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Even in a house without kids and pets, upholstered furniture — couches, arm chairs, dining room sets and even the seats in your car — get more wear and tear than you might think. Regular vacuuming can help remove loose dust and dirt like pet hair, but it's not enough to get the job done. Without the extra attention of one of the best upholstery cleaners, pet accidents, food and drink spills and other messes threaten to leave your furniture with stains and funky odors.
Here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, our Home Care and Cleaning Lab experts rigorously test all kinds of products and appliances for taking care of the household fabrics that you can't just toss into the washing machine, including portable and full-size carpet cleaners, carpet and upholstery stain removers and even fabric steamers and fuzz removers, for ease of use, efficacy and added features, among other important attributes.
Below, you'll find the best upholstery cleaners from our testing, whether you plan on deep-cleaning a fabric couch or spot-cleaning a leather chair, plus more about how we test these cleaners and why you should trust our recommendations.
If you're a TikTok fan, there's no way you could have missed the viral videos on how this little powerhouse brings new life to dingy couches. Easy to store and easy to tote from room to room, Bissell's Little Green can remove just one stain or clean an entire sofa. Simply fill the clean tank with water and one of Bissell's cleaning formulas. Then, dispense the solution through the nozzle, gently scrub with the soft brush, and vacuum it all back into the dirty water tank for easy emptying.
In our tests, this portable cleaner made quick work of removing stains without damaging fabrics (or carpet) and it picks up spills faster and more thoroughly than you can with a cloth. Even if it is somewhat loud, we like that the long hose and compact nozzle make getting into tight and curvy spaces, like armrests, easy.
Blotting is a key first step to successfully removing upholstery stains, but usually you need to do more. Woolite's Instaclean stain remover contains ingredients that help penetrate and break up stains on contact. Simply apply, let set for one minute and blot. Hydrogen peroxide in the formula acts like a fabric-safe bleach to fade stains like tomato sauce, coffee, fruit juice and more without damaging the fabric.
In our tests, Woolite's line of carpet and upholstery stain removers worked quickly and thoroughly without the need for extra rinsing or blotting. To note: Even though the oxy bleaches in this EPA Safer Choice certified formula are color-safe, it's best to test it on a hidden spot for safety before treating any stain. And it should never be used on silk, velvet, vinyl or leather upholstery like car seats.
Pet stains, including dog or cat urine, are problematic for two reasons. It's not just that the stain looks bad, but that the odor — if left untreated — draws Fluffy or Scout back to do their business on the very same spot again. This Bissell formula contains enzymes that attack both the stain and the odor pet messes leave behind.
After using it to erase the stain, place a moist cloth over the area and let it sit 12 to 72 hours. This keeps the enzymes working to completely eradicate the smell and to throw your pet off the trail. In our tests, Bissell did a great job removing food stains, too, and works just as well on carpeting and mattresses. In fact, we recommend using it for wherever pet stains happen. While it works quickly on visible stains, it's best to give it time to erase odors.
Upholstery fabrics like silk and velvet can't be cleaned with the majority of upholstery cleaners on the market, which are usually water-based and safe only for fabrics that don't leave water spots. As a result, you'll see these furniture pieces labeled with the cleaning code S, for solvent cleaning only. These upholstered pieces, while beautiful, are not the best choices for high-traffic, frequently used rooms. When regular vacuuming with your vacuum's upholstery tool isn't enough, Capture's dry powder formula can freshen and brighten delicate fabrics or carpets without damage. To use it, liberally sprinkle Capture on the cushions, back, armrests and even fresh stains, then gently brush it in. Let sit 30 minutes to give the granules time to absorb dirt and stains, then vacuum.
While we haven't specifically tested this Capture powder on upholstery, the product has been on the market for many years and based on our previous testing on carpeting and its favorable online reviews, we are comfortable recommending it for upholstery. For any set-in stains or ones that were unable to be removed on S-code fabrics, it's best to call in a professional.
Method products use plant-based ingredients in their formulas and have been proven to be effective cleaners in our tests. We've tested the brand's dish liquids, laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners and more, but Method's Stain and Odor Treatment is the first one in the line to clean unwashable household fabrics like upholstery and carpeting.
