Upholstery Cleaning 101: When Your Couch Needs a Pro

Your couch absorbs body oils, sweat, food, dust and pet dander every single day, and vacuuming barely touches it. Most people never clean their upholstery until it looks obviously grimy - by which point it has been dirty for a long time. Here is how to think about it.

Read the cleaning code first

Look for a tag, usually under a cushion. The letter tells you what is safe:

• W - water-based cleaner is fine
• S - solvent only, no water (dry-clean type products)
• W/S - either works
• X - vacuum only, no liquid at all - these need a professional

Using water on an S or X fabric can leave permanent rings or shrink the fabric. If there is no tag, treat it as S until a professional identifies it.

What you can do at home

• Vacuum weekly with the upholstery attachment - crevices, under cushions, along the seams
• Blot spills immediately with a clean white cloth, working from the edge in
• On a W fabric, a little upholstery foam cleaner on a light surface stain is fine
• Rotate and flip the cushions so they wear evenly

When to call a pro

• It has never been professionally cleaned and it is more than a couple of years old
• Pet odor - this lives deep in the foam and needs enzyme treatment and extraction, not a spray
• An S or X fabric, microfiber, or anything delicate or expensive
• Set-in stains, sun-faded arms, or a general dinginess that a surface clean will not fix
• You are getting it ready to sell the house - clean upholstery is often what buyers notice

What professional upholstery cleaning includes

We identify the fabric, test for colorfastness, vacuum and pre-treat the arms, headrests and cushions, then clean with the method the fabric calls for - low-moisture for delicates, hot-water extraction for sturdier weaves - and set up airflow so it dries in a few hours.

Pricing is per piece. As a rough guide: armchair from about $60, sofa from about $180, sectional from about $275. We quote before we start.

See upholstery cleaning for details, call (805) 704-2301, or book online.