How to Clean a Fabric Sofa: Routine, Spills and Deep Cleans
By Alex at SOFGO ·
A fabric sofa is the hardest-working piece of furniture in most homes. It gets sat on every evening, eaten on now and then, climbed on by children and borrowed by the dog. The good news is that keeping it clean is mostly about small habits, not big weekend jobs.
This guide covers the routine that keeps fabric looking fresh, what to do in the first few minutes after a spill, how to tackle common stains and how to deep clean without damaging the upholstery.
Check the cleaning code first
Before any water, soap or cleaner touches your sofa, find the care label. It is usually under a seat cushion, on the underside of the frame or on the base of the sofa. Many upholstery labels use a letter code:
- W: water-based cleaning is fine, such as a little mild soap in water.
- S: solvent-based cleaning only. Water can leave rings or marks, so use a suitable dry-cleaning solvent or ask a professional.
- W/S: either method can be used.
- X: vacuum or brush only. Leave anything more to a professional.
If there is no label, or you cannot read it, treat the fabric gently: vacuum, blot and use the smallest amount of water you can. You can always message our team with the product name and we will help where we can.
Whatever the label says, patch test first. Try any method on a hidden area, such as the back of the sofa or the underside of a cushion, and let it dry fully before you judge the result.
Weekly routine
Ten minutes a week does more for a fabric sofa than any deep clean. Dust and grit work their way into the weave and wear the fibres down every time someone sits.
- Vacuum with the upholstery tool. Go over the seats, backs and arms, and work along the direction of the pile on textured fabrics such as cord.
- Get into the gaps. Lift the seat cushions if they come out, and use the crevice tool along the seams, the back of the seat and the join where the chaise meets the sofa. Crumbs collect there first.
- Plump and turn the cushions. Where cushions are loose and reversible, turning them spreads the wear more evenly.
- Brush pet hair with a rubber glove or brush before vacuuming. Our guide on how to remove dog hair from a fabric sofa has more on this.
- Air the room. Opening a window now and then helps fabric stay fresh.
A couple of habits help between cleans too. Keep the sofa out of strong direct sunlight where you can, as it can fade some fabrics over time. A washable throw on the seat people use most, or where the dog sleeps, takes the worst of the wear and goes straight in the washing machine.
Spills: the first five minutes
Most stains are only stains because they were left, or rubbed. What you do straight away matters most.
- Lift off anything solid with a spoon or the edge of a blunt knife. Scrape gently towards the centre of the mark.
- Blot, do not rub. Press a clean, dry white cloth or kitchen paper onto the spill to soak it up. Rubbing pushes liquid deeper and can rough up the fibres.
- Work from the outside in, so the mark does not spread.
- Use as little water as you can. If the label allows water, dampen a clean cloth with lukewarm water and a drop of mild washing-up liquid, wring it out until it is barely damp, and blot again.
- Rinse by blotting with a cloth dampened in plain water, then blot dry with a dry cloth.
- Let it dry naturally. Do not use a hairdryer or put the cushion on a radiator; heat can set a stain and shrink or mark the fabric.
Keep a small kit somewhere handy: two or three white cloths, kitchen paper, a mild washing-up liquid and a soft brush. When a glass of something goes over, you will not be hunting for it.
Common stains
Always check the care label and patch test first. These are gentle starting points for fabrics that can take water-based cleaning:
- Tea and coffee: blot at once, then use the barely damp cloth with a drop of mild washing-up liquid. Milky drinks need rinsing well, as milk can leave a smell.
- Red wine and juice: blot hard straight away with dry cloths, then work in from the edges with the damp, soapy cloth. Avoid salt, which can set some marks.
- Grease and food: lift off what you can, then blot. A small amount of washing-up liquid on a damp cloth helps break down grease. For S-coded fabrics, use a solvent cleaner made for upholstery instead.
- Mud: leave it to dry completely, then brush and vacuum it off before tackling any mark that is left. Wet mud just spreads.
- Ink and make-up: these are harder. Blot gently, and if a little mild soap and water does not shift it, stop and get professional advice rather than reaching for strong solvents.
