How to clean a couch: read the cleaning code, then vacuum and spot clean

Step by step: how to clean a couch

Safety first. Use solvent cleaners with windows open, no smoking or open flames, and gloves. Never mix cleaning products on the same spot, and never combine bleach with ammonia.

1. 1

   Find the cleaning code

   Look for a tag under the seat cushions, on the deck or on the underside of the frame. It will show W, S, WS (or S/W) or X. If there is no tag, check the maker’s website or treat the fabric as S until you have tested it.

2. 2

   Remove the cushions and vacuum everything

   Take off all loose cushions and vacuum both sides of each, then the deck, arms, back and skirt with the upholstery tool. Use the crevice tool in seams and along the frame, where crumbs, hair and grit hide. Dry soil comes out much better with a vacuum than with any cleaner.

3. 3

   Test your cleaner in a hidden spot

   Dab a little cleaner on the back of the couch or under the skirt, wait 10 minutes and blot with a white cloth. If color transfers, the fabric shrinks or a ring forms as it dries, stop and call an upholstery cleaner.

4. 4

   Spot clean according to the code

   Apply a small amount of the right cleaner to a white cloth, not to the couch, and dab the stain. Work from the outer edge toward the center so it does not spread, and blot with a dry cloth between applications. Avoid soaking the fabric; the cushion foam underneath dries slowly.

5. 5

   Rinse W-code fabric lightly

   On water-cleanable fabric, blot the area with a cloth dampened in distilled water to lift leftover shampoo. Distilled water has no minerals, so it is less likely to leave a tide mark. Skip this step on S-code fabric, which must stay dry.

6. 6

   Clean whole panels to avoid rings

   If a cleaned spot looks lighter than the area around it, gently clean the whole cushion face or panel from seam to seam. A spot cleaned in the middle of a panel often dries with a visible edge.

7. 7

   Dry and brush the fabric

   Point a fan at the couch and keep people and pets off until it is dry, usually a few hours. Once dry, brush the fabric with a soft upholstery brush to lift the pile, then put the cushions back, flipping and rotating them for even wear.

What do upholstery cleaning codes W, S, WS and X mean?

The code tells you which kind of cleaner the fabric can take: W means water-based, S means solvent only, WS means either, and X means vacuum only. Using the wrong type is the most common cause of water rings, shrinking and faded patches.

La-Z-Boy’s care guide says to spot clean W fabrics only with a water-based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner and to avoid steam and hot water extraction, to use only a water-free dry cleaning solvent on S fabrics, and not to use foam or liquid cleaners of any type on X fabrics. American Leather adds that solvent cleaning should be done in a well-ventilated room, ideally with gloves, and that any cleaner should be tested in an inconspicuous spot first.

How to clean a couch by fabric type

The code comes first, but the fabric tells you how gently to work.

• Microfiber and polyester: often S or WS. Rubbing alcohol cleans many of them without water rings; see our microfiber couch guide.
• Cotton and linen: usually W, but they can shrink and fade. Use little water and dry fast.
• Velvet: blot only, and brush the pile in one direction once dry. Many velvets are S or X.
• Performance fabrics: often W and very stain resistant; follow the brand’s own cleaning card.
• Leather: no upholstery shampoo or solvents. Follow our leather couch guide.

Removable covers are not always washable. Wash them only if the tag says so, in cold water, and put them back on while slightly damp so they do not shrink out of shape.

How often should you clean a couch?

Vacuum a couch weekly, treat spills the same day, and deep clean it once or twice a year. Weekly vacuuming does the most to keep fabric looking new, because grit wears the fibers each time someone sits down.

If anyone in the home has allergies or asthma, weekly vacuuming of upholstery matters even more. The EPA recommends vacuuming carpets and furniture every week, using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, to control dust mites. Solvent cleaners add fumes to indoor air, and the EPA advises using such products with plenty of ventilation and following label directions.

When to call a professional upholstery cleaner

Call a professional for X-coded fabric, silk, antique or valuable pieces, large stains, water rings that have already formed, and pet urine that has soaked into the cushions. Upholstery cleaners carry both water-based and solvent systems and can test the fabric properly.

A professional is also the better choice when the whole couch looks dingy rather than spotted, because cleaning a full couch evenly by hand is hard to do without leaving patches.

Mistakes to avoid

• Cleaning before checking the code, then using water on an S-coded fabric.
• Spraying cleaner straight onto the couch so it soaks into the cushion foam.
• Scrubbing a stain hard, which spreads it and roughens the fabric.
• Cleaning one small spot in the middle of a cushion, which leaves a ring.
• Washing cushion covers that are not labeled washable, which can shrink them.
• Using colored cloths or sponges that bleed dye onto light upholstery.