Dry or wet furniture cleaning

The difference in brief

These are general conditions, not a description of our work. What suits your sofa depends on the fabric and the label, and a specialist assesses that from a photo or on site. People use the term “dry cleaning” for different things in everyday speech, so ask what it means in your particular case.

How to read a care label

The label is often hidden under the cushions or on the underside of the furniture. The codes are voluntary, so some furniture has none.

• W: stains are cleaned with water-based foam, sparingly, without excessive wetting. Dry-cleaning solvents are not allowed.
• S: only a mild water-free solvent or a dry-cleaning product, in a well-ventilated room, tested beforehand. Professional cleaning is recommended.
• WS or S-W: solvent or foam from a mild washing solution, tested first in both cases.
• X: no liquid at all, only vacuuming and light brushing; any other cleaning has to be decided separately.

Do not confuse the codes with care symbols. A letter W in a circle on a textile care label means professional wet cleaning, and that is a different system. In the GINETEX symbol system a cross through a symbol means the treatment must not be used, while letters in a circle indicate solvents and processes for professional cleaning.

What happens if you choose wrongly

Too much water can move the fabric finish and leave a water ring. The fabric may shrink, the colour may change or bleed, and moisture may reach the upholstery. Water and pressure can crush viscose flock irreversibly. Foam helps avoid shrinkage and colour changes better than liquid does.

With solvent the risk is different. The University of Georgia warns that solvents can damage foam upholstery. Some faux leather and other leather imitations do not withstand dry cleaning: the film or glue may deteriorate, and bubbles or wrinkles may appear. This information is about clothing, so we apply it to sofas with caution.

There are even more special rules for leather: can a leather sofa be cleaned. A mattress has a separate limit, because the core is hard to dry: how often to clean a mattress.

What to do if there is no label or it cannot be read

1. Look for it. Under the cushions, on the underside of the furniture and in the manufacturer's documents.
2. Identify the fabric. If you know whether it is velour, chenille, cotton or faux leather, tell us.
3. Test in a hidden spot. If you are going to use something, first try a small amount in a hidden spot and see whether the colour changes.
4. Send a photo. There is no general rule for microfibre and flock, so the actual fabric has to be seen: microfibre and flock sofa cleaning.

What this means if you order cleaning

The question is not “dry or wet” but “what does your fabric allow and what has happened to it”. A specialist will tell you from a photo or on site what you can expect from the particular piece and what may stay. On drying: how long a sofa takes to dry. On results in general: what comes out and what may stay.

Upholstered furniture cleaning costs from €10 for a pouffe, sofa cleaning from €35 for a two-seater. See the price list for other prices. The minimum order is €45: if the total is lower, you pay €45. Travel is included in Riga and up to about 15 km outside Riga; further out it is from €10. Velour and faux leather have no separate prices: they cost the same as fabric sofas. The price depends on size, fabric, dirt, smell and distance, and we agree it before the work.