There’s a moment most homeowners have at some point — you’re sitting on your sofa, the light hits it at just the right angle, and suddenly you notice it. The accumulated grime. The faded patches where everyone always sits. That stain from six months ago, you treated at the time but never quite got rid of. The general dullness crept in so gradually that you stopped noticing it.
Upholstered furniture takes an enormous amount of daily wear and tear. Sofas, armchairs, dining chairs, ottomans — they absorb body oils, sweat, food and drink spills, pet hair, dust, and skin cells day after day, year after year. Unlike hard surfaces that show dirt immediately and get wiped down regularly, fabric furniture hides the buildup — right up until it doesn’t.
The good news is that with the right approach, you can keep your upholstery looking and smelling genuinely clean without necessarily having to call in a professional every time. At Perth Cleaning Care, we’ve cleaned thousands of sofas, chairs, and fabric pieces across Perth homes and businesses, and we want to share what actually works — and what to avoid.
Before You Do Anything — Check the Cleaning Code
This is the step most people skip, and it’s the one that leads to ruined furniture.
Almost every piece of upholstered furniture has a care label, usually tucked under a cushion or on the underside of the frame. This label contains a cleaning code that tells you exactly what cleaning method is safe for that particular fabric. Using the wrong method — particularly putting water on a fabric that can’t handle it — can cause permanent damage, shrinkage, watermarks, or colour bleeding.
Here’s what the codes mean:
W — Water-based cleaning products are safe to use. This is the most forgiving code and covers most synthetic fabrics.
S — Solvent-based (dry cleaning) products only. Water will damage this fabric. Do not use water or water-based cleaners on an S-coded piece.
W/S — Both water-based and solvent-based products are safe.
X — Vacuum only. No liquid cleaners of any kind. These fabrics are delicate and should only be professionally cleaned.
Find your code before you do anything else. Everything that follows assumes you’ve checked and confirmed that your cleaning method is appropriate for your specific fabric.
What You’ll Need
For most standard fabric upholstery with a W or W/S code, you won’t need anything exotic. Here’s a basic kit that handles the majority of upholstery cleaning jobs:
A good quality vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment is your most important tool. Distilled water is preferable to tap water for cleaning, as Perth tap water can leave mineral marks on some fabrics. A small amount of mild dish soap or a dedicated upholstery cleaner does the job for most stains. White cloths or microfibre cloths — never coloured cloths, which can transfer dye. Baking soda for odour removal. A soft-bristled brush for working cleaner into fibres. A clean spray bottle for evenly applying solutions.
That’s genuinely it for most situations. You don’t need a cupboard full of specialist products.
Step One — Vacuum Thoroughly First
Every upholstery cleaning job should start with a thorough vacuum, no exceptions. Trying to clean fabric that still has loose dirt, crumbs, hair, and debris sitting in it just pushes those particles deeper into the fibres when moisture is introduced.
Use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum and go over every surface systematically — including the back, the sides, under the cushions, and along the seams and crevices where crumbs and dust accumulate. Remove the cushions if possible, le and vacuum underneath them, and the cushion covers themselves on both sides.
Take your time with this step. A thorough vacuum at the start makes everything that follows significantly more effective.
Step Two — Treat Stains Before the General Clean
Stain treatment should always happen before the overcleaning, not after. Trying to do it in reverse order often spreads stains or sets them further into the fabric.
For fresh spills, act as quickly as possible. Blot — never rub — with a clean white cloth, working from the outside edge of the spill toward the centre. Rubbing spreads the stain and works it deeper into the fibres. Keep blotting with fresh sections of cloth until you’ve absorbed as much liquid as possible.
For dried or set-in stains, gently loosen the dried residue with a soft brush first, then vacuum up the loosened material before applying any cleaner.
