If the water was clean and touched only the surface of the fabric, cleaning usually makes sense. If the foam is soaked through or the water was dirty, it is often a matter of replacing the furniture or mattress. Send a photo and the specialist will tell you whether cleaning is worth it and at what price.
Clean or replace: it depends on the situation
| What happened | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| A little clean water spilt, the fabric got damp, the foam is dry | cleaning usually makes sense; a water ring may stay on the fabric |
| Clean water from a pipe, the seat is soaked, the foam is wet | the furniture must dry first; it is often a matter of replacement |
| Dirty water: from a basement, river or sewer | often has to be replaced; surface cleaning does not clean the filling |
| The mattress is soaked through | usually has to be replaced, as it is almost impossible to dry before mould starts to grow |
| The furniture has stood wet for several days, there is a mouldy smell or spots | usually has to be replaced; cleaning does not kill mould in foam |
| Leather furniture has got soaked | dry in the air, without heat; the specialist assesses from a photo |
The table is a general assessment, not a decision about your furniture. An expensive sofa with removable filling and a cheap sofa with a single block of foam are different cases. So send photos of the seat and underside, and of the highest point the water reached.
Why soaked foam is a separate matter
Foam absorbs water and holds it in its core, so the surface can be dry while the inside is damp. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that wet materials must be dried within 24–48 hours so that mould usually does not form on them, and that this can be hard to achieve with upholstered furniture. Porous material with mould may have to be replaced, because mould fills the empty spaces and may be impossible to remove completely.
This also applies to mattresses. North Carolina State University writes that after soaking it is almost impossible to dry a mattress completely before mould starts to grow. In spring mattresses, moisture can also cause rust in the spring core.
In the EPA guidelines, 24–48 hours is the limit for preventing mould, not our cleaning or drying time. Checked 07.11.2026
What to do during the first day
- Take photos Before moving the furniture, photograph it and the water level. This will be useful if you report the damage to a neighbour or the property manager.
- Lift it off the wet floor Move the furniture to a dry place or onto pallets, and take out removable cushions so that they dry separately.
- Soak up the water Gently blot the fabric and mattress with dry towels, without rubbing, and soak up as much as you can.
- Air the room Open the windows if the weather allows. The EPA says that fans and a dehumidifier speed up drying.
- No heat Do not keep leather or latex directly by a heat source. Do not use chlorine bleach or put light fabric next to dark, as the colour can run.
- Send photos After you submit the form, we contact you within 5 minutes, and the specialist will tell you whether cleaning makes sense.
What comes out after a flood and what may stay
Usually comes out
- fresh dirt on the surface of fabric after a clean-water leak
- mud marks on hard-wearing fabric, if the foam is dry
- sofa cushions, if they were dried quickly
May stay
- water rings and colour runs on fabric
- shrunken fabric
- a mouldy smell from the foam
- anything that has reached the filling from dirty water
Cleaning is not disinfection, and we do not promise that furniture will be hygienically clean after a flood. Drying the room and removing the cause of the damp are not our job. If the walls are wet, the furniture will not dry in that room, so the room must be sorted out first. More on mould: mould in a sofa and mould in a mattress.
How much furniture cleaning after a flood costs
If cleaning makes sense, the price follows the price list: two-seater sofa from €35, corner sofa from €50, armchair from €20, single mattress from €30, double from €45 for one side. Smell treatment costs extra, from €15. The price depends on size, fabric, how dirty it is, smell and distance, and after a flood the furniture is often dirtier. We agree the price before work starts.
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. Compare the cleaning price with the price of new furniture: for an old, soaked sofa it may not be worthwhile. See all prices in the price list.
Sources
- Materials dried within 24–48 hours usually do not go mouldy; porous materials may have to be replaced checked 7 November 2026
- Fully drying upholstered furniture within 48 hours can be hard; fans and a dehumidifier checked 7 November 2026
- A soaked mattress is almost impossible to dry before mould; changes in colour and finish checked 7 November 2026
- Foam holds moisture in its core; rust in spring mattresses; latex and heat checked 7 November 2026
- Overwetting can shift the finish and leave a ring checked 7 November 2026
- Protect leather from heat checked 7 November 2026