We read the cleaning code
The label on a sofa says how its fabric can be cleaned: W for water-based products, S for solvent-based, WS for either, and X for vacuum only. We check it before anything touches the fabric.
Our Services
Upholstery Cleaning
Sofas and armchairs cleaned across Cheltenham and Gloucestershire with a method matched to the fabric. You cannot lift a sofa, soak it and dry it out like a rug, so how it is cleaned matters even more than for a carpet.
How We Clean It
The fabric decides the method
We test an unseen area
Natural fabrics such as cotton, linen and wool can lose colour, shrink or mark if handled wrongly, and viscose and velvet are delicate. A test on a hidden spot comes first.
We keep the water down
The National Carpet Cleaners Association warns that over-wetting can cause shrinkage, water marks and long drying times. We clean with the Texatherm low-moisture system, the same one we use on carpets, by hot water extraction or a dry system that also extracts fully. We use no optical brighteners, which only mask dirt: they make fabric look brighter while the dirt stays in it and shows again over time. Our solutions are neutral, so nothing is left in the fabric to draw dirt back. We do not use dry foam, which is not a deep clean.
We tell you what to expect
Before we start, we say honestly what a clean can and cannot achieve on your fabric and its marks.
What To Expect
Drying, pets, cushions and protection
When you can sit on it again
A sofa cleaned with hot water extraction is usually dry by the next morning. One that is dry cleaned is usually ready within about two hours. These are typical times: drying depends on the conditions in the room, and in humid weather it takes longer. Mark will advise on the day.
Pets, stains and smells
More often than not, the sofas we clean have had pets on them, and many have pet stains. Urine is the hard one: once it has soaked through into the filling, the smell cannot always be removed completely, and we will tell you that before we start. The IICRC notes that in bad cases the cushion inners may need replacing.
Cushions and covers
Cushions are cleaned where they sit, with their covers on. Furniture Village advises against putting cushion covers in a washing machine or a launderette dry-cleaning machine unless the maker's label says you can. If you have washed a cover, put it back on while it is still damp: a slightly shrunk cover can tear when it is stretched on dry. Scatter cushions are priced on top, so tell us how many you have.
Fabric protection
After a clean we can apply Texatherm's fabric protector. Be realistic about it: a protector gives you a few minutes to blot up a spill, no more. It does not make a sofa stain-proof. It costs the piece's cleaning price less 10%: £81 on a 3-seater, for example.
Delicate fabrics
We do not turn fabrics away, but viscose and real velvet take a good deal longer, so a piece in either costs 50% more. Leather is cleaned by a specialist team: Mark quotes it himself and arranges the day. Tell us the fabric when you ask for a price.
Other upholstered pieces
Besides fabric sofas and armchairs we clean dining chairs, footstools, headboards, mattresses and car seats, priced below. Leather suites are cleaned by a specialist team, so Mark quotes them himself: call us on 01452 452356.
Between Cleans
Looking after a sofa
- Furniture Village recommends having fixed-cover fabric sofas and chairs professionally cleaned at least once a year. For most homes once a year is enough; if a piece needs cleaning more often, we will tell you.
- For anyone with a dust mite allergy, NHS Lothian advises vacuuming all surfaces of upholstered furniture at least twice a week.
- The IICRC warns that cotton and linen can turn brown, or show water rings, when they get wet and dry slowly, and advises against trying to fix that yourself.
- Blot a spill straight away and never rub: the National Carpet Cleaners Association says blotting reduces the risk of spreading a stain.
Pricing
What it costs
- 2-seater sofa£75
- 3-seater sofa£90
- Armchair£50
- Dining chair, seat pad only£15
- Dining chair, fully upholsteredfrom £40
- Footstool£35
- Headboard£45
- Mattress, single£45
- Mattress, double£60
- Mattress, king£70
- Mattress, super king£80
- Car seat, per seatfrom £25
- Scatter cushion, each£5
Each piece is priced separately, and every job is at least £75 before any travel charge. These are the prices you pay, with no VAT added. Viscose and real velvet are 50% more (a 3-seater £135). Leather is quoted by Mark. Tell us about anything else upholstered when you ask for a price. Carpets, stain treatment and travel are on the full price list. Our guide to cleaning upholstery explains the cleaning codes and how to look after a sofa between cleans.
Sources
- Furniture Village, Upholstered furniture care guide: fabric
- NHS Lothian, House Dust Mites: Information and Advice (v1.0, August 2025)
- IICRC, Consumer Floor and Furnishings Care Information: Upholstery
- National Carpet Cleaners Association, How to Clean a Dirty Sofa: DIY and Professional Methods
Book an upholstery clean
Tell our assistant what you have and it will give you an itemised quote and the next available dates.