How to clean upholstered bedroom furniture yourself

DIY upholstery cleaning comes down to five steps: vacuum the piece slowly, find the cleaning code on the tag, test your cleaner somewhere hidden, blot stains with a barely damp cloth from the outside in, and let the fabric dry completely. Use as little water as you can. Too much water leaves rings and a musty smell.

In a bedroom, that usually means an upholstered headboard, a bench at the foot of the bed, a reading chair or an ottoman.

What does the code on the upholstery tag mean?

Look under the cushions, on the underside of the piece or on the back for a tag with a letter:

• W: water-based cleaners are fine. Mild dish soap and water works.
• S: solvent only. No water, which can leave rings or shrink the fabric. Use a dry-cleaning solvent made for upholstery, with the window open.
• W/S or SW: either works. Start with water, the gentler choice.
• X: vacuum and brush only. Anything wet is a job for a professional upholstery cleaner.

No tag? Treat it as S, or test very carefully on the back or underside.

How do you clean upholstery step by step?

1. Vacuum slowly. Use the upholstery tool and the crevice tool. Go along seams, around buttons and into the gap where the cushion meets the frame. Slow passes pull up more dust than fast ones.
2. Brush. A soft clothes brush loosens dust and pet hair from the weave. On velvet, brush with the direction of the pile.
3. Mix your cleaner. For W fabrics: a cup of warm water with a few drops of clear dish soap. Whisk it to make suds, and put only the suds on the fabric.
4. Spot test. Dab a little on the back or underside, wait 10 minutes, and blot with a white cloth. If color comes off on the cloth or the fabric changes texture, stop.
5. Blot, don't scrub. Work the suds onto the stain with a white cloth or soft brush, from the outside edge toward the middle, so the stain doesn't spread. Rubbing frays the fibers and pushes the stain deeper.
6. Rinse. Blot with a second cloth dampened with plain water to lift the soap. Leftover soap attracts dirt.
7. Dry. Press a dry towel into the spot, then let it air dry with a fan on it. Keep people and pets off until it's fully dry, which can take several hours.

Plan on 20 to 30 minutes for a bench or headboard, plus drying time.

How do you clean an upholstered headboard?

Hair products, skin oils and night creams leave a darker band along the top edge, where your head rests. Vacuum it first, then, if the code allows water, blot that band with the soap suds, a section at a time. Rinse by blotting and dry with a towel and a fan.

Don't spray anything straight onto a headboard. The liquid runs down inside where you can't dry it.

What works on common bedroom stains?

• Makeup and foundation: blot with the dish soap suds. On S fabrics, use the upholstery solvent.
• Coffee and tea: blot up as much as you can right away, then the suds, then plain water.
• Lotion and oil: sprinkle cornstarch on it, leave it for 20 minutes to soak up the oil, vacuum, then treat what's left with suds.
• Ink: a little rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab, dabbed, not rubbed. Test first. Alcohol can lift some dyes.
• Pet accidents: blot, then use an enzyme cleaner made for pet stains, following the label.

How do you get odors out of upholstery?

Sprinkle baking soda over the dry fabric, work it in lightly with a soft brush, leave it for a few hours, then vacuum it up slowly. Open a window while it sits. If a spill has soaked into the cushion foam, surface cleaning won't reach it. That's the point to call a professional upholstery cleaner.

When should you call a professional?

• The tag says X, or it's silk, wool or vintage fabric
• A stain has set in after a couple of careful tries
• Liquid has soaked into the cushion or the padding
• The piece is valuable to you and you don't want to risk it

How often should bedroom upholstery be cleaned?

Vacuum upholstered pieces every week or two, when you vacuum the floor. Spot-clean spills the day they happen. A full surface clean once or twice a year is enough for a bench or headboard that gets light use. For living room sofas and chairs, see how to clean and maintain living room upholstery.

What a house cleaning covers in the bedroom

On Deep Cleaning, PureRenewal, reachable surfaces and furniture are dusted, including décor and picture frames, floors are vacuumed and mopped with the edges and corners detailed, and the cleaner works under and behind furniture that moves easily. Every item on the list is cleaned whether or not it looks like it needs it.

FAQ

What do the cleaning codes on upholstery mean? W means water-based cleaners are fine. S means solvent only, no water. W/S or SW means either works. X means vacuum only, and anything more is a job for a professional upholstery cleaner.

How do I clean an upholstered headboard? Vacuum it with the brush attachment, paying attention to the top edge where hair products and skin oils collect. Then, if the code allows water, blot the darker band with a barely damp cloth and a little mild soap, and let it dry before anyone leans on it.

Can I use a steam cleaner on upholstery? Only on fabric coded W or W/S, and only after a spot test somewhere hidden. Steam and heat can shrink some fabrics, flatten velvet and leave water rings.

How do I get a smell out of a fabric chair? Sprinkle baking soda over the dry fabric, leave it for a few hours, then vacuum it up slowly with the upholstery tool. If the smell comes from a spill that soaked into the cushion, the foam may need professional cleaning.

Book a cleaning

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