Good upholstery is an investment, and ten minutes of the right care each month will double its life. This is the routine we give every customer who leaves the workshop with a finished piece.
First: find your cleaning code
Every fabric has one — on the product page, the label under the cushion, or the sample card. Using the wrong cleaner on the wrong code is how permanent rings and colour loss happen.
- W — Water-based cleaners. Mild soap and water, upholstery shampoo, or a foam cleaner.
- S — Solvent-based only. A dry-cleaning solvent; water will leave marks.
- W/S — Either method.
- X — Vacuum or brush only. Professional clean for anything more.
Fabric: the monthly routine
Vacuum with the upholstery brush attachment, going with the pile on velvets. Grit is what abrades fibres — removing it is the single most effective thing you can do. Rotate and flip loose cushions so they wear evenly. Plump back cushions by hand. Check the sun: if a piece sits in a bright window, close blinds during the hottest hours or consider a UV film.
Spills: the golden rules
- Act immediately. Blot — never rub — with a clean white cloth or paper towel from the outside of the spill inward.
- Test first. Try any cleaner on a hidden spot (under a cushion) and let it dry.
- Less is more. Over-wetting drives the stain into the foam and causes rings. Damp cloth, not wet.
- Feather the edges. Work from the outside in and blot the edges with clean water so no line forms.
- Dry naturally — no hairdryers, no direct heat.
| Stain (W-code fabric) | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Coffee, tea, wine | Blot; mild dish-soap solution; blot with clean water; if a shadow remains, 1:1 white vinegar and water |
| Grease, butter, sunscreen | Sprinkle cornflour or bicarbonate, leave 15 min, vacuum; then soap solution |
| Ink / biro | Dab with isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud, blotting frequently — don’t spread it |
| Blood | Cold water only (heat sets it); a little salt in the water helps |
| Pet accidents | Blot; enzyme cleaner (essential to stop repeat visits); rinse |
| Mud | Let it dry fully, vacuum, then soap solution |
Leather: less is more
Leather wants three things: dust removed, moisture replaced, and sun avoided. Weekly, wipe with a dry or barely damp soft cloth. Every 6 months, apply a quality leather conditioner (not household oils, not baby wipes, not saddle soap on furniture leather) to stop it drying and cracking. Immediately after a spill, blot with a dry cloth; on pigmented leather a damp cloth with a drop of mild soap is fine, on aniline leather use only a dry cloth and accept that it may mark — that’s part of its character.
Keep leather at least a metre from heaters and fires, and out of direct sun. If your leather type is aniline or nubuck, treat it like suede: brush gently and call a professional for anything oily.
Fixing the big three problems
Sagging seat cushions
Usually the foam, not the cover. Unzip a cushion and press the foam — if it’s slow to recover or crumbly, replace it with HR35 foam cut to the cover size and wrapped in Dacron. It’s a 20-minute job and the sofa feels new. If the cushions are fine but the seat still sags, the webbing or springs underneath have gone — see our webbing or ask us about a repair.
Pilling
Little bobbles on the surface are loose fibres, not a fault, and they stop once the loose ones are gone. Remove with a fabric shaver or gently with a disposable razor held flat.
Sun fade
Can’t be reversed, only prevented. Rotate furniture, use blinds during peak hours, and next time choose a solution-dyed fabric — the colour is in the fibre itself, so it barely fades. Every fabric on our site lists its lightfastness grade.
When to call a professional
Large stains on S- or X-code fabric, anything on silk or aniline leather, smoke or mould damage, and whole-piece cleaning every 2–3 years. A professional upholstery clean costs far less than re-covering.
Replacing rather than cleaning? Browse easy-care fabrics with W cleaning codes, or order samples to compare.