- For most general stains on W-coded fabric, mix a small amount of mild dish soap with distilled water and work it into a light foam. Apply the foam (not the liquid — you want as little moisture as possible) to the stain with a clean cloth, work it gently with a soft brush, and blot away with a fresh, clean cloth. Repeat until the stain lifts. Follow up by blotting with a cloth dampened with plain distilled water to remove any soap residue, then blot dry.
- For grease stains, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda or cornstarch directly onto the stain and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes to absorb the grease. Brush it away gently and vacuum up the residue, then treat any remaining mark with the foam method described above.
- For pet urine, use an enzyme-based cleaner specifically designed for pet stains. As we’ve written about in our carpet cleaning tips for pet owners, enzyme cleaners break down the uric acid crystals that cause persistent odour — nothing else gets rid of the smell properly. Apply according to the product instructions, blot thoroughly, and allow to dry completely.
- For ink or dye stains, rubbing alcohol applied carefully with a cotton ball can be effective on many fabrics. Work from the outside in and use a fresh cotton ball with each pass to avoid spreading the ink. Test in an inconspicuous area first.
A word of caution on all stain treatment — always test any cleaning solution on a hidden area of the fabric first. The underside of a cushion or the back of the sofa, where it sits against a wall, is a good spot. Leave it for a few minutes and check for any colour change, shrinkage, or damage before proceeding.
Step Three — Clean the Overall Surface
Once stains are treated, you can move on to freshening up the whole piece. For most fabric upholstery, this involves a light overall clean to remove the general buildup of body oils, dust, and grime that accumulates with regular use.
Mix a small amount of mild dish soap with distilled water and agitate it to create a light foam. Using a clean white cloth or soft sponge, apply the foam to the fabric in small sections — working with the grain of the fabric where there is one. Use as little moisture as possible. The goal is to clean with the foam, not to saturate the fabric with liquid.
Work methodically across the piece, refreshing your cloth and foam solution regularly. Follow each section with a clean cloth dampened with plain distilled water to remove soap residue, and then immediately blot as dry as possible with a dry, clean cloth.
The key principle throughout this process is minimal moisture. Over-wetting upholstery is the most common DIY cleaning mistake, and it leads to watermarks, mould, mildew smell, and potential damage to the frame beneath. Use light, controlled applications and dry as thoroughly as you can at each stage.
Step Four — Deodorise with Baking Soda
Even fabric that looks clean can carry odours that aren’t immediately obvious — accumulated body smells, cooking odours absorbed over time, pet smells, or just the general mustiness that develops in soft furnishings.
Once your upholstery is clean and dry, sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda evenly over the fabric surfaces. Leave it for at least 30 minutes — a few hours is better, and overnight is better still. The baking soda draws out odour molecules from deep within the fibres and neutralises them. Vacuum it up thoroughly when done.
This step alone, done regularly, makes a noticeable difference to how a sofa smells — even one that hasn’t had a full clean recently. It’s safe for all fabric types, completely non-toxic, and costs almost nothing.
Step Five — Dry Properly
This is where a lot of DIY upholstery cleaning goes wrong. Fabric furniture that doesn’t dry properly develops mildew, and the mildew smell in a sofa is very difficult to get rid of after the fact.
After cleaning, open windows to improve air circulation. Point a fan directly at the cleaned area if you have one. Avoid sitting on the furniture until it is completely dry, which can take several hours depending on how much moisture was used and how good the ventilation is.
In Perth’s warmer months, drying time is generally faster. In winter or in poorly ventilated rooms, it can take longer. Be patient and make sure everything is genuinely dry before declaring the job done.
Cleaning Specific Upholstery Types
Different materials need slightly different approaches, so here’s a quick rundown of the most common types you’re likely to have at home.
- Microfibre is one of the easier fabrics to clean and responds well to the foam method described above. It dries relatively quickly and is reasonably forgiving. Use a soft brush after cleaning to restore the nap of the fabric.
- Cotton and linen blends clean well with the foam method, but can be prone to watermarks if too much moisture is used. Work quickly, use minimal water, and dry thoroughly.
