I'm a Professional Cleaner and These Are the 3 Embarrassing Things I Always Notice About Dirty Couches When I Visit at Christmas – Plus, the Quick Fixes

During the holidays, couches see extra use from guests, pets, and cozy movie nights – which makes them one of the very first things I notice when walking into a home.

And, even if your couch is relatively clean, a build-up of dust can make it look far less inviting and lead to musty odors. Luckily, with a little expert know-how, these are all easy and quick to fix.

Here are the top three issues I always spot when visiting at Christmas, why they stand out to me as a professional cleaner, and how to clean your couch and fix these potentially embarrassing issues fast before company arrives.

3 Things I Always Notice About Dirty Couches

1. Dull, Dusty Fabric

As a cleaning expert and the operations manager at Spekless, I know better than anyone that fabric that's lost its brightness immediately makes a living room look tired and less cared for, and that there are more than a few habits making your sofas dirty.

Importantly, the fine layer of dust or pet hair catches light differently, making the couch look older than it is.

To spruce up your couch, one of the dirtiest places in a living room, use one of the best vacuums with an upholstery attachment to lift dust, lint, and dander easily from creases and seams.

Then, lightly mist with Febreze Fabric Refresher available at Amazon to neutralize lingering odors. For a deeper clean, I recommend the BISSELL Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner, also available at Amazon, which removes embedded grime without soaking the fabric, helping to swerve any couch cleaning mistakes.

This combination restores color and texture while leaving fabrics fresh and touchably soft, especially when keeping your home clean with pets.

2. Greasy or Darkened Armrests

Armrests tend to darken quickly from skin oils and lotions, creating visible contrast against the rest of the fabric. It's one of the first signs of a well-loved but under-maintained couch, which is why tackling them is one of the things people with clean living rooms always do.

For this stubborn area, I mix a drop of mild dish soap with warm water and gently blot the area with a microfiber cloth. This works well as mild soap breaks down oils safely, while microfiber grabs residue without pushing it deeper into the fibers.

For convenience, use Dr. Beckmann Upholstery Stain Remover available at Amazon, which lifts greasy residue without harsh chemicals.

3. Odors Trapped in Cushions

Even clean-looking couches can hold onto smells from pets, food, or humidity – especially during winter when windows stay closed, which is one of the many reasons you should open windows this winter. It's the kind of issue you notice the moment you sit down, and it may leave you wondering why your house smells musty.

Tackling these odors is one of the things people with nice-smelling living rooms always do, and you can banish them easily, and you don't need harsh chemicals to achieve results. Simply sprinkle Arm & Hammer baking soda, available at Walmart, across the cushions, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then vacuum thoroughly, to naturally absorb odors without chemicals, leaving the fabric neutral and refreshed.

Then, finish with a light spritz of a fabric-safe scented mist.

Head of Solved, Punteha van Terheyden says, 'You can make your own with two cups of water and 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil, such as luxurious-smelling geranium, available at Walmart in an undiluted and pure form.

'Keeping your mixture in amber glass spray bottles and spritzing it onto microfiber clothes (both available at Walmart) and then wiping across couches will mean your mix won't degrade easily, and won't stain your couch. I use this on my couches weekly and it really helps to firstly break down and remove new grease stains or spills with ease, and keep your upholstery smelling fresh.'

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Meet the Expert

Karina Toner

With many contributions in Homes & Gardens, Real Homes, The Spruce, and more, Karina has extensive knowledge of both commercial and residential cleaning, which means she always spots dirty areas when visiting people and knows just how to tackle them correctly. Karina is also a big fan of natural cleaning solutions over harsh chemicals, so she knows what truly works, and when a commercial cleaner is necessary.

Neglecting these simple steps is one of the things people with nice-smelling living rooms never do. Importantly, though, it's crucial to know the cleaning methods you should never use on a fabric couch, to avoid any irreparable or expensive damage.

Always spot test cleaning tools and solutions on inconspicuous areas first, so if any damage or color-changing occurs, it won't be in the middle of the cushion or somewhere very noticeable.