How To Clean A Velvet Couch

Are you the proud owner of a velvet sofa that needs a little TLC? I’m sharing the details on how to clean a velvet couch.

From the time we arrived in Washington, DC, all I could think about was upgrading our furniture. We had decided to get a statement green velvet couch in and wound up purchasing the Article Sven Sofa in Grass Green. I knew it was going to require a bit of upkeep with two big dogs (who get on the furniture), so I wanted to share how to clean a velvet couch, especially if you are considering purchasing one!

How To Clean A Velvet Couch

I had read reviews that velvet was a fabric that needed a bit of TLC to maintain. As soon as our couch arrived, Bill (one of our 80 pound Labs) jumped right up and made himself at home. He’s a big drooler, so as soon as he got up, I realized just what people meant about velvet couches. Word to the wise: You can see everything.

Side note: Lots of people have lots of opinions about letting dogs on furniture, but at the end of the day…we live here!…and I want ALL of us to be comfortable 🙂

I don’t mind sitting lines, or even natural wear and tear, but dog drool drives me nuts. Before long, our sofa looked a little polka dotted from all the dried drool. So gross! Before you get creeped out, we really don’t have many guests, so it’s not like I’m expecting people to sit on it, but I still wanted to keep the couch looking fresh.

Before I dive in to how I cleaned our couch, I will say that not all velvet is created equal. I can only speak for the velvet on my couch, which is a Martindale 40,000 rub count, so I felt comfortable cleaning it without fear that the material would rub off, fade, etc.

How To Clean Velvet

To clean your velvet sofa, you will need a microfiber cloth, warm water, and Dawn dish soap. Before I got started, I took the stick attachment on my vacuum and sucked up any hair/crumbs/lint. 

Then, I filled a mason jar with lukewarm (not hot!) water, 2 drops of Dawn dish soap, put the lid on and shook it up. 

I dipped the microfiber rag into the sudsy water and gently rubbed out all the areas where there were clearly marks. Don’t rub too hard!

I let the couch air dry and I swear, it looks just as good as the day we bought it. 

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy How To Get Rid Of Dog Smell In Your House