If you’re in the market for a new sofa or chair, or about to reupholster a piece of furniture, you have to choose your furniture, you have to choose your fabric not only based on its color, texture, pattern and weave, but also on your lifestyle. How easy will it be to clean the fabric you’re considering? I know this not just because it’s my job 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) even mean?

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 fabric 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: Room and Board fabrics  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 detergent. 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 several 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??).

See: Room and Board fabrics  Crate and Barrel fabrics

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. Luckily this code isn’t seen much anymore, mostly on certain window shades. (And on a bridesmaid’s dress that our CEO Rebecca wore last year from David’s Bridal. One drip from a taco at the reception and that dress was toast. Sad. So pay attention to the cleaning codes on your clothes, too!) But like I said, you rarely come across this cleaning code anymore – I have yet to come across an X fabric.

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)!