Buying a new couch is exciting for so many reasons. It’s great to have something comfortable to sit on after a long day at work.
The only problem is that the couch might smell a little bit when it’s brand new. When your couch has that “new couch smell” it’s going to make it harder to relax.
How can you go about getting rid of the new couch smell? Is there a safe way to make the couch smell neutral so you can just enjoy your time lounging on it?
Keep reading to learn exactly what you need to do to get rid of the new couch smell. It’ll make it a lot simpler to solve the problem of having a couch that smells a bit when it’s new.
What is the New Couch Smell?
That new couch smell is something that you might not be able to place right away. Most wonder what the smell is and aren’t quite able to figure it out.
The new couch smell is actually chemicals that have been used on the couch. Various types of chemicals get used on the couch to protect the materials from harm during assembly and transport.
For instance, the upholstery might have been treated with chemicals that protect the couch from fire. There are many other types of chemicals that are designed to protect the materials that couches are made out of, too.
If you have a varnished couch, the odor that you’re smelling is likely related to the finish. Either way, you’re dealing with a type of chemical odor that is unpleasant.
Air the Furniture Out
Simply airing the furniture out can be enough to get rid of the chemical smell. Try to come up with a safe way to air the furniture out so that it will smell nicer.
One of the best options is to place the furniture on your patio or deck for a period of several hours. Assuming that the sun is shining and it’s nice outside, this can be a good option.
However, you shouldn’t do this if you have leather furniture. Leather furniture shouldn’t be exposed to the sun.
If you don’t like the idea of placing your furniture outside for a while, there is another option. You could simply open the windows and nearby doors.
See if airing out the house is enough to help get rid of the new couch smell. This should make your living room smell significantly fresher than it did before.
Turn fans on near the couches to try to speed up the process. Eventually, your couches will stop smelling like chemicals and you can start using them without having to worry about the odor.
Try to Keep the Room Dry
Keeping the room dry is imperative when you want to get rid of the new couch smell. When the room is humid or damp, it’s going to exacerbate the issue.
If you live in a part of the world that is very humid, it’s going to be a bigger problem than it would otherwise be. In some cases, you might benefit from using a dehumidifier in your home.
Some of the chemicals that are present on new couches will turn into fumes easier when the humidity level is high in the room. To keep this from being an issue, you just have to try to keep the room dry.
A dehumidifier can help with this and make your job easy. Air conditioners also help since they can suck the moisture out of the room.
If it isn’t very humid in your room, then it could simply be that the furniture still needs to air out. You might need to be patient and wait for the furniture to get rid of the new couch smell naturally.
When you can’t stand the smell, waiting won’t seem like a good option. Luckily, there are some good deodorizing methods to look into.
Deodorizing Options
You can try to deodorize the couch by using certain materials. It’s best to use dry deodorizers to keep the couch safe.
To start, sprinkle baking soda on the upholstery to absorb the odor. This will do a good job if you simply leave the baking soda on the upholstery for a few hours.
After a few hours have passed, you can vacuum the baking soda up to get rid of it. The couch should smell a lot nicer.
You could also try placing a bowl of coffee grounds near the furniture. Dry coffee grounds will absorb smells and keep the couch from being quite so stinky.
Of course, the coffee grounds will have an odor of their own. This method may or may not be appealing to you.
The most practical thing to do is to use the baking soda idea. It’s a great way to eliminate the smell that’s coming from the upholstery due to the chemicals that have been sprayed on everything.
Some people choose to place small bowls of vinegar near the couch to get rid of the odor. You don’t want the vinegar to spill on the couch, though.
Most will choose to place the vinegar bowls on a table near the couch. It can be helpful, but it’s probably better to use the baking soda method.
Spritz the Couch with Vinegar
Spritzing the couch with vinegar can be a good idea when you just can’t seem to get rid of the chemical smell. Vinegar has a very strong scent that can overpower the smell of the chemicals.
You don’t need to use a lot of vinegar to get this done. In fact, using too much vinegar might be more unpleasant than just putting up with the new couch smell.
Mix one part vinegar and one part water in a container of some kind. To make things easy, it’s best to put the mixture in a spray bottle.
Lightly spray the vinegar and water mixture on the upholstery area of the couch. Once you’ve done this, go around with a dry cloth and wipe away the moisture.
You can apply the vinegar and water mixture directly to a cloth so you can wipe down the hard parts of the couch. Just remember to wipe it dry using a dry cloth afterward.
Failing to get rid of the moisture can cause problems. This should help you to get rid of the new couch smell.
Don’t do this if it isn’t safe to use water-based cleaners on your couch. You should check the tag on the couch to see if it’s fine to use water on it or not.
You could test a bit of the mixture on a hidden area of the couch first. If it has a negative impact on the couch, then at least you only did it in an area where no one can see the damage.
This is a pretty innocuous cleaning method that will work for most couches. It should help you to get the couch smelling better.
Vacuum the Couch
Is your couch made out of microfiber? It might be possible to get rid of the smell by vacuuming it.
You can vacuum a microfiber couch and get rid of that new couch smell. If you don’t get rid of the smell completely, you’ll likely at least reduce the smell so it won’t be nearly as obnoxious.
This is a handy thing to remember as you continue to use the couch over the years. You can vacuum microfiber couches to get rid of pet smells and other odors.
It should allow you to have a better time using the couch. Try vacuuming the couch if you happen to own a microfiber couch.
Final Thoughts
It’s certainly annoying to have a new couch that smells really bad. Sometimes the new couch smell will go away fast, but it could linger if the company used a lot of chemicals on it.
The chemical smell is going to make some people feel as if they can’t use the couch. You’re going to want to get rid of the stench as quickly as you can.
Using the methods above should help you to get the couch smelling a lot nicer. It won’t be nearly as annoying to use the couch once it finally smells normal again.
The most common way to get rid of the smell is to air the couch out. You can open the windows and use fans to try to ventilate the room.
This should get rid of the smell over the course of time. It might take many hours for the smell to go away completely.
Some even choose to place their couches outside to air them out. This may or may not be practical depending on where you live and what the weather is currently like.
If you don’t want to do that, you can try placing baking soda on the upholstery. Leave it there for a few hours and then vacuum it up to get rid of the stench.
Another option is to make a spray using one part vinegar and one part water. Spritz the couch using the vinegar spray and then wipe away excess moisture.
It’s a good way to deodorize the couch that won’t take a lot of time or effort. You should be able to get good results by using one of these methods.
I have two Associate’s degrees, one in Medical Assisting and the other in Computer Technician, and I am roughly five classes from a bachelor’s degree. Though I never ended up working in the medical field, I have five and a half years of experience in IT. I recently became a stay-at-home mom to my two young boys, and I’m so excited to start this adventure with them! In my spare time, I love to bake and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.