Whether it’s after a spilled drink, after your pets have urinated on it, or even after cleaning to loosen the fabric of a sofa, unsightly halos can remain on the sofa. This is even a particularly common problem on a fabric or velvet sofa. After all, stains are part of the vagaries of life and reflect the time spent with family in the living room! However, once the stains are installed, we only see that and we expect only one thing: to find a way to remove the stains without leaving a trace. In this article, discover how to remove a halo on a fabric sofa thanks to tips and tricks from ecological and economical grandmother.
No more chemicals with dubious composition! With the natural solutions offered here, you will find a sofa like new, all without harming the planet, your pets or your children.
A few precautions before treating a halo on a sofa
It is not because the household products presented here have a softer composition that you should not be careful when using them! Thus, it will be necessary above all to take care to vacuum and dust off the upholstery so as not to risk damaging it even more. To avoid any risk of discoloration, it is also very important to test the solution on an inconspicuous corner and adapt your cleaning products to the covering of the sofa. This will avoid unpleasant surprises.
Also, sometimes you may find that there are color differences after treatment. To avoid this, it may therefore be necessary clean the seat of the sofa as a whole, especially in the case of an old piece of furniture. Finally, be sure to act quickly on the stain. Indeed, the faster you treat the halo, the easier it will be to make it disappear!
So, how to eliminate a halo on a sofa?
1) Bicarbonate for a perfect anti-halo cleaning of the sofa
Baking soda is a cleaner, stain remover and deodorizer which absorbs stains and rings. It is therefore not surprising that it is THE maintenance product for cleaning a fabric sofa. Using it is also very simple. You can indeed dilute it carefully in hot water and soak a soft cloth with this solution before rubbing the halo or prefer to moisten the halo directly before sprinkling this white powder on it. Then leave to act for two hours before vacuuming the halo to remove the remaining grains.
2) Terre de Sommières, the absorbent and stain-removing powder
Easy to find in the drugstore section of a DIY store, Sommières earth is a clay very effective for removing stains from all textiles. We gladly use it for grease or sauce stains, but none seem to be able to resist it! To use it effectively, just sprinkle it on the stain soon after it appears. Then, it will be necessary to let it act for two to three hours in order to maximize its absorption. Finally, brush or vacuum the powder to remove residue and reveal a clean, crisp sofa.
Good to know: Although these alternatives are a little less effective, it is possible to use talc, flour or cornstarch replacing sodium bicarbonate and Sommières clay. It will be necessary to use them preferably as explained earlier for the bicarbonate.
3) Marseille soap, a powerful stain remover
Effective against stains and rings of all kinds, Marseille soap is also very easy to use! Simply dilute in warm water, impregnate a soft bristle brush or microfiber cloth and gently rub the area to be treated. Then, rinse with the help of a clean cloth soaked in clean water, then let air dry.
4) White vinegar against a halo on a sofa
White vinegar removes stubborn stains and halos, especially from spilled coffee or soda. Furthermore, it allowseliminate bad odors which accompany the halos of urine. It will be necessary to dilute it in hot water, to soak a cloth with it and to rub carefully before rinsing with a cloth soaked in clear water. After rinsing, allow to air dry thoroughly.
5) Alcohol at 70° for old halos
If the halo is old or particularly recalcitrant, you can use a clean cloth soaked in 70° alcohol to get rid of it. It will then suffice to gently dab the trace and renew the application if necessary until the stain disappears. On a white sofa, it is also possible to use hydrogen peroxide (or hydrogen peroxide).
6) The iron for a greasy halo on a sofa
On a greasy stain, you can test the blotting technique ! To do this, cover the halo with paper towel or a clean cloth, then put your hot iron on top. Repeat the operation several times by changing the paper towel or the corner of the cloth used until the total disappearance of the greasy halo.
7) Glycerin for a halo of tea or coffee
Dilute the glycerin in hot water, impregnate a cloth with this solution and rub the halo of coffee or tea gently.
