In the market for a new sofa or chair, or about to reupholster a piece of furniture? You’ll want to choose a fabric you love not just for its color, texture, pattern, and weave, but also for how it matches your lifestyle!

Translation: How easy will it be to clean the fabric you’re about to buy and live with for the next decade or two?

I know how important this is not just because it’s my job as an interior designer to understand fabrics, but because my sweet little toddler recently decided to grab my cup of leftover cold coffee and spill it on my new sofa. #NewMomLessons 🙄 

I learned two things from this:
1) Do not leave drinks within reach of curious little ones. 😬
2) My sofa is cleaning code W (whew)! 😅

When *your* toddler gets her hands on your coffee and spills it on your new sofa, or your cat throws up on your favorite chair, will you be able to make it look new again? The cleaning code on the fabric you choose will have a lot to do with the answer, but what do the letters (W, S, SW, or X) mean, and how can you know which one you’re getting?

First, where to look for the upholstery cleaning codes?

If you’re buying a piece of furniture already covered in fabric, the tag should tell you the cleaning code, just like you’d find on your clothing.

But if you’re choosing fabric for your new sofa or chair, you need to look at the product details. For example, if you look at the Kovi site for “jacquard upholstery fabric” – the fact that they are all in the “jacquard” category has nothing to do with how to care for the fabric.

What you need to do to check the upholstery cleaning code is click on the fabric you like, for example:

Then click through to the product details and look for the cleaning instructions. This one, for example, is an “X”:

If there isn’t any information on how to care for the fabric you love, reach out to the vendor for more information before you buy so you don’t end up with something that’ll get ruined with one spilled smoothie.

So, what do the letters “W, S, SW, and X” mean in upholstery?

W = “WATER”

This means you can clean your upholstery with a water-based detergent, making this a family-friendly, DIY kind of fabric. Not only can you clean it with a little soap and water, but you also don’t have nasty chemicals around the house to clean the upholstery. 🙌

See: Room and Board fabrics

Please note, this is *not* the same as being machine washable, and you should be careful to avoid over-wetting the stain. Code W fabrics are *usually* (but not always) man-made, like polyester and nylon.

S = “SOLVENT”

Code S fabrics are (most often) natural fibers (like linen, wool, and silk), and water-based cleaning methods can leave a ring, shrink, warp, or otherwise damage the fabric. 😱  This means you have to clean upholstery with *water-free*, non-diluted cleaning solvent, often a dry-cleaning like Guardsman Dry Cleaning Fluid (remember, this is just a resource, always test your fabrics before diving in with a new product!).

See: Crate and Barrel fabrics

Dry cleaning fluid is a rather nasty chemical, so be sure to keep the kids away and have plenty of ventilation. Like an Amazon reviewer said for the cleaner linked above “This is non-water based product and is industrial strength, use gloves, in a very well ventilation area; fumes will hang in the air if not in a ventilated area. Some type of mask wouldn’t hurt either.” You can always choose professional cleaning instead, like the folks at Alpine Specialty Cleaning.

SW = SOLVENT OR WATER

This means you can use either dry-cleaning solvents or water-based detergents. You *might* think that S/W is the most family-friendly cleaning code because you can clean it with anything, right? Wrong. Instead, it means that you have to be extra careful, and the pre-test (testing your cleaning method in an out-of-site spot) is especially important. This way you can make sure the cleaner works and doesn’t leave a spot or cause the colors to bleed. If you’re in doubt, consider calling in a professional upholstery cleaner – a couple of hundred dollars to rescue a many-thousand-dollar sofa can be more than worth it! Plus they can do a great cleaning of the piece while they work on that little spot.

Want more info on spot cleaning code S fabrics? Check out this post on howtocleanstuff.net (don’t you love the internet??).

 

X = Nothing. You can’t clean this. 🧐

If you have a fabric with cleaning code X, don’t get it dirty because you probably can’t do anything for it (beyond vacuuming or brushing the surface). It’s kind of astonishing that fabric meant for upholstery might not be able to be cleaned, but…. yep! It happens with clothing, too. Just last year our CEO Rebecca wore a bridesmaid’s dress from David’s Bridal — one drip from a taco at the reception and that dress was toast. 😢 So pay attention to the cleaning codes on your clothes as well as your furniture!

Although you cannot prevent life from happening to your furniture, you can help keep it in good shape with a few simple steps.

• Be sure to vacuum regularly with an upholstery attachment to remove soil.
• If a spill does occur be sure to clean it up immediately. The longer the spill is on the fabric, the more it sets in making it harder to come clean.
• When spot cleaning be sure to spot test your cleaner on a discreet spot and do not rub too hard as this can create pilling (try to avoid rubbing at all – better to blot).
• Use a clean, white cloth to *blot* the spot (this will help prevent color transfer).
• Avoid over-saturating stains with too much liquid as this can damage the fabric backing or cushions (someone should tell my little sweetie that lol).
• Bonus tip: Prevent butt indents by flipping and rotating cushions – this will help the cushions to wear more evenly.

It will always be easier to keep your upholstery looking good if you maintain it regularly – just a good vacuuming will do so much to keep it fresh!

May your home always be happy (and easy to clean)!