How To Clean Upholstery To Keep It Looking Its Best
Keep your furniture looking fresh and clean with our expert tips.
Brian Woodcock; Styling: Page Mullins
One of the more expensive mistakes I’ve made in my life was recently purchasing a white couch a month after bringing home a new puppy. While we haven’t had any major accidents yet, we like to keep upholstery cleaner very close by in case we need to spring into action.
The good news is, if you catch an accident in time, before it becomes a permanent stain, you can keep your furniture and upholstery clean. There are a few different ways to clean upholstery, and we referred to the experts for their best tips on how to keep your upholstery spotless.
Related: The 7 Best Upholstery Cleaners Of 2024, Tested And Reviewed
Meet The Expert
Aidan Madigan is a professional upholsterer, decorator, and owner of Siren Studios.
Chris Woolsey is a sales manager at NFM.
Before Getting Started
Your furniture is like a sponge—everyday, we sit on our sofa with the clothing we wear to work, to the store, or on the subway, and then we come home and collapse on our couch or our favorite chair. “If you think about it, your furniture is soaking up all the residue rubbed off from your clothes and sticking to the upholstery,” explains Aidan Madigan, a professional upholsterer, decorator, and owner of Siren Studios. “The dirt, dust, and allergens that are collected may not be noticeable right away, but after a few months or a few years without a proper cleaning, you will notice the wear and tear of your well loved furniture.” Plus, cleaning your upholstery can not only prolong the life of the fabric on your furniture, but the foam, batting, down and stuffing materials as well.
Special Considerations for Different Types of Upholstery Fabric
Manufacturers will label their fabrics with different cleaning codes to help you decipher which cleaning products are recommended, and safe, for your furniture. “Check the label for the piece’s cleaning code or contact the manufacturer if you are unable to locate the tag,” suggests Chris Woolsey, a sales manager at NFM. These cleaning codes include:
Code W: Safe to clean with water or water-based solvents.
Code S: This code is for solvents or dry-cleaning. Solvents are more potent cleaning agents and require a well-ventilated area with no open flames, like candles. Don’t be afraid to call the pros for this type of upholstery, suggests Woolsey.
Code W/S: Water-based or solvent-based cleaning methods are appropriate for this type of upholstery. “One of the best recommendations I’ve heard is to spot-test on a hidden area to see which method would be best for your specific fabric,” says Woolsey.
Code X: In this case, “x” marks the spot that no cleaning agents should be used on. These must only be vacuumed or brushed with a soft bristle brush. Call in the professionals if need be.
Madigan is not a big fan of using chemicals on furniture, unless you’re spot-cleaning a tough stain. “Certain fabrics will require a bit more precaution, such as silk, velvet, or leather, but often the best way to clean these is with a damp rag and a bowl of clean, hot water,” she explains. “Too much heat can damage the nap (the direction of the pile) of the velvet or discolor the silk, and water without proper conditioning afterward will dry out the leather hide and leave a stain or ripple in the leather.”
When taking cushion covers and slipcovers off furniture to wash them, Madigan says to make sure the inside seams are “serged”. “This means that the frayed edges are held together by a binding thread stitch,” she explains. “One way to tell if your slipcovers are serged is to flip the cover inside-out, look at the interior seams, and compare them to the inside seams of your clothing. If the interior stitching on your covers looks like the stitch on the inside of your clothes, then you can put it in the washing machine (on a gentle cycle).” Only put cotton or polyester covers in the washing machine with very light detergent and then hang to air dry. Putting them in the dryer will make them shrink. When in doubt, follow the instructions on the laundry care tag.
Safety Precautions To Take Before Cleaning Upholstery
As mentioned before, when using solvents, make sure you are in a well-ventilated area with no open flames. “Any time you’re using any type of cleaning agent, be it water-based or solvent-based, make sure you read and follow all the manufacturer’s instructions,” says Woolsey. “Failure to do so could result in health risks and/or damaged furniture.” Woolsey does not recommend machine washing your upholstery unless the manufacturer explicitly states the piece is machine washable.
If you are using a steam cleaner on harsh stains (specifically animal urine or feces), it's best to wear a mask, glasses, and a hat. “When the steam is pressed into the stain, it's released after going through the stain, which then releases a lot of the stain's particles with it,” explains Madigan. “Not only will this cleaning process be smelly, but the particles could also get into your lungs, eyes, skin, and hair, too.”
Another thing to avoid is mixing chemicals together, unless it’s stated on a specific cleaning tool or product. You should really only add water to any solution. According to Madigan, mixing chemicals could create a combination that is too harsh on fabrics, causing bleaching or product saturation in the fabric. If there is too much of a cleaning product in your solution and not enough water, you could be left with uneven residue marks on your furniture after cleaning.
