Have you ever felt like you’re sitting on a dust cushion rather than a sofa? Do you keep covering up those stains on the sofa with a decorative pillow or blanket? Perhaps it might be time to confront the stains on your sofa and get it cleaned so that it is once again an inviting and homely place to rest your weary legs.Keeping your sofa in tip-top shape all year long may not seem like an easy task. Let’s face it, accidents do happen and the sofa is a high risk spill area. If a spill does occur, don’t just stare at it hoping it will go away. Act fast! Time is of the essence in dealing with stains and spills on the sofa.If the spill is liquid based the first action is to blot the area immediately using a clean cloth. Be sure to gently blot and dab at the stain and be mindful not to spread it around the fabric. On a leather sofa, spot clean the area using a cloth dampened with a soap-based cleanser. After removing the stain, treat the affected with some saddle soap or leather conditioner to restore the leather’s full potential and avoid discolouration. Aside from accidents occurring, sofa cleaning doesn’t have to be an immense chore. To become an expert sofa cleaner, use these three manageable, self-guided steps:Prevention-    To stop dust build up becoming an issue in the sofa cushion, beat them outside once a month to prevent excess dust building up in the fibres-    Regularly pull the sofa cushions away from the base and reposition or turn them to avoid wear and tear-    Use the vacuum (smaller attachments may be an option depending on your model of vacuum cleaner) to really make sofa clean in the creases and fabric folds-    If possible, avoid eating, drinking and allowing pets on the sofaStain treatment-    To reiterate the above point about accidents, always blot a stain-    Treat oil based stains such as butter or cosmetics with dry cleaning solvents-    Check the manufacturers label on how to best treat your particular sofa fabric: W indicates water based cleaners are appropriate, S recommends solvent, WS is for either, and X means that such products are not recommended and vacuuming may be the only option -    Test the colourfastness of your sofa fabric before deep cleaning-    Ensure the fabric isn’t over wet as applying too much water can spread stains and dirt marks during the sofa cleaning process-    Avoid using hair dryers or other air drying techniques to speed up the drying process as heat will set the stain in place-    Deep Cleaning-    Schedule a sofa cleaning using this method at least once  year-    Check if cushion covers are removable and machine washable, always read manufacturers label for care instructions-    Check if covers require dry cleaning, or ensure you do this during fair weather so that they have plenty of chance to get dry.