How do I clean a sofa?

Upholstery has a cleaning code, usually on a label under a cushion or beneath the frame, and it determines everything. Water on the wrong fabric leaves rings that can't be removed. Two minutes finding that label prevents the most common and most expensive upholstery mistake.

What you'll need

• Vacuum with an upholstery attachment
• White cloths
• Appropriate cleaner for the code
• Soft brush (optional)
• Leather conditioner (optional)

Step by step

1. Find the cleaning code label — under a cushion, under the frame, or on the underside.W: water-based. S: solvent only. WS: either. X: vacuum only, no liquid at all.
2. Remove cushions and vacuum thoroughly, including the crevices and under the cushions.Most of what's in a sofa is dry grit, which becomes mud the moment you add liquid.
3. Test any cleaner on a hidden area and let it dry fully before proceeding.Under the back or beneath the frame. Check for colour change and watermarking once dry, not while wet.
4. For W or WS fabrics, use a small amount of upholstery cleaner or dilute washing-up liquid on a cloth.Apply to the cloth, never pour onto the fabric. Blot rather than rub.
5. For S-coded fabrics, use only a solvent-based upholstery cleaner.Water will leave permanent rings on these. Ventilate well when using solvent products.
6. Work in sections and blot the whole panel rather than spot-treating.Spot-cleaning a small area often leaves a clean patch that's more visible than the original mark.
7. Dry quickly with good airflow.Slow drying on upholstery causes watermarks and, in foam, smells.
8. For leather, wipe with a barely damp cloth and use a proper leather conditioner a few times a year.Never use household cleaners or solvents on leather — they strip the finish.

Tips

• Vacuuming weekly extends how long a sofa looks good more than any deep clean does. Grit abrades the fibres every time someone sits down.
• Rotating and flipping cushions distributes wear and keeps the shape considerably longer.
• For a sofa where the covers come off, check whether they're machine washable — many are, at low temperature, and it's transformative.
• Steam cleaners are effective on many W-coded fabrics but can damage others. Check the code and test first.

Common mistakes

• Not checking the cleaning code — Water on an S-coded fabric leaves permanent rings. This is the most common irreversible upholstery mistake.
• Spot-cleaning one small area — It often leaves a clean patch that stands out more than the mark did.
• Over-wetting — Liquid reaches the foam, which then takes days to dry and can smell permanently.
• Using household cleaner on leather — It strips the protective finish and causes cracking over time.

Questions people ask