The finish on our couches is staining our clothes

June 9, 2018 1:54 PM

I have a black couch set that looks like leather but may be vinyl. If we sit on them when hot and sweaty, our clothing sticks. When we peel ourselves away, there are black lines left on our clothes that don't come out in the wash. Can these couches be refinished or treated by us so this doesn't happen anymore? Is our clothing salvageable?
posted by zarq to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

We have some high maintenance vintage vinyl furniture and we use a 303 Protectant. While our vinyl doesn't mark clothes, this stuff does seem to seal it a bit. There is a related vinyl cleaner that first cleans nicely and then the Protectant is layered on top.

Mr Countrymod is the vinyl Protectant enthusiast in our house but the crossover for automotive vinyl conditioners and sealants helps with our vinyl furniture.
posted by countrymod at 6:06 PM on June 9, 2018

Your clothes might be toast, I'm afraid. Some people say using white vinegar on the stain (on most natural fabrics, though) can work to some degree. YMMV.

If the couch is leather, it would appear that the hides were never properly sealed. There's a product called Resolene that a lot of craftspeople use to seal leather.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:35 AM on June 10, 2018 [1 favorite]