A guide to cleaning upholstered furniture

When a couch or armchair needs a refresh to remove dust and debris, a pass with a vacuum or lint roller may be all that's needed. 

But if you've just spilled red wine on the ottoman or noticed greasy chip stains on the sofa, things can get tricky. Tackling spots without spreading or setting them takes a bit of know-how, and some stains are best left to the professionals.

To help you assess the damage, and understand your options, we reached out to Kelly Zarif, COO of Toronto's Dove Cleaners, and Joy Walker, a professor in the School of Fashion and Jewellery at George Brown College, for their dos and don'ts when it comes to cleaning upholstered furniture. 

Understand the risks

Zarif prefaced things by saying that she generally doesn't recommend spot cleaning for upholstery (or clothes). "Oftentimes, it may be great on the stain, but the residue of what was used to remove the stain leaves a ring mark," she said. "So now you have a mark that's bigger than the original stain you started with." 

Instead, she suggests pre-treating the spot and then washing or dry cleaning the whole item. "Whatever the reaction of the colour or the fabric is going to be, it'll be throughout the garment or throughout the cushion rather than an isolated area."

When it comes to large stains, "it's best to use a professional cleaning service if possible," said Walker. 

Also, consider that after cleaning, that section of furniture may no longer match the surrounding areas. "So the cushions that you clean, once you get them back, there may be a colour difference, a slight one … from what the arms or the back would be," said Zarif.

Note the care instructions

Always follow the care instructions and warnings noted on fabric's label, said Walker. It should detail the ideal cleaning agents and water temperature to use, and whether or not bleach can be used. 

Dry cleaning is generally preferred for certain materials, said Zarif, such as polyester, velvet and leather, while linens and cottons can usually be washed. 

Zarif also suggests checking or inquiring about whether the fabric has been pre-washed or pre-treated before the item was made. Fabric that hasn't been pre-treated, she said, can shrink by about three to five per cent. That cushion cover might not fit after it's been washed! 

Clean promptly and gently

Walker's advice is to spot-treat stains as soon as possible. "In the event of a drop or a spill on any type of fabric, immediately try to blot the spill rather than rub it, using [a dabbing] motion with a white or light-coloured towel," she said. "[Work] from the outer edge of the spill to the centre of the spill. With each blot, make sure to use a clean part of the towel so you are not reapplying the stain. Then carefully apply the cleaning agent." 

Walker recommends pre-testing the cleaning agent on an inconspicuous spot of your fabric if possible, in case it impacts the colour or causes damage to the fibres, then gently applying a small amount to the stain and repeating if necessary. "Less is more," she said.

Walker also advised against using hot water (which can set a stain), oversaturating the fabric (which can spread it), rubbing the fabric too forcefully (which might damage it or remove its dye) and using heat to dry the area post-cleaning. 

If you're planning to take the item to a dry cleaners, Zarif recommends not using any solvents at all to avoid making the stain worse or harder to treat. If you're attempting to spot clean, Zarif cautioned against using harsh cleaning agents and suggested using something gentle like a mixture of vinegar, club soda and water. 

For an oil- or water-based stain, Walker suggests using a solution of lukewarm water and clear dish soap. Afterward, "rinse [out] the stain treatment thoroughly with cool water using a lightly moistened white cloth," she said. For white or bleach-safe fabrics, you can also use a 10 per cent bleach solution, she noted; just be sure to rinse the fabric thoroughly to remove any residue.  

To remove stains on leather, Walker recommends using saddle soap with a bit of water and a soft white cloth. "Use a clean, dry cloth to absorb any remaining water," she said. "Once the leather is completely air-dried, recondition [it] using leather cream."

Tips for buying low-maintenance upholstered furniture

To make cleaning less of a worry, consider which fabrics will naturally fare better when shopping for furniture. "Non-woven fabric like microfibre Ultrasuede has inherent stain resistance, is breathable and very easy to clean," said Walker.

When it comes to furniture with removable covers, Zarif recommended looking for fabrics like cotton and linen that can be washed — and going for lighter colours. 

While darker colours may not show stains, most of the time they have to be dry cleaned, she said. "Then if you get a water-based stain on it … it's not something that you can remove." 

Zarif also pointed out that depending on the finish, stains can actually "pop" more on black fabric, and that colourful, patterned fabric can be difficult to clean. "A lot of times, the dyes are what we call 'fugitive dyes,' which means they bleed. If you get a stain on them and we end up cleaning it, sometimes the colours bleed into each other … all of a sudden, it doesn't have that same crisp look," she said.

Walker said that some textured fabrics can hold up to cleaning if the texture is part of the weave of the fabric itself, such as a twill or jacquard weave, but added that material with novelty yarns woven into them won't handle abrasion well.

Finally, you'll want to avoid those shaggy fabrics that are so trendy right now, unless you're open to dry cleaning or using an upholstery cleaning service for maintenance. Depending on the fabric and the fibres, knotting and matting could be a concern when those covers get washed, noted Zarif.

Truc Nguyen is a Toronto-based writer, editor and stylist. Follow her at @trucnguyen.