- Pet accidents: blot up as much as you can, then use an enzyme cleaner made for pet stains on upholstery, following its instructions and the care label. Enzyme cleaners break down the source of the smell rather than masking it.
Things to avoid on any fabric sofa: bleach, strong household sprays, scrubbing brushes, soaking the fabric, and mixing different cleaning products together.
Deep cleaning safely
Once or twice a year, or after a busy season of guests, children or pets, a fabric sofa benefits from a deeper clean. Go carefully:
- Start with a thorough vacuum, including under and behind the cushions.
- Follow the cleaning code. For W or W/S fabrics, an upholstery cleaner used exactly as its instructions say, with a light touch, is the usual route. For S fabrics, use a solvent-based upholstery product or a professional. For X fabrics, stick to vacuuming and brushing.
- Use less liquid than you think. Over-wetting is the most common mistake. Water that soaks into the foam underneath takes a long time to dry and can leave tide marks on the surface.
- Do the whole panel, not just the mark. Cleaning one small patch on a large area can leave it looking brighter than the rest. Work seam to seam.
- Be careful with steam. Only use a steam cleaner if the care label clearly allows it.
- Dry it well. Open the windows, keep the heating moderate, and keep people and pets off until it is fully dry.
About removable covers: a zip on a cushion does not always mean the cover is washable. Covers can shrink or fade at a different rate from the rest of the sofa, so only wash them if the care label says you can.
If you have a sofa bed, it is worth vacuuming the storage compartment and the bed section while you are at it. Our guide on what fits in a sofa bed storage chaise has tips for keeping stored bedding fresh.
When to call a professional
Some jobs are better left to a professional upholstery cleaner:
- the care label says X or S and you do not have the right products
- a stain is large, old or has already been "set" by heat or rubbing
- ink, paint, make-up or anything oily that does not respond to gentle blotting
- the whole sofa needs a refresh, for example before or after a house move
- you are not sure what the fabric is
A good cleaner will ask about the fabric and the cleaning code, test first, and explain what they can and cannot promise to remove.
Choosing a fabric that is easier to clean
If you are buying a new sofa and know it will have a hard life, the fabric choice makes cleaning much easier later.
Some of our standard fabrics are described on their product pages as tightly woven and pet-friendly, wiping clean with a damp cloth and mild soap. The Fairhaven M84 (£1,199) and the Dunbarrow pictured above both say this.
For extra protection, many of our sofas offer Easy Clean as a fabric option. Our FAQ describes it as "a water and pet resistant weave that wipes clean — tough on paws, claws and spills", and it is a fixed £199 upgrade on any sofa or bed. Our guide Pet-friendly sofas: is an Easy Clean fabric upgrade worth it? weighs it up, and our guide to the best sofa fabric for dogs covers weaves and colours that hide everyday wear.
FAQs
How often should I clean a fabric sofa?
Vacuum it once a week, deal with spills straight away, and plan a deeper clean once or twice a year, or more often with pets or young children.
Can I use washing-up liquid on a fabric sofa?
On fabrics where the care label allows water-based cleaning (W or W/S), a drop of mild washing-up liquid in lukewarm water on a barely damp cloth is a common, gentle option. Patch test first and blot rather than rub.
Can I put sofa cushion covers in the washing machine?
Only if the care label says the covers are washable. A zip does not always mean a cover is designed to come off and be washed, and washing can shrink or fade it.
How do I get a water mark out of a fabric sofa?
Water marks usually come from using too much water on a small area. Lightly dampen the whole panel, seam to seam, with a barely damp cloth so it dries evenly, and let it dry naturally. If the label says S or X, ask a professional.
Is a steam cleaner safe on a fabric sofa?
Only if the care label clearly allows it. Steam and heat can shrink, mark or flatten some fabrics, so check first and patch test.
What is Easy Clean fabric?
It is a fabric option on many of our sofas: a water and pet resistant weave that wipes clean, offered as a fixed £199 upgrade. Our FAQ has the details.
Not sure how to care for your SOFGO sofa? Message our team with the product name and what you are dealing with, or email support@sofgo.co.uk, and we will point you in the right direction. You can browse our in-stock sofas and corner sofa beds with storage any time.
Alex at SOFGO