Upholstery and sofa cleaning

Reading the tag first

W means water-based cleaning is safe. S means solvent only — water will ring and shrink it. WS allows either. X means vacuum only, no liquid at all. We find the tag before we quote. If there is no tag, we test on a hidden panel and proceed conservatively.

Body oil is the real problem

The dark shine on the arms and headrest of a sofa is not dirt, it is body oil that has oxidized into the fabric. It needs a solvent-side pre-treatment and dwell time, not a stronger detergent. Headrests and arm caps are quoted as their own line because they take the most work.

Sectionals and microfiber

Microfiber and polyester sectionals clean beautifully but water-spot easily, so the whole panel gets cleaned rather than just the stain. We groom the nap back in one direction as it dries so the finish is even.

What's included

• Cleaning code checked before any quote
• Solvent process available for S-code fabric
• Body oil pre-treatment on arms and headrests
• Panel-to-seam cleaning to avoid water rings
• Nap groomed in one direction on microfiber
• Cushion cores extracted, not just surface wiped

What upholstery cleaning costs

Sofas are priced by the seat rather than by the piece, so a three-seat sofa and a six-seat sectional are quoted differently, and chaise sections, ottomans and dining chairs are each their own line. Fabric affects the price because an S-code piece needs solvent cleaning, which costs more per seat than water-based work. Headrests and arm caps carry a surcharge on heavily used furniture because oxidized body oil takes dwell time and repeat passes to lift, and pretending otherwise is how a cleaner ends up arguing with a customer about a sofa that still looks dark on the arms.

Leather is a different job entirely

Leather is not upholstery cleaning in the sense this page describes. It is cleaned with pH-balanced products designed for finished leather, then conditioned, and it must never be wet-extracted. Aniline and semi-aniline leathers absorb liquid and stain permanently, while pigmented leather is far more forgiving but can have its topcoat stripped by aggressive cleaners. If you have a leather piece, tell us at the quote stage so we bring the right products rather than discovering it on arrival.

Microfiber, velvet and performance fabrics

Microfiber and polyester perform well but water-spot readily, so we clean the entire panel to the seam instead of treating a stain in isolation, then groom the nap in a single direction as it dries so the finish is even. Velvet and chenille crush and need careful grooming to recover their pile direction. Modern performance fabrics such as Crypton and Sunbrella have a factory finish that repels water-based staining, and using an aggressive alkaline pre-spray on them strips that finish permanently — which is why we check what we are working on before choosing a product.