You might want to get up from the couch. Those mysterious stains on the sofa have just been named.
The number one most common furniture stain isn't at all surprising; we've all had a drunken mate fall asleep and piss themselves on our sofa, right?
Right? It's just surprising that slobber isn't the cause of the second most common stain. No, but it is another bodily fluid that, like urine, can often arise as a result of too much to drink.
According to new results, based on three years of furniture repair call-outs, vomit comes in at number two.
Thankfully, for all the nasty stuff that sits silently under our bottoms, number twos did not make the top 10 most common couch stains.
Although, they may explain number five...
But, we digress. Number three is far less sinister but equally annoying. Ink stains are not exclusive to our white items of clothing.
Our pens also like to express themselves on our furniture. Possibly, it's a result of dropping our pen and paper in a race to clean up the mug of tea we've just spilt on the sofa.
For drink stains come in at four. Four is followed by a very curious five, for no one seems to know what that murky, brownish dried mess is. Hmmm.
Maybe it was the after-effect of too much six: red wine. Food slops make an unsurprising entry at seven, while water – which we ought to be spilling less of and drinking more of – is eight.
Don't cry over your glass of spilt milk, it only just makes the top ten, creeping in at nine.
You might want to cry over number 10 though because who wants to waste their chocolate on their couch? Really?
According to Cleanipedia, there are easy(ish) ways to keep the crap (not literally, we don't think) at bay.
As far as cleaning products go, they suggest:
1. Mild laundry detergent and warm water, mixed well to create suds.
2. White vinegar: This is a good choice for removing surface stains, but you'll want to use a soapy solution afterwards to give the area an intensive clean. You'll also want to air the sofa as much as possible afterwards by opening windows or by using a fan to help reduce the smell of the vinegar.
3. Baby wipes are ideal for spot-cleaning upholstery. They're very gentle, so they won't damage the material, and they're relatively dry, so there's no chance of over-saturating your furniture.
Their top three everyday cleaning tips are:
1. Clean up surface stains as soon as possible. Fresh stains are always easier to lift off – keeping a clean sofa will always reduce the time spent carrying out intensive, deep-cleaning treatments.
2. Vacuum your sofas and chairs at least once a week to keep dust and dirt to a minimum and prevent grime from becoming ground in with constant use.
3. If any parts of the sofa or chair are removable, make sure to wash them regularly. A handy hint is to replace covers while they are still slightly damp, so they can dry around the shape of the sofa.
Fairfax Media
