Guide · Upholstery & textiles
Professional sofa cleaning: which method your fabric can take – and what it costs
In short: Before booking professional sofa cleaning, check the care label. Most fabric covers can take hot water extraction; delicate fabrics need dry foam or a solvent-based method; leather is cleaned and conditioned but never extracted wet. Expect a few hours of drying time after a wet clean. For one-off jobs we work from €50 net per hour; a three-seater usually takes one to two hours.
What is professional sofa cleaning?
Professional sofa cleaning – upholstery cleaning, as the trade calls it – does not just clean the surface but also the fibres and the top layer of padding underneath. That is exactly where the things a vacuum cleaner cannot reach are found: dried sweat, skin oils on armrests and headrests, drink residues, pet hair caught in the weave and fine dust. Three methods are common:
- Hot water extraction: a cleaning solution is sprayed into the fabric and sucked back out in the same pass with strong vacuum. The dirt leaves with the water instead of staying in the cushion. This is the standard method for most covers made of cotton, polyester and blends.
- Dry foam or dry cleaning: for water-sensitive fabrics such as viscose, some velvets or silk blends. Hardly any moisture goes in, which reduces the risk of water marks and shrinking.
- Leather cleaning: leather is cleaned with a mild cleaner made for leather and then conditioned. Wet extraction is off limits.
Why have a sofa cleaned professionally?
The sofa is the most used piece of furniture in most homes – and the least often cleaned. Upholstery absorbs skin flakes, dust, odours and moisture. Many people only notice how grey the cover has become when they see a freshly cleaned patch next to it.
- Hygiene: with children or pets, or if you eat on the sofa, organic dirt is constantly carried in. Extraction removes it from the fibres.
- Odours: smoke, pet smells or a damp basement linger in the cushions, not in the air. Airing helps only briefly.
- Protecting value: dirt particles act like sandpaper in the fibres. Regularly cleaned covers wear through more slowly.
- Handovers and rentals: in furnished flats and holiday apartments, a clean sofa is part of the handover – and part of the reviews.
How is a sofa cleaned?
The basic rule of every clean applies to sofas too: top to bottom and clean to dirty. We start at the backrest and cushions and work towards the seat and armrests, where most of the dirt sits. That way nothing dirty is carried over areas already cleaned.
- Check: read the care label, identify the material, test colourfastness on a hidden spot. Many manufacturers label covers with codes such as W (water-based), S (solvent-based), W/S (both) or X (vacuum only).
- Dry vacuum: vacuum thoroughly with an upholstery nozzle and brush, including the gaps and under the cushions. Loosen pet hair with a rubber brush first.
- Pre-treat stains: a product suited to the stain – protein stains cold, greasy ones with a degreasing pre-spray. Allow contact time.
- Main clean: hot water extraction in slow, overlapping passes with the nozzle pressed firmly on. Two passes with little water are better than one with too much.
- Rinse: a pass with clear water removes detergent residue, which would otherwise attract new dirt.
- Brush and dry: brush the pile in one direction, open the windows, use heating or a fan. Stand the cushions upright.
Products: for fabric a pH-neutral to mildly alkaline upholstery cleaner, for leather a leather cleaner and a conditioner that replaces oils. Household products such as washing-up liquid foam heavily and leave residues; vinegar can change colours.
First aid for stains – before we arrive
What you do in the first few minutes often matters more than the later clean. The key rule: soak up liquid immediately with an absorbent, light-coloured cloth – blot, don’t rub, and always work from the edge towards the centre so the stain does not spread.
| Stain | Do straight away | Better avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Red wine, coffee, tea | blot, then dab with a little cold water | rubbing in salt, hot water |
| Blood, milk, egg | cold water only, blot | warm water – protein sets and sticks |
| Grease, oil, make-up | lift excess grease with kitchen roll | water alone, it spreads the grease |
| Pet urine | soak up the liquid, mark the spot | ammonia cleaners – they smell similar to animals |
| Chewing gum, wax | harden with ice cubes in a bag, lift carefully | scraping with a knife while soft |
How working with us runs
Enquiry: send us photos of the sofa, the care label and the stains. Site visit: for standard fabrics an assessment by photo or video is often enough; for designer pieces, velvet or leather we look at the item. Fixed price: you receive the method, the price and an honest assessment of which stains will realistically come out, in writing. Start: we come to you with equipment and products – the cleaning is done on site, the sofa does not need to be collected.
