How to clean a fabric sofa at home: the care label, stains by type, mould spots and when to book a deep clean

Work dry first, then use as little water as the job allows, and only on a fabric whose label permits it. You need a vacuum with a soft brush head, a few white microfibre cloths, colourless washing-up liquid and a fan.

• Take off the back cushions and loose seat cushions and vacuum every face. Go slowly along the gaps between arms and seats, where crumbs and pet hair collect.
• Brush the fabric lightly in one direction to lift the fibres, so that fine dust comes loose before anything gets wet.
• Mix a solution that suits the code on the label (next section). For a W fabric, use about a teaspoon of colourless washing-up liquid in a litre of warm water.
• Dab a little onto a hidden corner with a white cloth, let it dry and check that the colour is unchanged.
• Dip a white microfibre cloth, wring it until nearly dry and wipe one small area at a time, always in the same direction. Never pour or spray a large amount straight onto the sofa.
• Go over the area with a cloth dampened in clean water only. Soap left in the fabric attracts dust.
• Blot with a dry cloth, switch on the fan or open the windows, and stand loose cushions on edge so that both faces get air. Sit on the sofa only when it is completely dry.

They tell you which kind of cleaner the fabric tolerates. Look for a sewn-in label beneath the seat cushions or under the frame. Cleaning against the code is a frequent cause of colour bleeding, shrinkage and ring-shaped marks.

The sooner you act, the easier it is. Blot, never rub, and work from the outer edge of the mark towards its centre so that it does not spread. These methods are for W and W/S fabrics, after a test on a hidden corner.

Treat small spots on the surface yourself, and nothing beyond that. A fabric sofa in a poorly ventilated room, against a damp wall, or left wet after a spill readily develops mould spots in the rainy season.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says in its mould guidance that porous materials such as carpet and upholstery may have to be discarded once mouldy, because mould grows deep into them and is hard to remove completely. It also recommends drying anything wet within 24–48 hours.

• Move the sofa or its loose cushions somewhere airy and wear a mask and gloves: mould spores can irritate the airways.
• Brush the dry mould off outdoors, then vacuum with a machine that has a good filter. Never brush mould in a closed room.
• Wipe the spots with a damp cloth and diluted washing-up liquid or diluted white vinegar, if the code allows water and the hidden-corner test showed no change.
• Let it dry in moving air. A short spell of gentle morning sun is fine; long, strong sun fades the fabric.
• Keep chlorine bleach off coloured fabric. It can take the colour out in patches and rot the fibres.
• If the spots return within days, the smell comes from inside the cushion or a dark stain keeps spreading, the mould is in the foam. Have a specialist assess it, deep clean it and dry it with professional equipment.

Five mistakes account for most of the damage.

• Never mix cleaning products. Chlorine bleach with vinegar, an acidic cleaner or anything containing ammonia can release toxic gas.
• Alcohol and dry-cleaning solvents are flammable. Use small amounts with the windows open, away from a gas hob, candles and cigarettes.
• Unplug anything electrical beside the area you are wetting, such as a floor lamp or a charger.
• Keep small children and pets off the sofa until it is dry and no chemical smell is left.

• Vacuum it every week, above all with pets or small children at home.
• Turn and rotate the seat cushions from time to time so that they wear evenly and hold their shape.
• Stand the sofa a few centimetres from the wall so that air can move behind it. Avoid a damp wall and the spot under an aircon that drips.
• Put a throw where a pet likes to lie and wash it often.
• In the rainy season, watch the humidity in the room and run a dehumidifier when needed.

Sofa and mattress cleaning in a humid climate

Deep-clean intervals by household, and why humidity changes them.

Book one when the label says S or X, when a stain has soaked into the foam, when mould keeps returning, or when a smell remains after cleaning. A quick test for the routine case: rub a barely damp white cloth along an armrest or headrest. If it turns grey, enough dust and skin oil have built up for a deep clean to make a visible difference. Do not try this on velvet.

The work is done with a spray-extraction machine, which pushes cleaning solution into the weave and sucks it out again at once, taking the dirt with it while the foam underneath stays dry.

UpClean's listed price for fabric and microfibre is 130,000 VND per seat, plus 50,000 VND for each ottoman or loose cushion, with a minimum of 390,000 VND per visit, reached at 3 seats. Everything cleaned in the same visit is added together before the minimum is checked. The price is all-inclusive and confirmed before you book. A three-seater takes about 60–90 minutes and is usually dry 4–6 hours later in a ventilated room, or with the aircon or a fan running.

The sofa is cleaned where it stands: the frame is not taken apart and nothing leaves your home. The Up specialist, an identity-verified cleaner trained to the Up Standard, checks the fabric, stitching and care label, tests colourfastness on a hidden spot and covers the floor and nearby furniture. After a thorough vacuum, the fabric is cleaned by spray extraction and stains and musty smells are treated one by one. Where a fabric cannot take water, the specialist says so and proposes a safer method.

You check each seat together in a walk-through and pay afterwards by bank transfer or cash. The Up Report follows by WhatsApp or Zalo with before-and-after photos, the checklist completed, the times and advice on drying. If something within the agreed scope is not right, reply to the report and it is redone free of charge within the period in the Warranty Policy, 48 hours by default.

To book, call or message 0968 726 135 (phone, WhatsApp or Zalo) from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on any day, with the number of seats, the fabric and a photo. Quotes, confirmations and the Up Report can be in English. We send the specialist's name and photo beforehand, which you can pass to building management if your building asks residents to register outside staff. Clear personal and fragile items from around the sofa and leave a socket free nearby.

Sofa cleaning

What is included for each material, and the areas covered.

Pets at home: odour, fleas and ticks

Finding and treating pet urine.

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