What Is Upholstery Cleaning, and Is it Important?
Keep your upholstered furniture clean and fresh with regular cleaning
Highlights
Upholstery cleaning can extend the life of your furniture and improve your home’s air quality.
Upholstered furniture should be cleaned once or twice a year, depending on use.
Professional couch cleaning can range between $100 and $300.
Couches, chairs, and other upholstered furniture are some of the most often-used items in our homes. But unfortunately, they aren’t usually some of the most often-cleaned items. Dirt, pet hair, food crumbs, and other debris from everyday life can accumulate on upholstered furniture, leaving it looking dirty and smelling bad. Cleaning upholstered items can extend the life of your furniture and keep it looking and smelling its best.
What Is Upholstery Cleaning?
Because upholstered furniture can’t be washed in the washing machine like other items, there are deep cleaning methods specifically for upholstery. In general, the item will be cleaned with some combination of a solvent or cleaning solution, steam, and liquid extraction. The specifics will vary from item to item based on the fabric, but an upholstery deep cleaning is designed to remove dirt, stains, and odors from furniture without damaging the fabric, cushions, or the piece of furniture itself.
When and Why Should Upholstery Be Cleaned?
If your household contains pets or children, your furniture is likely to get dirty faster and should be deep cleaned twice a year. For households without animals or kids, a yearly cleaning is usually sufficient. It’s a good idea to keep up with surface cleaning in between deep cleanings by regularly vacuuming up crumbs, pet hair, and other debris, but this isn’t sufficient to remove odors and dirt that have settled into the upholstery, nor will it help get stains out of your couch.
Some indications that it’s time to get your upholstered items deep cleaned include the following:
Stains or discoloration on the fabric
Unpleasant odors
Dingy or matted fabric
Pros and Cons of Upholstery Cleaning
Cleaning your upholstered furniture is an integral part of keeping a clean home, but it’s important to know the risks as well as the benefits. In most cases, upholstery cleaning is usually a good choice, but be sure to consider all the factors if you have delicate, antique, or easily damaged pieces.
Pros:
Removes stains and odors
Extends the life of the furniture
Reduces allergens and improves air quality
Cons:
Risk of damaging fabric or furniture
Cleaning solution residue can attract dirt
Furniture needs to dry before use
What Are the Best Ways to Clean Upholstery?
Upholstery cleaning methods vary depending on the fabric. The method used to clean a microfiber couch will be different from how you’d clean an armchair upholstered in cotton, so it’s important to choose the right method for your furniture. Upholstery cleaning can generally be broken down into three categories: steam cleaning, cleaning with detergent, and dry cleaning.
Steam Cleaning
Steam cleaning uses hot water and steam without any detergent to clean upholstery. To steam clean a sofa, a steam cleaning machine forces the steam and hot water into the upholstery, then extracts the water, removing dirt and stains as it extracts.
Detergent Cleaning
Detergent cleaning is similar to steam cleaning in that it uses hot water extraction, but with this method, a specialized detergent is also used. The type of detergent used will depend on the fabric that’s being cleaned.
Dry Cleaning
Dry cleaning is used less frequently and is a good choice for fabrics that may be damaged by liquids. An appropriate dry cleaning solvent is applied and worked into the fabric and then dried to avoid shrinking or moisture damage. Dry cleaning is typically performed by professionals who have access to the solvents and the training to use them properly.
DIY vs. Professional Upholstery Cleaning
Is it better to clean your own upholstery or to hire a furniture cleaner near you? Upholstery cleaning uses specialized equipment, so if you don’t have an upholstery cleaning machine, you may be better off outsourcing the job. On average, professional upholstery cleaning costs for chairs range from $10 to $80, and the cost to clean a couch is between $100 and $300.
If you do have an upholstery cleaning machine, you can tackle the job yourself, keeping in mind a few key things:
Ensure the detergent you’re using (if any) is safe for the fabric you’re using it on.
Vacuum the fabric prior to deep cleaning to avoid forcing dirt further down into the cushions.
Use the appropriate amount of water and cleaning solution, as oversaturation or improperly extracted water can cause mold or mildew.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can take anywhere from four to 24 hours for furniture to dry after being cleaned, depending on the method used, the fabric the furniture is upholstered with, and the ambient temperature and humidity. You can speed up the process using fans, but it’s important to not sit on the furniture until it’s completely dry to avoid transferring dye or cause the cushion to retain moisture longer, which can lead to mold or mildew.
When cleaning upholstery, you want to avoid harsh scrubbing, oversaturating the fabric, and using the wrong kind of cleaner for the fabric you’re cleaning. Any of these can cause significant damage to the upholstery, including rips, stains, faded fabric, mildew, or discoloration. Be methodical and use a light touch when cleaning upholstered furniture to preserve the life and look of the upholstery.
No, you won’t be able to deep clean a couch without an upholstery cleaning machine, although it’s certainly possible to keep up with everyday furniture cleaning. The water extraction process is what allows the fibers of the upholstery to be thoroughly cleaned, which is something you can’t achieve by surface cleaning alone. If you don’t have a machine, you may find that professional upholstery cleaning is worth the cost.