Different stains need different first moves, and getting it wrong in the first few minutes is usually what turns a fixable mark into a permanent one. Here's the correct approach for the four stains that cause the most trouble on a fabric sofa.
Red wine
Blot immediately with a dry cloth — never rub, it spreads the stain and pushes it deeper. Cover with salt or bicarbonate of soda to absorb what's left, leave 10 minutes, then vacuum off. Follow with a small amount of soda water dabbed on and blotted repeatedly. Avoid the classic white wine trick on fabric — it works on some materials but can leave its own mark on others.
Pet stains and odour
Blot up as much as possible immediately. Clean with a solution of white vinegar and water (roughly 1:3), which neutralises the odour-causing compounds rather than masking them. Follow with bicarbonate of soda left to sit for a few hours, then vacuum. Enzymatic pet-stain cleaners work well for anything that's dried in already.
Grease and oil
Don't add water first — it spreads grease rather than lifting it. Cover the mark generously with cornflour, talc, or bicarbonate of soda and leave for at least an hour to absorb the oil, then vacuum. Follow with a small amount of washing-up liquid (it's designed to cut grease) worked in gently and blotted off.
Ink
Act fast — dried ink is far harder to shift. Dab (don't rub) with a cotton bud soaked in surgical spirit or hand sanitiser with a high alcohol content, working from the outside of the mark inward so it doesn't spread. Blot with a clean cloth between applications.
The one rule that applies to all four
Always test on a hidden patch first, and always blot rather than scrub. Scrubbing pushes any stain deeper into the fibres and can damage the weave itself.
When a stain's beyond a home fix
Some stains — old, set-in, or on delicate fabrics — genuinely need professional treatment. It's the same standard we hold every sofa to before it's listed at Revived Sofas. Take a look at our current range, all deep cleaned and stain-checked before sale.