Fabric care
Most upholstery doesn't wear out — it gets dirty, or someone cleans it badly. A little regular attention beats any amount of rescue work.
Before anything else: check the code
Every cloth carries a cleaning code, and it's on the product page for each fabric we sell. It matters more than any general advice on this page, because using the wrong thing can set a mark permanently or take the colour out.
- W — clean with water-based products.
- S — solvent only. Water will mark it.
- WS — either will do.
- X — vacuum and brush only. No liquid at all. Anything more needs a professional.
If you're not certain, treat it as X and ask us.
Every week or so
Vacuum with the upholstery brush attachment. This is genuinely the whole trick: grit works its way into the weave and then acts like sandpaper every time someone sits down. Most fabric that looks "worn out" has simply been ground away by dust nobody lifted.
Turn and plump the cushions, and move where people sit if you can, so it all softens at the same rate.
Spills
Speed matters more than technique. Blot — never rub — with a clean, dry, white cloth, working from the outside of the mark inwards so you don't spread it. Don't soak it: water carries the stain deeper into the foam and leaves a ring when it dries.
Whatever you use, test it first somewhere that doesn't show — under the seat, or on an offcut if you kept one. Keep a scrap of your fabric when the job's done; it's the best test patch you'll ever have.
What ruins a good cloth
In roughly the order we see it in the workshop: strong direct sunlight, which fades almost anything given time; over-wetting; household cleaners meant for hard surfaces; and scrubbing, which lifts the pile and leaves a bald patch that catches the light forever after.
On velvet especially, brush with the pile rather than against it, and accept that pile marks and shading are the character of the cloth, not a fault.
Sunlight
If a piece sits in a bay window, expect it to fade, and turn the cushions regularly so it fades evenly rather than in stripes. No upholstery fabric is truly lightfast; some are simply slower than others.
When to call someone
Anything marked X, anything that's soaked all the way through, and any stain that's already been attacked with something and hasn't shifted. A professional upholstery cleaner can usually still save it — but each attempt makes the next one harder, so it's worth stopping early.
If you'd rather have it recovered than cleaned, that's what we do the rest of the week: Greenwood Upholstery.