- Velvet is more delicate and should be approached carefully. Use the gentlest possible method, work with the pile rather than against it, and allow plenty of drying time. Brush gently in the direction of the pile once dry.
- Leather and faux leather should not be cleaned with water and soap in the same way as fabric. For genuine leather, use a dedicated leather cleaner and conditioner. For faux leather, a damp cloth with a tiny amount of mild soap usually works well — but dry immediately and thoroughly.
- Wool and wool blends are dry-clean only in most cases. Check the code carefully, and if in any doubt, don’t use water. These are fabrics where a professional clean is often the safer choice.
What Not to Do — Common Upholstery Cleaning Mistakes
Having cleaned a lot of upholstery professionally across Perth, the team at Perth Cleaning Care sees the same mistakes come up repeatedly. Here are the ones worth knowing about.
Don’t use too much water. This bears repeating because it’s the most damaging mistake people make. Over-wet fabric takes too long to dry, develops mildew, and can cause watermarks that are very difficult to remove.
Don’t scrub at stains. It feels like you’re doing something productive, but scrubbing spreads stains, damagesthe fabric fibres, and works the stain deeper. Always blot.
Don’t use coloured cloths. The dye in coloured cloths can transfer to light fabrics, especially when wet. Always use white or undyed cloths.
Don’t use bleach on fabric upholstery. Even diluted, bleach will damage most upholstery fabrics, remove colour, and weaken fibres.
Don’t ignore the care code. We said it at the start, and it’s worth saying again. Using the wrong cleaning method for your specific fabric — particularly putting water on an S-coded piece — can cause irreversible damage.
Don’t skip the drying step. Sitting on damp upholstery, putting cushion covers back on before the cushions are dry, or closing windows straight after cleaning are all ways to end up with a musty smell that’s worse than what you started with.
Keeping Upholstery Clean Between Deep Cleans
A regular light maintenance routine between full cleans will extend the life of your furniture significantly and keep it looking fresher for longer.
Vacuum your sofas and chairs weekly as part of your regular cleaning routine — it takes five minutes and prevents the buildup of dust, pet hair, and debris that eventually works its way into the fabric. Rotate and flip cushions regularly to distribute wear evenly. Deal with spills immediately — fresh stains are always easier to remove than dried ones. Use throws or slipcovers in high-traffic areas if you have pets or young children.
And every few months, run through the baking soda deodorising step even if you’re not doing a full clean. It keeps that background smell from building up.
When It’s Time to Call in the Professionals
There are limits to what DIY upholstery cleaning can achieve, and knowing where those limits are will save you from making a situation worse.
If your furniture has heavy staining that hasn’t responded to home treatment, if it has a persistent odour you haven’t been able to shift, if it carries an S or X care code, if it’s made from a delicate material like velvet or wool, or if it simply hasn’t been professionally cleaned in a year— it’s time to bring in the professionals.
Perth Cleaning Care offers professional deep cleaning and upholstery cleaning services across all Perth suburbs. Our team uses professional-grade equipment and safe, effective products to restore fabric furniture to a standard that’s simply not achievable with home methods. We’ll also advise you on the best ongoing care for your specific pieces so you can maintain the results for longer.
Whether you’re in Subiaco, Canning Vale, Joondalup, Fremantle, Rockingham, or anywhere across the Perth metro area, our team is ready to help.
Final Thoughts
Upholstered furniture is an investment — and like any investment, it rewards the people who look after it. Regular vacuuming, prompt stain treatment, proper drying, and occasional baking soda treatments will keep your sofas and chairs looking and smelling genuinely clean between professional services.
But when the job is bigger than what home cleaning can handle, Perth Cleaning Care is here. We’re a locally owned Perth cleaning company, and we genuinely care about the results we deliver for every client.
Give us a call on 0450 046 209, email us at info@perthcleaningcare.com, or book online through our website. We’d love to help you get your home looking its absolute best.