What You Need
Soft brush
Vacuum
Dishwashing liquid
Warm water
Bowl or bucket
Microfiber towels or sponges
Fan (optional)
Powdered chalk (optional)
Steamer (optional)
How To Clean Upholstery
For a General Cleaning:
First, brush your fabric with a soft brush to loosen any solids.
Vacuum upholstery with a handheld vacuum or vacuum wand to capture as much of the dust and solids as possible. Make sure you hit the top, sides, and between the cushions. Remove the cushions if you are able to, which will make it much easier.
Next, mix a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with a gallon of warm water and stir to create suds.
Dampen a microfiber towel or sponge; just damp, not wet, and wipe down every surface. Woolsey recommends staying away from anything metal to avoid future rust.
Rinse with a towel or sponge dipped in plain water, followed up with a dry towel to pull as much moisture out as possible. “A fan to circulate air to dry the fabric out more quickly can go a long way to limiting potential odors and spotting,” suggests Woolsey.
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To Spot Treat Stains:
Mix a cup of warm water with a ? cup of dishwashing liquid and get it sudsy.
Dip your sponge or microfiber towel into the liquid and then rub the stain away. Make sure to move to a clean area of the sponge/towel so you don’t rub the stain back in as you go.
Rinse thoroughly with a towel or sponge that has been dipped in plain water and then allow to dry.
To Remove Oil Stains:
“A trick that some seamstresses will use to remove oil stains from cotton or polyester fabric is to use powdered chalk on the stain,” explains Madigan. “The powder will soak up the oil, whereas using a water based solution will just bounce off the oil stain.”
Cover the stain in a thin layer of the powder and smudge into the stain.
Pour a bit more over the stain after smudging, then leave it on for about 20 minutes.
Dust off the powder until it's completely gone. If you don't have any chalk, baby powder or baking soda will do the trick, according to Madigan.
Repeat a few times if the stain is still visible.
To Steam Upholstery:
“Steaming your upholstery with a hand held steamer can fluff up those old matted down pillows and cushions as well as sanitize highly touched areas, no chemicals needed,” says Madigan.
Fill the steamer with water.
Hold the steamer up close to the foam and move in continuous motion throughout the piece and watch it regain its shape. This acts as a sanitizer as well.
Once the shape has bounced back, let the piece air out to dry.
Additional Methods for Cleaning Upholstery
An alternative method to cleaning upholstery that might be a little different than using a liquid solution would be to sprinkle baking soda all over your furniture, suggests Madigan. Leave it for 2-4 hours, and then use a dry brush and brush it off, or vacuum it all off. “This approach is very simple and will mostly just act as a deodorizer,” says Madigan.
Another alternative method that does not require any products or liquid to clean your upholstery is to use a small, flat rubber pet hair remover to scrape off any hair and dirt that could be lingering on the surface of your furniture. “These pet hair removers are often used in the car detailing process to get pet hair that is trapped in the fibers of the carpets,” explains Madigan. “Often hard to see, thin layers of pet hair and dust mites sit on the surface of our furniture and can be difficult for the vacuum to pick up.” When using a rubber scraper, pull the scraper toward you on the surface of the furniture, going over the same spot several times. After going over the area a few times, you will notice hair and dust start to clump up. Take the clump and throw it away. Continue the same process in a new spot.
How Often Should I Clean Upholstery?
This will really depend on your lifestyle. “Upholstery in homes that never have guests, don’t have pets or children, and where furniture hardly gets used, might only need to be cleaned every few years,” says Madigan. “Furniture in homes with pets or children should be cleaned every few months. Even if it’s a light cleaning with a vacuum over the top surface or a dusting of banking soda.” Following a cleaning routine can even help to extend the lifespan of your furniture!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a steam cleaner to clean upholstery?
Absolutely! In fact, steam cleaning can help lift more stubborn stains and soils, according to Woolsey. Follow the directions for vacuuming, spot treatment, and then you are ready for steam. Using a handheld steamer (a clothes steamer works fine), work in an overlapping pattern with the head of the steamer close to the fabric to cover every spot. “Additionally, ensure you are not over-saturating the furniture with moisture, as that can make it difficult to dry thoroughly,” says Woolsey. “Once you are done with the steamer, use a fan to circulate air to quickly dry your piece.”
Can I use vinegar as an upholstery cleaner?
You can use vinegar as a cleaner, but it is better suited as a spot stain remover. “Make sure you are able to use a solvent on your upholstery by consulting the cleaning code and testing in a hidden area before using it in a prominent spot,” suggests Woolsey. “Blot as much of the stain as possible to lift it out of the fabric, but make sure not to rub the stain as you are blotting.” Dilute a paper towel in vinegar and blot followed by blotting with plain water until clean and then dry the area. A little goes a long way, so you are always better off taking a little longer to get it clean than overdoing it out of the gate.
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