I just received a sofa and chair from my mom that she purchased at an estate sale. It has an unknown odor to it and stains. I am most concerned with getting out the odors, it's quite bad. My mom said she shampooed it, I also tried using an upholstery cleaner. Can you please give me some more suggestions? I do own a steam cleaner. What kind of cleaner would you suggest?
Don't know if anyone still reads this or not but we just got a sofa, love seat and recliner from a smoking family and the smell wos horrible once we got it into our home. I tried everything and was at my wits end until one day I came home and everything smelled so nice!! My husband mixed in a small spray bottle 1/4 bottle of downy fabric softener (the kind that has febreeze in it) and the rest with water, sprayed it all over the furniture then wiped it all down with a dry wash cloth. It smells so good and you can't even smell the smoke anymore! WHO KNEW?
Lysol spray. I like Dollar Generals brand. Spray until wet! Let air dry for an hour or so and then cover with a sheet for a few days. Works here. Chell
We had a freezer that when the power went out the food went bad. The absolutely only thing that would get rid of the odor and we tried EVERYTHING was Irish Spring Soap. You could put opened bars of it in the cushions underneath. You can always use the soap afterwards. I have even put opened bars under my seats in my car to eliminate odors in it. Works too. Good luck.
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Request: Getting Rid Of Sofa Odors
Archived on 11/04/2008
My sofa stinks. I went out one afternoon, and when I returned my sofa smelled like death. My husband has no clue. I thought one of our dogs threw up. We checked for a dead mouse and found none. I've used Febreze, upholstery cleaner, etc. to no avail. It is too large to take outside, but I am tempted. Any ideas other than taking an axe to it? There is no stain and it is a regular cloth sofa.
Pat from Coplay, PA
Answers:
RE: Getting Rid Of Sofa Odors
Try sprinkling baking soda all over the couch. I would let it sit at least over night and then vacuum. Good luck! (10/10/2008)
RE: Getting Rid Of Sofa Odors
I would check down in the cracks of the couch, maybe part of a sandwich fell down there? I would also flip it over to see if anything has gotten in from the bottom. If you still can't find anything, I would put vinegar in a spray bottle and lightly mist the entire couch, making sure to get both sides of the cushions. The pickle smell will go away when it dries. Good luck! (10/11/2008)
By sonya
RE: Getting Rid Of Sofa Odors
Our dog got sprayed by a skunk and before we could get him in the bath he rubbed his face into our couch. We could not get rid of the smell for a long time. I tried Febreeze and washing the couch with soap and water. The product that finally worked was Stanley Upholstery and Rug Cleaner. I put it in a spray bottle and sprayed the area and let it dry and then repeated it and that worked great. (10/11/2008)
When I have stubborn odors or want to "freshen" up my carpet, mattress or furniture - I use an empty spray bottle, fill it halfway with warm water then add 1/4 distilled white vinegar. Mix those two with a light shake. I then mix together a small amt of water with about a tbl of baking soda. Pour it in the mixture. This will bubble but this is why you have the 1/4 of the bottle left empty. The vinegar is diluted so it won't bubble over.
You can give this a gentle shake and then spray your sofa down. Let it dry and then vacuum the sofa down. It will smell like Easter eggs for an hour but the smell dissipates when mixture dries. If you REALLY can't stand the vinegar smell - just mix warm water with about 1 C baking soda and put mixture into a spray bottle. Spray down the sofa, this may take a few applications. When mix is dry, proceed to vacuum between applications.
Where the vinegar is a natural and nearly immediate odor killer - the baking soda works to ABSORB the odors. Both are good but I prefer to use them together and they work well. Vinegar kills odors NOW and the baking soda works to keep odors gone long into the season so I live happily odor free :0) And I have pets so that is ha-yuuuge! Good luck! (10/12/2008)
By Tammy
RE: Getting Rid Of Sofa Odors
This tip is going to be controversial to say the least; but when you have a desperate situation, then desperate measures are called for. I do not recommend this due to color-fast problems that I wouldn't want to feel responsible for, but if it were me, I would take that baby out into the back yard and take the hose and scrub brush to it with some mild soap (done on a sunny day, when drying would be faster). I have done this when I felt that the problem was worse than the solution, and so far (knock on wood), I haven't ruined anything yet.
If the item is unusable as it is, then you have to salvage it any way you can. I realize that no one in the world but me would do it this way, but, if the item is un-usable anyway, it sure couldn't hurt, and it might just help. I have salvaged many an item in this fashion, but, like I said, it's a "what I would do if it were me" type of thing, not something that I am recommending.
Or: (and feel free to use this tip), a good airing-out does wonders sometimes- open up the house so the air can go through, or sit the item on the covered carport for a couple of days, and see if that helps. Good luck. (10/12/2008)
If it smells like something dead, then it probably is. you may have to take it outside. Little creatures can crawl into the padding or the framework. My mother-in-law had a snake in her couch once, honest. We had to take it outside and turn it upside down, but that little fella couldn't hide forever. If all else fails, it may be time to shop for a new one.
vguy (10/12/2008)
Setting A bowl of vinegar in a room overnight will take all kinds of odors out. Just be sure and don't let children or pets consume it. Good Luck!
Blessings, Debra (10/14/2008)
I don't know if this will work on a sofa, but it works on a freezer that has a rotten meat smell. Just get some charcoal briquettes (like Kingsford). Put them under the cushions, and stuff them down the sides and in the bottom if you can. It absorbs the odor. Good luck! (10/15/2008)
I would flip it over and carefully remove the fabric that is used to cover the underside of the framework. Maybe something managed to get in there and if you get it out, you could be rid of the smell. We once had a kitten who clawed through the flimsy fabric of our old couch and would hide in there. (10/15/2008)
RE: Getting Rid Of Sofa Odors
Find an enzyme cleaner and water down and sponge on the cloth. Do not get to wet as then you will have mold and mildew smells. It takes a couple of days for the enzyme to eat the bacteria causing the odor. (10/15/2008)
By Pollu
RE: Getting Rid Of Sofa Odors
The only thing I have found that has gotten odors out of everything I have tried it on is a product called ODOBAN. I buy it at Sam's Club in a gallon. You can use it full strength or dilute it and use it like Febreze. I think you can buy a smaller bottle of it to try at WalMart. Good Luck! (10/17/2008)
