Upholstered furniture is one of the main parts that make up a large part of our relaxing areas, dining rooms, car interior, and so on. Courtesy of day-to-day living, our beloved fabric-covered furnishings can get all sorts of soiling and stains. One of the worst kinds of stains to get on upholstery is grease. If a grease stain goes unnoticed for a period of time, it attracts all kinds of other dirt that will work itself into the fabric and can make upholstery cleaning really hard. That is why we have put together this guide on how to clean grease off upholstery.

Read also: How to Clean your Mattress at Home.

how to clean grease off upholstery

What you Need for Cleaning Grease off Upholstery

In order to start the process correctly, you will need to gather the necessary equipment and cleaning solutions. Here is a short list of the things you should have ready:

  • Vacuum;
  • Kitchen roll;
  • Soda bicarb or baby powder;
  • Dish soap;
  • Cloth for rinsing;
  • Clean dry cloths for blotting;
  • Soft scrub brush;
  • A diluted ammonia solution.

That is all you will need to acquire for tackling the grease stains on your upholstery. And now let us get to the main subject, how to clean grease off upholstery.

soda bicarb for upholstery cleaning

How to Clean Grease off Upholstery

Now, the method you will use is going to vary slightly, depending on whether the stain is still wet, or if it has managed to go a while without anyone noticing and is now dry. If the grease is still relatively wet, it will be much easier to tackle the problem.

How to Clean Fresh Grease Stains off Upholstery

  1. The first thing you are going to do when you notice a fresh grease stain is to get your kitchen roll. Soak up as much as possible.
  2. When there is nearly no moisture left, leave a sheet of kitchen roll on the stain for 20 minutes. This will make sure that there is as little oil left in the fabric as possible.
  3. Now get your soda bicarb or talcum powder. Sprinkle it liberally over the stain. Whichever you decide to use, they both work as absorbents. The powder will absorb the larger part of the oily liquid.
  4. Hoover time. Get your vacuum and suck up the powder. Now your upholstery should be saved.
  5. In the event that the grease is more stubborn than usual, we recommend you crack out the dish soap. Fairy washing up liquid is the best for cutting through oily substances. Squirt a bit on the afflicted area and get a damp cloth to blot the area.
  6. Now get a dry cloth and some water and use the two to rinse out any soapy suds. This will definitely do the trick if the grease stain was still wet.

how to clean grease off upholstery

How to Clean Dried Grease Stains off Upholstery

Sometimes we don’t catch these kinds of things in time. But worry not, we are here to try and find a solution to the problem.

  1. Repeat all of the same steps from above. There will more than likely still be a dark patch after you do. If so, carry on with the next steps.
  2. Mix 1 tsp. of household ammonia with ¼ cup of warm water in a bowl.
  3. Dip a cloth into your ammonia mixture and blot the area. Do this a few times to make sure the area is soaked.
  4. Do not soak the area if the fabric of your furniture is easily damaged by moisture, only lightly dampen the stain.
  5. Now get your soft scrub brush and scrub gently using circular motions. Apply small amounts of pressure.
  6. Get a bowl of water and rinse out the area using a clean cloth. Then get a dry towel and soak up as much of the moisture as possible. This should do the trick.

Check out also: Handy DIY Solutions for Your Home.