Sooner or later, stains show up on upholstered furniture — from food, drinks or pets. The first rule is not to panic: rushing in and scrubbing at a stain with whatever’s at hand usually makes things worse, not better.
What you can do yourself
- Vacuum dry dirt so you don’t rub it into the fabric; gently scrape off dried dirt with a spatula or the blunt side of a knife.
- Blot a fresh spill with a cloth or paper towel, without rubbing.
- For a stain of unknown origin, try treating it with clean water: blot with a white cloth — if colour transfers, keep working with water; if not, try a regular stain remover.
When it’s better to call in professionals
If a stain is old, large, or nothing has worked, further attempts can damage the fabric or spoil the look of the furniture. In that case, professional upholstery cleaning is more effective — for sofas, armchairs, chairs and mattresses. Specialists use professional products and equipment that don’t leave marks or damage the material.
