New furniture can cause an odour in your home from the fabrics, packaging materials and the manufacturing processes. Sofas and other upholstered furniture may cause health reactions in certain individuals who are sensitive to the odour. It is not difficult to remove this odour from the furnishings, although it may take a few days. It is not necessary to hire a professional upholstery cleaner, you can use common household items to improve the air quality.

Open the windows of your home. Turn on the ceiling fans or place a window fan in the room to ventilate the area. Place the window fan so that it blows air outside the home. Open a window opposite the fan or in another room of your home to help with the ventilation process. Do this at least for 24 hours or until you no longer notice the smell.

  • New furniture can cause an odour in your home from the fabrics, packaging materials and the manufacturing processes.
  • Turn on the ceiling fans or place a window fan in the room to ventilate the area.

Place the sofa outdoors for several hours a day for a few days. Do not leave it out overnight because you do not want the morning dew to collect on the fabric or have to deal with a soggy couch if it rains unexpectedly. The fresh air and sunlight helps to remove the factory odour.

Sprinkle baking soda over the sofa seat after removing the cushions, if it has any. Otherwise, just sprinkle it directly over the upholstery. Let it sit overnight and then vacuum the sofa thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner attachment.

  • Place the sofa outdoors for several hours a day for a few days.
  • Sprinkle baking soda over the sofa seat after removing the cushions, if it has any.

Set out small bowls of vinegar in the room near the sofa. Make sure the bowls will not accidentally spill on the fabric. Vinegar is a natural deodoriser. If possible, shut the door of the room and leave it for a couple of days. Remove the bowls of vinegar and ventilate the room by opening the windows or running a fan. Once the vinegar smell dissipates after about 30 minutes, the sofa odour will be gone.

TIP

Over time the smell from new furniture usually dissipates on its own. These methods hasten the process.

WARNING

You can use a commercial fabric refresher or deodoriser, but test it in an inconspicuous area on your sofa, such as the back or underneath a seat cushion first. This ensures the product will not discolour or damage the fabric.