5 Ways To Preventing Musty Smell On Your Sofa

5 Ways To Preventing Musty Smell On Your Sofa. A musty smell on your sofa is not only an embarrassing problem but can often be expensive to fix. The couch might seem like it will eventually dry out, but the stench of mildew will likely remain for years. What’s more, if you store away your furniture without preventative measures, it will probably come out smelling as bad.

Instead of waiting for the problem to get worse and more expensive, there are several easy things you can do now to prevent musty smells.

5 Ways To Preventing Musty Smell On Your Sofa

1. Take it outside

If you have a musty smell on your furniture, take it outside and let it air out. Place the couch in direct sunlight. So that when the sun heats the fibers inside, they dry out and remain that way. If this is not an option, then simply open all of the windows in the room, place fans nearby to circulate the air, and let it sit.

2. Add more cushions

Cushions are great at trapping moisture inside of them–which is why they’ll absorb smells so quickly if left wet. Make sure you have enough cushions on your couch and other furniture (at least three per seat).

3. Remove all cushions from the couch

In addition to adding more cushions, you’ll want to remove everyone from your sofa and let them dry out completely. If needed, bring a fan in each room or keep a window open. So that the cushion is as dry as possible when you put it back on the couch after cleaning it. Many people assume mattresses lose their smell if they’re left outside for a day — but this isn’t always true.

If humidity is high enough, mildew might even grow inside of these porous surfaces where water can collect! This makes removing all of your upholstery something you should do whenever you have time.

4. Clean your upholstery

Since you’re already taking your cushions outside or moving around fans to make them dry faster, you might as well clean the fabric on your sofa. Use a vacuum with a brush attachment to lift dirt and debris out of all of those surface crevices where mildew will build up over time.

Then, take any slipcovers off the couch, wipe down the decorative pillows, and wash any curtains that are near it. This will also reduce the chance that mold spores will collect in these areas, which means they won’t grow inside of your furniture.

5. Find out why it smells

After following steps one through four for at least 24 hours, find out if your couch still has its original musty smell or if it has been replaced by a new one. If the smell is gone, then great job! You’ve solved your problem mostly on your own.

However, if there’s still a lingering scent of mildew — which might only be noticeable to you after it’s been gone for so many hours and you’re already sick of smelling it. Then there could be an underlying moisture issue that needs to be addressed:

What causes Musty Smell On Your Sofa?

1. Your home has high humidity or leaks

Musty smells are more likely to occur when the air in your home is humid. If you don’t have central air conditioning in your house, this might be due to broken window panes that need to be fixed. Alternatively, if there are leaking pipes or water stains on your walls, then it’s time to call a plumber immediately!

This will prevent any moisture from seeping into the decorative pillows and cushions of your couch. Which means no growing mildew!

2. You store your furniture without any protection

If you plan on storing your upholstered furniture for an extended amount of time — whether all year round or just during the summer when it would be too hot to put a large, wool couch in your home — then you’ll need to take some precautions.

After removing any slipcovers and turning all of the pillows upside down so that they can dry without mildew growth, cover them with a sheet or a few plastic drop cloths. This will prevent dust from entering their fibers while also protecting them from moisture in the air if there’s been a leak somewhere in your house.

3. Pets have used your furniture as a litter box

If you’ve noticed an unpleasant smell coming from your couch only after your cat or dog has been around it for some time, then this is probably what’s causing it. Take note of where the smell is the most concentrated — which might be a spot where your pet likes to sit or a certain part of the couch that they’ve used as a litter box in the past — and clean it thoroughly with a mixture of half vinegar, half water.

4. Your furniture has been exposed to smoke

If you have pets but don’t usually notice any smells coming from them, make sure you check your furniture for lingering fumes after they’ve spent time around cigarette smoke. This could be due to secondhand exposure. This can happen if someone enters your house smoking.

5. You have mold or mildew growing on your couch

Remember that time you spilled coke all over the floor? Yeah, this will cause mold to grow in the fibers of your upholstered furniture! When there’s still an unusual smell coming from somewhere inside or near your couch, turn around the cushions and check every crevice for signs of moisture.

If there are any rust-colored stains, then action immediately because that means that there’s already mold growing in there. If everything checks out with steps one through four, but you’re still experiencing unpleasant smells, then this is likely what’s causing it.

5 Ways To Preventing Musty Smell On Your Sofa – Conclusion

if you’re experiencing a mildew smell on your couch, then there’s likely to be an underlying moisture issue. If everything checks out with steps one through four but still experiencing unpleasant smells, this is likely what’s causing it.

Unfortunately, removing the musty smell from a couch can seem like a difficult task. Especially if it’s been there for a long time and has already seeped into the cushions’ fibers but by using some everyday household items, taking caution in how you clean, and being patient during the process will help!

Contact us if you are looking for professional sofa cleaning services in Singapore.