The formula is clear and only requires spritzing on a stain, waiting 10 minutes (a bit longer than others) and blotting. In our tests, it completely removed an old stain from a brocade dining room chair seat that nothing else our tester had tried could budge. And it removed stains from wool carpeting too. We found the formula easy to rinse and blot from fabrics, even though old stains did need several applications to be totally removed. This success impressed us so much that we included it as a winner in our 2022 Best Cleaning & Organizing Awards.
In tests, our Lab pros were so blown away by this spray cleaner's ability to eliminate pet stains like cat urine that they gave it a 2023 Best Cleaning & Organizing Award. Rather than mask the offending smell, the formula contains probiotics that eat away at the odor-causing bacteria in pet messes for up to three days after use.
What separates it from other similar cleaning products that use enzymes? It works on hard surfaces, too. Use it on sealed floors, carpet, furniture, pet bedding and even your pet's crate. One tester used it to clean up after her toddler's accident, and said it eradicated both the stain and the odor without excessive scrubbing. We think this pick is a must for homes with young kids or cats and dogs, though some users wish it had a subtle scent.
Leather upholstery is more forgiving and easier to care for than fabric, but it does need attention from time to time. GH Seal star Furniture Clinic's Leather Care Kit is a one-two punch that removes grime as well as conditions and protects against future stains.
Though the product requires a two-step process, tests indicate the extra effort is worth it. The cleaner removed grime embedded in the grain and erased blue dye from jeans that had transferred to a leather car seat. The protector left our leather seats and test swatches supple and shiny and helped make the ink marks we had applied afterward easier to remove. The kit includes an applicator sponge and buffing cloth. We also like that Furniture Clinic is not just for leather furniture: It's safe to use on bags, shoes, jackets and more.
Relaxing on the sofa with a cabernet or chianti is a great way to unwind, but one wrong move and your sofa is marred by red wine stains. In Cleaning Lab tests, Wine Away was the best red wine stain remover. It completely removed fresh stains and lightened set-in ones so well they could be easily washed or rinsed away. In fact, the product also works on other red-colored stains.
Note that it's important to rinse off this cleanser, but our Lab pros found that Wine Away was easy to remove from fabrics without the need for excessive blotting or rinsing that can abrade or damage fabrics. And don't just reserve it for upholstery stains: Wine Away works on clothing and carpet stains too. As soon as you spritz it on, the color starts to fade.
For many years, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been testing upholstery cleaners, many of which are also designed to safely clean stains from carpeting. In fact, our Best Overall pick, Bissell, was first tested and recommended more than 20 years ago and well before it became the social media sensation it is today. For our 2023 Best Cleaning & Organizing Awards alone, we tested nine products and appliances that could be used for cleaning upholstery.
When our Home Care and Cleaning Lab experts test upholstery cleaners, we evaluate how well they remove food, dirt and oily stains we've applied to a variety of typical upholstery fabrics. We also check for any fabric damage the cleaners may cause and how easy the cleaners are to use and rinse away. We then assess how clear the directions are and check for any safety or cautionary warnings that must be on the product's label.
For upholstery cleaning machines, we evaluate them as we do any appliance by following the owner's manual and testing all the attachments and included cleaning formulas to assess performance, easy of use, run time, capacity and how easy they are to maintain and store.
Upholstery is trickier to clean than carpet because it can be made from a wide variety of fibers and fabrics. Some, like synthetic microfiber or cotton chenille, can be cleaned with most products. Silk damask, on the other hand, would be damaged when cleaned with a water-based method. So before you grab just any cleaner from your cabinet and start spraying, it's a must to know what type of cleaning formula is safest for the fabric covering your furniture.
Check the care tag on your upholstered furniture before you clean it and look for codes that tell you how to proceed safely. A quick cheat sheet:
• Code W: Water-based cleaning solutions are safe to use. • Code S: Only solvent-based cleaning solutions are safe to use. • Code WS: Both water- and solvent-based cleaning solutions are safe to use. • Code X: Neither water- nor solvent-based cleaning solutions are safe to use. Only vacuuming or professional cleaning is recommended.
As its executive director, Carolyn Forté oversees all testing done in the Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Over the years, she has tested and reviewed hundreds of vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, upholstery cleaners, mops and other major (and small) home appliances. Most recently, she tested all of the stick, upright, canister and handheld vacuums that were submitted for consideration in GHI's 2022 Cleaning & Organizing Awards. She also spent 16 years as the director of the GH Institute's Textiles Lab, so she's very comfortable handling all kinds of fibers and fabrics and evaluating and assessing their care.
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
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