This post may contain affiliate links. These help support this website.
Today we are sharing a simple DIY upholstery cleaner you can whip up anytime, and it works great for stains on fabric!
My adorable little assistant “helped” me with this post today. She was very excited about cleaning her chair!
Although these ingredients are simple, the secret is in the ratios and science behind how they work.
We will go into detail on this too! Be sure to follow Amelia and me on Instagram for fun things 🙂
DIY Upholstery Cleaner
If you love basic DIY solutions for your home, be sure to check out our popular eBook!
Ingredients for making homemade upholstery cleaner:
- 1 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide (I use this one)
- 1/4 cup of Blue dawn dishwashing liquid (Ultra works best for this)**
- Spray Bottle (Simple plastic ones are best for this)
- Soft bristle brush or microfiber cloth (This brand is affordable and works great)
Directions:
- Spray the surface of your upholstery where you want it to be cleaned.
- Allow solution to sit for a few minutes.
- With a brush or microfiber cloth (brush works better for stains), rub UPWARDS until stain is gone (here is a video of this). Very important not to rub down or around when it comes to stains.
- Let surface dry and make sure stain is gone. Most stains are gone immediately, but anything tough or set in might need two treatments.
** I always use Dawn Ultra in these solutions, but if you don’t have any, use a good quality CONCENTRATED dish soap for this recipe.
Shop Ingredients For This Post:
Here is a little before and after on her chair. She had some stains from a pouch that spilled. You can see the stain is completely gone! There is still a little bit of dinginess to the fabric, so I actually did two rounds of this solution for extra cleaning. The stain went away after the first round though.
How Does DIY Upholstery Cleaner Work?
This solution is so simple, but has some awesome science working behind the scenes. The secret is also in the ratios of ingredients. You don’t want too much soap, but you need enough to reduce surface tension on stains. Here is how it works:
Hydrogen Peroxide For Stain Removal
The amazing hydrogen peroxide is the key ingredient in this solution. It is always one of the top home products for stain removal because how well it oxides and dissolves stains! I just love it for so many things. You can read a great post all about hydrogen peroxide uses here.
Peroxide will really breakdown stains on upholstery, so it is a great option for homemade solutions. Keep in mind, hydrogen peroxide does whiten whites (usually mixed with other ingredients), but it very rarely discolors colored fabrics. I have never had issues with this before on clothes or furniture, but if you want to be safe, you can test a small surface of your upholstery before use. Using the regular 3% in the first aide section of your store is a safe bet for fabrics.
If you DO want to whiten whites, you can try out our DIY oxygenated bleach solution which combines peroxide with washing soda to create a whitening solution.
Dishwashing Liquid Purposes For Homemade Upholstery Cleaner
If you were to just use the hydrogen peroxide, it would work, but not as well. The reason for this is you need a surfactant to “push” stains away from fabric. This is where dishwashing liquid comes in. I always use Dawn dishwashing liquid because it continues to perform better than any other brand I have used.
You can click over to this post to learn more about the ingredients and our testing on it. Many readers have asked over the years if they HAVE to use blue Dawn?? The answer is no, you can use another concentrated dish soap. Make sure it is good quality and concentrated to achieve similar results. With that being said, I have not had the same successful results with other types of dish soap, so keep that in mind.
The Combination of Dishwashing Liquid + Hydrogen Peroxide
Combining the peroxide which oxidizes stains and the dishwashing liquid which reduces surface tension of stains (surfactant), you create a very simple product that will push away stains and dissolve them. I sprayed this on the fabric, and let is sit for a few minutes. The, brushed upwards. It’s amazing how quickly and how well it removed the stains!
Success Stories
I love hearing all your success stories! Readers have said it even works on old stains too:
Common Questions + Answers
If you have any questions regarding this homemade solution, please read through them below. If you don’t see your question, feel free to leave a comment. We will reply ASAP 🙂
What does rubbing up mean?
This is a term used in cleaning fabrics which means to rub up towards your body instead of rubbing down into fabric. You basically wipe your cloth up each stroke towards the ceiling, not rubbing down into fabric which can make stain go deeper into fabric. You can also check out this quick IG video in our highlights to see an example of this.
Can this DIY be used on all fabrics?
Usually, yes! I recommend always testing a small area of fabric with peroxide before using it though. The dish soap will not harm or discolor, but it is always a good idea to be cautious if this is your first time using it. I have used it on all different stains, fabrics, and colors without any issues.
How long does this solution last?
This is made in a small portion so it can be used in one or two settings. When you work with hydrogen peroxide, you want to make sure it doesn’t deactivate. I wouldn’t keep it for more than a week.
Can I use any spray bottle for DIY upholstery cleaner?
If you plan to store peroxide, it would need to be in a dark bottle so UV rays don’t break it down. I am using a simple spray bottle for this because it doesn’t make much solution to store.
