It’s very frustrating when your couch gets dirty. You don’t want your couch to be stained and look bad.
Sometimes you might spill drinks on your couch and wind up having water stains form on it. There’s a good chance that you have no idea what to do about this.
How can you get rid of a water stain on a couch? Will it be difficult to remove?
Keep reading to learn how to get your couch looking nice again so you can enjoy using it as normal.
How to Waterproof a Couch
There isn’t really anything you can do to waterproof a couch. At least not in a true sense.
The material that the couch is made out of will either be water-resistant or it won’t. Sometimes furniture companies will apply a special coating that will help to alleviate issues with water stains, though.
Otherwise, you just have to deal with the type of couch that you bought. Some couches are better at resisting water stains than others.
That being said, you can protect your couch from water by covering it in some way. One option is to cover the couch in plastic to prevent it from being exposed to water.
Of course, this is an impractical choice that isn’t going to make the couch comfortable to sit on. You could use a standard couch cover, but that isn’t going to make the couch truly waterproof.
The best thing to focus on is preventing spills. Be careful when drinking water or other things near the sofa.
Make sure that you keep your drinks on coasters in safe spots where they aren’t incredibly likely to be spilled. If spills occur, you want to be able to handle things as fast as possible.
Knowing how to deal with water spills is the best knowledge you can have in this situation. This will allow you to deal with the spill fast so that you won’t have a stain on your hands.
You can also learn how to remove stains. Keep reading to learn a bit about both of these topics.
How to Clean Water Off of Couches
As soon as you spill water on the couch, do your best to wipe it up. If you act fast, it’ll be easier to avoid issues with stains.
Some couch materials will stain faster than others. Many types of fabric couches can deal with water spills easily, but some materials are going to have issues with water stains.
You should be able to wipe up most water spills with a standard towel. If your couch is made out of a sensitive material, it might be best to use a microfiber towel.
Clean the water up and allow it to dry naturally after removing as much water as you can. Hopefully, a stain won’t form on the couch.
If a stain does form on the couch, you can remove it. Water stains need to be removed using specific methods.
How to Get Rid of Water Stains
Getting rid of water stains will be easiest if you have a fabric steamer. However, there are other methods that can be used to get rid of water stains.
It’s easier to remove water stains on fabric couches. There are so many ways that you can approach stain removal.
Removing Water Stains with Lemon Juice
Lemon juice can be used to remove water stains from couches. To begin, you’ll need to mix a bit of lemon juice with some hot water.
One cup of hot water and the juice from two lemons will be enough. Mix it together and then apply the mixture to a cleaning cloth.
Use the cleaning cloth to apply the mixture to the area of the couch where the water stain is present. Do your best to cover the entire area without soaking it.
This solution should then be left alone for ten minutes. It needs time to work because the citric acid in the lemon juice is going to break the water stain apart.
After ten minutes have passed, apply a bit more of the mixture and then use a toothbrush to scrub the couch. This method only works on fabric couches that can withstand this type of treatment.
Eventually, the stain should clear away. You can then use a damp cloth to pat the area down and finish up.
Dry the couch with a clean towel when you’re finished. The water stain should be gone if all went as planned.
Removing Water Stains with White Vinegar
Using white vinegar to remove water stains is one of the most common methods. This works very well, and white vinegar is simple to work with.
You start by grabbing a cleaning cloth and applying white vinegar to it. Wring the cloth out because you don’t want it to be dripping.
Use this cloth to start dabbing the area with the water stain. Start on the outside area of the stain and work your way toward the middle.
You don’t want to rub the couch with the cloth. Remember to just keep dabbing it with the cloth.
Let the couch sit for around twenty minutes with the vinegar on it. Grab a clean cloth and run it under warm water for the next step before wringing it out.
You’re going to use this cloth to dab the stained area just like before. You keep doing this until the stain has disappeared.
To dry the couch, it’s best to use a hairdryer. A hairdryer that’s set to cool should get the job done without harming the couch.
Keep in mind that this method is only going to work for fabric couches. Also, it’s best to test the vinegar on a hidden area of the couch first to ensure that it won’t discolor the fabric or cause other problems.
Does Water Stain Leather Couches?
Water can indeed stain leather couches. This can be a problem, but if you stay on top of things, it won’t be.
Generally, water stains are only an issue when you don’t clean up spills. If you allow water to sit on a leather couch for quite some time, it’ll cause a stain to form.
Luckily, you can clean water fast to avoid such problems. Whenever you spill liquid on your couch, it’s best to wipe it away with a soft cleaning cloth.
Ideally, you want to use a microfiber cloth that won’t harm your leather sofa. If you stay on top of things, you won’t have to deal with water stains.
Can You Remove Water Stains From Leather?
What if you made a big mistake and you have a water stain on your leather couch? Is there nothing that can be done?
Don’t fret because you can remove water stains from leather couches. The method to do so is simply different from the fabric couch options.
To clean the water stain, you’re going to need to use either rubbing alcohol or leather cleaner. Both can get the job done nicely.
Put some leather cleaner on a cloth and dab the stain. You should be able to remove the stain as you continue to dab it.
Rubbing alcohol works the same way. It’s recommended to test the leather cleaner and rubbing alcohol on a discreet area of the couch before proceeding.
This ensures that you won’t accidentally cause issues with your couch. Some types of leather might become discolored if you use rubbing alcohol.
For example, there are many types of leather that are colored, and you could accidentally remove some of the color. So you do want to approach things with caution.
Does Water Stain Suede Couches?
Sadly, suede couches are very susceptible to water damage. If you own a suede couch, it’s imperative to avoid spilling things on it.
When you spill water and other types of liquid on these couches, it’ll cause serious damage. The upholstery will look worse, and it’s harder to remove stains from suede couches.
You can still attempt to do so, of course. Generally, you’re going to want to blot the stain with a dry cleaning cloth to try to remove as much of it as you can.
Sometimes you can get better results by blotting the stained area with a lightly damp cloth. Just understand that suede couches are sensitive, and it’s better to avoid stains.
Many people choose to avoid drinking while sitting on suede couches. This is truly a lot safer since these couches are so sensitive to water damage.
Final Thoughts
Be careful when drinking things on your couch. You don’t want to spill water and other types of drinks on the couch if you can help it.
Some couches are more sensitive than others when it comes to spills. Suede couches are very sensitive to being damaged by water.
So you need to be vigilant if you own a suede couch. Other couches are a lot easier to clean.
Even leather couches can be easily cleaned if you don’t wait too long to clean spills. As soon as you spill water on a leather couch, you should wipe it up.
Fabric couches are simple to clean and can handle a bit more punishment than most other couch types. You still want to be careful, but you can clean stains using either white vinegar or lemon juice.
If you have a steam cleaner, you can remove water stains using that as well. Steam cleaners work well for giving fabric couches a deep cleaning.
When you have guests over, be sure to have tables where they can set their drinks. Try to ask your guests to be as careful as possible.
Accidents do happen, though. Don’t worry if you spill water on your couch because you can clean things up by acting fast.
Typically, acting fast allows you to avoid issues with stains. Even stains can be removed, but it might require a bit more work.
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.