S-W’ means you can use both dry solvents and wet cleaning products on these types of fabrics (you might also come across “W-S”, which is essentially the same thing). Corded upholstery cleaners have the benefit of long-lasting power that won’t give out unless the electricity goes out. These machines are usually more powerful than their cordless counterparts, but they may also be much heavier, making them difficult to move. If choosing a corded device, make sure it has a long power cord and a handheld hose to lessen the impact of its limited mobility.

Scotchgard Fabric and Upholstery Cleaner with Scotchgard Scotchgard Fabric and Upholstery Cleaner with Scotchgard

W’ means you can only clean it with a water-based solution. This includes the likes of soap, washing-up liquid, carpet cleaner or specialist upholstery shampoo. Safechem Upholstery Cleaner suppled in a handy 400ml aerosol, has a powerful foaming action that readily lifts soiling from seats and carpets leaving them clean and odourless. This product is ideal as a spot cleaner or where fast turn around is required, as fabrics treated remain dry to touch. Ideal for use on vehicle seats and carpets. For cleaning your car upholstery, you need a shop vacuum or a steam cleaner, a spray bottle, a scrub brush, and our homemade car fabric cleaner. A slight variation of this recipe can also be used as DIY car carpet cleaner. Generously spray the cleaner on the upholstery, mats or carpet and allow it to soak in for three to five minutes. As an extra eco-friendly bonus, these kinds of cleaning products are often produced by companies that keep a close eye on their environmental footprint, so they are usually formulated to be gentle on the environment and likely to come in recyclable or sustainable containers. The innovative design of the handle makes it particularly suited to cleaning upholstery: It detaches from the main body to insert the hose, and then the upholstery tool attaches to the other end. It boasts an extra-large 4.1-liter-capacity dust-and-dirt collector and a lengthy 25-foot power cord. Our only complaint is that the 3-foot extendable suction hose seemed a bit short to reach everywhere a user might want to clean.

How to Buy an Upholstery Cleaner

Have you dropped a glass of red wine on your gorgeous cream-colored couch? Did your pet put their muddy paws on your decorative ottoman? If so, look into an upholstery cleaner: a handheld machine, or a cleaning agent, that comes to the rescue when you need to clean a spill or stain on your couch upholstery or another soft surface you love. Our favorites come in the form of beloved appliances or sprays that we've worked into stains of mustard, red wine, soda, and marinara sauce in The Lab.

Homemade Upholstery Cleaner - How to Clean Upholstery 4 Homemade Upholstery Cleaner - How to Clean Upholstery

While many cleaners are formulated to work safely on most types of fabric, it’s essential to read the label on a product before applying it in your home. Always perform a spot test on a small patch of inconspicuous fabric and wait to see if it causes any issues. This way you can be extra sure that a product won’t damage the texture or colour of your soft furnishings.With this type of cleaning, also known as 'vacuum extraction method,' we introduce a solvent (water) and a surfactant (soap) to the material we want to clean," says Wayne Edelman, CEO of Meurice Garment Care and CLEAN by Meurice. "Mechanical action helps remove the stain, and the solvent and surfactant allow it to be carried away—or, in this instance, vacuumed away. A machine with variable levels of power is optimal as you can clean heavier fabric with it on a powerful setting and then lighter fabrics on a lower setting," he says. X’ means vacuum only – these delicate fabrics can only be cleaned with a vacuum or brush. So, if you’ve got a stain on a piece of furniture marked X, a trip to the dry cleaners is in store. Top tips for cleaning upholstery