Will this work on ink stains?
Yes! It might take two passes, but it works on ink stains and marker.
I hope you enjoy using this easy homemade cleaner!
Follow on Facebook | Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Hometalk
Thanks for this mixture! Will be trying it very soon.
I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you so much for this post , very helpful
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Do you need to vacuum the upholstery when it’s dry?
You can if you’d like, it is optional. If you are cleaning anything thick or fuzzy, vacuuming can help refluff it 🙂
How does it work for wool carpet?
It can work for carpeting. I would test a small area. I prefer to use our homemade carpet cleaner for carpeting though.
I have used it with vinegar and added hot water. Worked very well . Hydrogen peroxide sounds better, does this work for woolen carpet. very interesting post also the post with washing soda.
I prefer our DIY Carpet cleaner which you can find here.
I was wondering the same thing about carpet even though mine isn’t wool, just regular carpet. We have a spot that has been stained for years but never knew what it was.
It can be used on carpet, but I prefer this homemade carpet cleaner we have. Although, really tough stains might possibly need a tool to get deeper into fibers. I recently started using this and it is amazing!
Will the fabric retain the soap and have a soapy residue?
No, it won’t have a soapy residue due to the hydrogen peroxide. I like using the microfiber cloth because it absorbs any lasting moisture. You can also vacuum surface
Pretty please…May I have the video on how you do it, I don’t have Instagram and I sure would like to see the video. All the products are ready to get to work. Thank you in advance!
Hi! It is only on Instagram, but if you click the link listed on number 3 of the directions, it should allow you to view it without an instagram account. I just share the motion of wiping upwards in this video. This is the only video for this particular post though
What would you suggest for child urine that has soaked into couch cushions. Cushions cannot be removed.
Thank you,
Susie
This DIY cleaner is great for surface stains, but if something has soaked in, you will need to use an upholstery steam cleaner to get it up. I have an inexpensive one from Bissell that has been fantastic for the couch and my dining room chairs. I saved it to my cleaning list on Amazon. It is number 2 on the list 🙂 Other than that, there is no DIY cleaner that can get up soaked in stains like that.
Great post! My husband had a “boys’ night in” with our 3-year old son while I was out with the gals and they dove into some sweets while watching a movie – which resulted in a big ole chocolate stain on our new couch! We gave your remedies a shot and they worked great! Unfortunately, the stains had settled enough that we need some reinforcements, luckily we found a great furniture cleaner near by! Thanks again for your post!
I am glad it was able to help some! Chocolate is definitely a tough one especially when it settles. Thanks for sharing!
Do you rinse because of soap.
I know peroxide gets rid of blood. Would this work on carpet? I had massive blood lose and can’t get rid last of blood
It can be used on carpet, but I prefer this homemade carpet cleaner we have. Although, really tough stains might possibly need a tool to get deeper into fibers. I recently started using this and it is amazing!
Will this solution of Peroxide and dishwashing soap work on leather upholstery?
Furniture and car are leather upholstery.
I wouldn’t use this on leather. I actually use baby shampoo for cleaning leather upholstery and it works really well. Here is a post on that.
Do you know if this mixture is sufficient as is to deal with not just the stain left behind but the smell when dealing with urine? My son is a bed wetter so nighttime were ready for ?? it’s when he’s fallen asleep after school on my couch!!! that’s the problem. i’ve been paranoid ever since.
Hi! It will definitely help with stains. It can also help with smells…but with urine it can seep a little deeper into the fabrics. I would recommend checking out this post and looking into that little upholstery cleaner which is fantastic for urine stains for both kids and pets since it sucks it up!
Hi. Thank you for this post. I have a yellow ring on the arm of my sofa (beige linen) from a water stain. Would this brighten and remove the water stain?
Yes it can, but water stains will usually need to be sucked up from the fabric. You can check out this post for more information.
Do you have the video on another platform besides instagram? I don’t have instagram.
You don’t need the app to view it. You should be able to click the link and view it on a browser. The video is too large to put on my website unfortunately.
I just tried this on a chair cushion. It took the original stain out but has left a new stain where the solution spread. ? Suggestions on what I should do? Have some more cushions that need attention but afraid to try it. Appreciate your help.
What type of stain did it leave? Did you wipe it off with a damp microfiber? I would recommend leaving a damp microfiber on the stain to soak up what is left, it usually isn’t stain, but sounds like the rest of it didn’t get up. I am not sure what type of fabric this is, but another thing to consider is an upholstery cleaner mentioned in this post which has deep suction.
Can i use HYDROGEN PEROXIDE 6%?
I would test a small area with the 6% to make sure it doesn’t fade the fabric. Since 6% is stronger than the 3%, it can be harder on certain colors. If you spray a small inconspicuous area and allow it to sit for 30 minutes, you will see if the fabric will be okay with it.