Most of us probably didn’t understand our parents’ obsessions with keeping food and drinks off the couch until we eventually had our own prized possessions to worry about. Furniture stains and splotches are usually the last thing anyone wants to think about when trying to curate the perfect domestic space, but there’s nothing remotely enjoyable about discolored blobs on upholstered furniture.
Even the most carefully positioned glasses of red wine can be tipped over, and anyone with a pet or young child knows that messes are unpredictable. So, when bad luck strikes, how exactly should you go about cleaning stained upholstery?
Keep the tags
You won’t go to jail for taking the tag off your furniture, but you should definitely keep it either on the item itself or somewhere you can easily reference it. According to Peter He, the cofounder and chief scientist of Dirty Labs, a biodegradable cleaning solution company, there are three general types of fabrics. Although technological innovation means there are now often multiple types of fibers in a single product, fabrics can be plant-based (cotton), synthetic (plastic fibers), or protein-based (leather).
But specialty fabrics, regardless of the general fabric type, may require specific care, says Mallory Micetich, a home expert and communications specialist with Angi, a home services company. She’s also a homeowner and “very reluctant landlord” with several short- and long-term rental properties, so she has dealt with upholstery stains for years.
Saving those tags means that you can consult any common care designations listed on the tag. According to Micetich, the following are common fabric cleaning codes you may find on tags and the associated general cleaning advice:
- W: Water-based cleansers, as well as fabric steamers, are safe for your sofa upholstery.
- S: Spot clean with fabric-safe solvents or dry clean the fabric.
- S/W: Solvent- and water-based cleansers are safe to treat spots on the fabric.
- WASH: If the fabric is removable from the stained sofa or cushion, you can safely pop it into the washing machine. Use cold-water delicate settings, then air-dry or tumble-dry with low heat.
- X: Only use a vacuum cleaner on this material.
Keep calm and dab on
There are two main strategies for handling upholstery stains: a wet method and a dry method. Both are similar, but there are important distinctions to bear in mind, according to Micetich. Regardless of the type of mess, you’ll want to immediately sop up any excess liquid with clean rags or towels with gentle dabbing and blotting motions. Using aggressive or rough motions could push the unwanted liquid or solid into the material, which will make removal much harder. Vacuum the spot to remove any excess gunk to make any further treatment more effective and prevent as much muck from actually leaving a stain in the first place.