Drying your sofa after cleaning it, whether you’re spot-cleaning or doing a deep clean, is crucial to prevent mold growth or avoid the smell of mildew and other odors from bothering you moving forward. That being said, the thought of trying to dry part or all of a couch can seem like a daunting task. What do you need to do to make sure that your couch dries properly and thoroughly?
Here are a few quick and effective methods to dry a wet sofa, ensuring your cleaning efforts aren’t wasted.
Use a Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaner to Remove Excess Moisture
When performing a deep cleaning of your upholstery, it’s crucial to ensure you have all the necessary tools. Otherwise, you risk making mistakes that could leave your furniture worse than before cleaning. One such essential tool is a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. This type of vacuum is better at absorbing moisture, which is crucial since soaked sofas and cushions won’t air dry effectively. Having furniture that is only damp rather than soaked is critical to a successful drying process.
Try Blotting Gently if There Are Certain Stubborn Areas
Are there certain areas of your sofa like your couch cushions where you’re experiencing issues trying to get it dry? Alternatively, are you trying only to get a stain out and you need to get rid of the moisture quickly and effectively? In any situation, using dry towels can effectively remove excess moisture, particularly if you encounter challenges with other cleaning methods for your couch.
That being said, there are a few rules of thumb that you need to adhere to if you want to get the best possible results:
- Never vigorously rub the area with your towels. Depending on the type of fabric, you can end up counteracting your upholstery cleaning efforts by causing damage to the surface of your sofa or even rubbing dye onto your couch. Instead, gently blot the moist areas to speed up the drying process and ensure that excess water doesn’t have enough time to sit and create further issues for your furniture.
- Always opt for absorbent towels. Ensure they soak up as much moisture as possible to avoid prolonging the drying time more than necessary.
- Remember not to leave your towels on your sofa by accident. It’s a simple mistake that could keep the couch moist in certain spots!
Make Sure You’re Drying Your Sofa in Warm Temperatures
Some people think they can just put some fans on their sofas and it will be good to go in a few hours. However, sofa cleaning requires you to dry out the moisture in warmer temperatures. If your sofa is cold, it won’t dry effectively regardless of good air circulation around it. Whenever possible, prioritize cleaning your couch during the summer months when temperatures are warmer, ensuring a quicker drying process whether you’re doing it yourself or using a cleaning service.
If you’re unable to use the heat from outside, don’t worry. Another way to dry your sofa quickly is to turn up your HVAC system. The heat from the surrounding air will be enough to dry your sofa if you let it sit for a while when the system is on.
Increase the Airflow in Your House
Speaking of fans, it’s important to note that you do need proper airflow in your home if you’re looking to dry your sofa. This could include using flans to circulate air, opening the windows (if it’s during the summer and the dry air will be beneficial in helping you get your sofa dry and warm), or using heat sources like your HVAC system as mentioned above.
The one thing that you should never do with your wet furniture is to use heat sources that are harsh on the upholstery. Using heat sources such as a hair dryer to speed up the drying of your sofa may seem beneficial, but direct heat can fade and damage the fabric of your furniture. This is why it’s best to rely on warm surrounding air to get your couch dry. If you follow cleaning tips that recommend using serious heat sources to get the job done fast, you run the risk of further damaging your furniture.
Place a Dehumidifier Close to Your Sofa
High humidity is detrimental to a drying couch, so it’s advisable to place a large dehumidifier near your couch to absorb moisture from the air. This will ensure that your couch isn’t retaining moisture and humidity and affecting the fabrics or the interior. There are a ton of solid dehumidifiers out there, so make sure that you get one that’s going to be useful in your space and one that’s going to be able to tackle the task of keeping the surrounding air dry as your couch dries.
Get Professional Help If You Need It
Lastly, and most importantly, while you can follow all the tips for cleaning and drying your couch, hiring professional cleaning services may yield superior results. If you need to make sure that you have the support you need to get the best possible results, always reach out to an upholstery cleaner who can provide not only a deep clean but also ensure that your sofa fully dries.
Cleaning your couch is a relatively simple process if you take the time to learn more about your upholstery and various factors (deep stains, pet stains, etc.). However, drying is something that can often leave most stumped. If you’re currently attempting to dry your sofa, use the tips above to get it done correctly and to get it done quickly so minor mistakes don’t cause any further damage to your furniture!