What does professional sofa cleaning cost?
Costs depend on size, material, soiling and whether other pieces are added. Our one-off hourly rate is the same at all locations; travel time there and back counts as working time. That is why it pays to combine several items – sofa, armchair, chairs, mattress – in one appointment. Net guide values for a fabric sofa in normal condition:
| City | One-off hourly rate | Three-seater | Corner sofa | What matters there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | from €50 net | 1–2 h, approx. €50–100 | 2–3 h, approx. €100–150 | older buildings without a lift: equipment is carried, clarify parking first |
| Graz | from €50 net | 1–2 h, approx. €50–100 | 2–3 h, approx. €100–150 | many shared student flats: bundle several items in one visit |
| Linz | from €50 net | 1–2 h, approx. €50–100 | 2–3 h, approx. €100–150 | office seating and waiting areas often outside opening hours |
| Salzburg | from €50 net | 1–2 h, approx. €50–100 | 2–3 h, approx. €100–150 | holiday flats: plan drying time between two guests |
Heavy soiling, urine or vomit stains that need several treatments, and leather with a conditioning build-up cost more. All details on the service are on our page upholstery cleaning Vienna and for Graz, Linz and Salzburg. Rugs and fitted carpets have their own carpet cleaning.
Typical mistakes
- Rubbing instead of blotting: rubbing pushes the stain deeper and roughens the fibre.
- Too much water: a soaked cushion dries slowly, can smell musty and leave water marks. Professionals work with strong extraction.
- Hot water on protein stains: blood, milk or egg are fixed by heat. Always cold first.
- Covers in the washing machine: removable covers can shrink and no longer fit. Only wash if the label explicitly allows it.
- Leather with all-purpose cleaner: it strips oils and makes leather dry out and crack.
- Using it too soon: sitting on a sofa that is still damp pushes dirt from the padding back up.
Fee says: The most expensive stain is the one somebody rubbed at with hot water and a lot of pressure. Blot, don’t rub – and then call us.Sie machen Dreck – wir machen’s weg. (You make the mess – we make it go away.)
Checklist: booking sofa cleaning
- care label photographed, material known
- stains photographed, type noted (drink, grease, pet, unknown)
- cushions and throws removed, gaps free of small items
- other items for the same visit considered: armchairs, chairs, mattress
- power socket nearby, access to water
- room can be aired afterwards, sofa not used for a few hours
- pets kept in another room during cleaning and drying
Frequently asked questions about sofa cleaning
How long does a sofa take to dry after cleaning?
After hot water extraction usually a few hours, depending on fabric, room temperature and ventilation. A morning appointment normally means the sofa can be used again in the evening. Dry foam methods dry faster.
What does professional sofa cleaning cost?
For one-off jobs we work from €50 net per hour according to effort; travel time there and back counts. A three-seater in normal condition usually takes one to two hours, a corner sofa two to three hours.
Will all stains come out?
Many, but not all. Old stains fixed by heat or the wrong products, and discolouration of the fibre itself, can often only be lightened. We tell you honestly beforehand.
Can a leather sofa be cleaned wet?
No. Leather is cleaned with a leather-safe cleaner and then conditioned. Wet extraction would dry leather out and make it stiff.
Does the sofa have to be collected?
No, we clean at your place. All you need is a power socket and access to water.
How often should a sofa be cleaned?
With normal use about once a year, more often with children, pets or in rented flats. In between, regular vacuuming with an upholstery nozzle helps.
Sofa gone grey? Send us photos of the sofa and care label – you get a figure in writing, and the site visit turns it into a fixed price.
Request a quote →Sources: methods and products based on our upholstery cleaning practice and furniture manufacturers’ care instructions (care label). Prices and services: bling-bling.at/en/upholstery-cleaning-vienna (net, as of 11/2026). Effort and example are guide values based on freely chosen assumptions.
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