean, which would be very annoying given these are just water and the c”
“The robot vacuum is shipping to the house. I’d rather not stress out my boy and also keep this investment in tact. Any tips on how to make the robot a positive in his life, rather than something to destroy? submitted by /u/RedValentino [link] [comments]”
“I'm not sure what to use on my M-I-L'S old dining room table set. A tag on the underside says All new materials including polyurethane foam pad. submitted by /u/Global-Homework7896 [link] [comments]”
“Has anyone recently purchased a small carpet and upholstery cleaner they loved ? A hose attachment is a must for me- honestly more important than the laying it over a spot to clean on its own as I hope to be eliminating carpeting in my home in the next couple years and my previous machines always left big wet spots around the circle to mop up. Being able to use a compact machine instead of my huge upright machine to deal with pet messes in the middle of the night on furniture, carpeted stairs, e”
“Hi! I have a relative large milk stain on my sofa. It’s a togo with soft fabric. The stain is dry now. Anyone had any tips? submitted by /u/ieriii [link] [comments]”
“So tired of cleaning my rug! I'm looking for a washable rug that's as low-maintenance as possible for everyday life. submitted by /u/LiiiLoisiane_-_ [link] [comments]”
“Got this white couch from a friend that they barely used but after about 5 months of having it, I would like to clean it but am stumped. Yes, I know it says no machine or anything else except spot clean but sweat stains (thanks to roommate🙄) are starting to appear and I need to clean this a a whole. It doesn’t say the material so I was thinking of hand washing in a bin and hanging it out to dry. Or testing the small pillowcases in the washer and letting it hang out to dry. Any suggestions?  ”
“Any tips on how to improve performance? It’s about 3-4 years old and wasn’t working well so I found that there was a bunch of hair clogging the intake just past the brushes. I cleaned that, cleaned the brushes and the main collection bin. I checked the filter at the top and it looks practically new. It’s working better since I cleaned the hair clogging but it’s still not working as well as it did. submitted by /u/Automatic_Catch_7467 [link] [comments]”
“I am in need of a vacuum for carpet. I've had vacuums over time, but never really had something that cleans well. Does anyone have suggestions on brands, or where to look? thank you. submitted by /u/Livid-Rutabaga [link] [comments]”
“Any suggestions on best way to clean these? I've tried few different things and nothing seems to work 100%. Many thanks for any help! submitted by /u/artu_d2 [link] [comments]”
“I have a rescue dog & young children, I just had to get rid of my couch because it was just not salvageable. I’ve tried the waterproof blankets to cover the couch & they just fall off eventually with regular play, sitting, dog jumping on and off etc. I was looking for a couch that’s truly waterproof and came across some outdoor couches. Does anyone use these for easier cleanup? Is it the look that throws people off ? The comfortability? Does anyone have a budget-friendly indoor waterproo”
“I recently purchased a used couch and wanted to clean it up before bringing it into my place. It came from a great owner and looks brand new but I just wanted it to be fresh and not smell like someone else’s home lol. What is the best way to clean a fabric like the one in the image I provided. Would an upholstery cleaner be fine? Or am I better off just sprinkling some baking powder on all the cushions and just vacuuming to sanitize. There aren’t any visible stains I am trying to get rid of real”
“I’m staying at an Airbnb and unfortunately as I was cutting into a baked tomato it exploded and stained the couch. I would like to remove the stains myself if possible, but I’m worried about damaging the couch. Should I just tell the owner? Will this definitely be able to be removed in some way or did I ruin the couch? Thanks a lot in advance🙏 submitted by /u/ushikagawa [link] [comments]”
“Hello r/CleaningTips ! I am based in Canada and seeking recommendations for an affordable vacuum cleaner (around the price range of Shark but doesn’t have to be shark). This is for an apartment, flooring is LVP, and stone, carpet stairs (low pile) around 1200 sq ft. Two cats that drop a lot of hair. I would love a cordless for the convenience and practicality but I understand quality that a corded one can bring so really I’m just looking for the best. So much conflicting info on Reddit, preferab”
“Hi all, Just purchased a brand new couch (100% top grain leather) and my 4 year old immediately wiped her hand on said couch unbeknownst to me. I read to clean, to use a microfiber cloth and the soap bubbles to clean the stains. I tried it on the bottom stain and it looks worse somehow. What should I do? Any recommendations?? submitted by /u/Heartbreakhotel3 [link] [comments]”
“Hey guys, I have a carpet in my room, it's medium-small size. It's not THAT dirty but the best way I can describe it, it's dirty like your clothes get after wearing them a lot. I don't want to hire someone and Don't have machinery. I think it would be a quick fix but I don't know how to do it submitted by /u/qazzylol20 [link] [comments]”
“Working on cleaning an old property that’s in the family, so I may be around here for quite a few things (mostly because I can’t seem to trust simply looking something up anymore) Question before the description; how does go about cleaning this couch? This vintage couch used to belong to my now late great grandparents. Unfortunately, there is no tag or label on the couch that says how to clean it properly, and the information varies online because it says check the tag. I also can’t seem to get”