Updated 07/15/2019
Cleaning your furniture upholstery
Dirty and stained upholstery. We all hate it, right? Sadly, no matter how much you hope for it, those stains simply aren’t going to disappear without a bit of work, and this is where best upholstery cleaners come into play (You will find upholstery cleaner comparison chart later in this post). Armed with a few select materials and you can be kissing goodbye to those pesky stains once and for all. Let’s take a little look at what you need to make your furniture clean and stain free.
How to find the best upholstery cleaner
First, you have to find out what kind of material is used for you couch or sofa. Look for the following labels:
W = Water based cleaning only
S = Solvent based cleaning only
SW = Solvent and water-based cleaning
X = Professional cleaning only
This will give you an idea where to start. Some fabrics need to be cleaned professionally and using homemade or store upholstery cleaners may ruin your furniture. Also, always remember to test your cleaner in a hidden spot so you can avoid costly mistakes.
Secondly, determine if you want to clean the whole piece or just remove that stubborn stain. If you are removing a stain, hopefully you know where it comes from (wine, coffee, grease, pet, etc.)
Step three, look for best available cleaner that suits your needs.
Best Commercially Available Upholstery Cleaners
In addition to the home made upholstery cleaners, there are a lot of ready made solutions on the market which are also great for cleaning your upholstery. Let’s take a little look at what generally is regarded as some of the best out there.
Mothers Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
Many reviews claim that this is the best upholstery cleaner on the market and we agree. One of the unique features about this particular cleaner is that it is in a spray bottle operated by a trigger. This is fantastic as it means you can only apply it exactly where you need it. One of the big problems of other cleaners on the market is that it is all too easy to spray too much on, and you are going to end up with water ring stains. To cap it off, this an environmentally safe product so you can feel good about yourself when you use it! It doesn’t matter how dirty your upholstery is, this is going to bring out the shine once again.
BISSEL Fabric & Upholstery Shampoo
At the heart of this particular upholstery cleaner is a brush. This makes it particularly effective on microfiber. Using this brush will carefully eliminate those stains and all of that grime from your furniture. Just make sure you scrub lightly to get rid of them quickly but without causing damage to your upholstery. Despite its small size, it is more than capable of cleaning up large stains and spots. You just need to have a bit of time on your hands. When used properly this particular cleaner is effective on all sorts of fabric, although as always, spot test it first to make sure it isn’t going to discolor or ‘rough up’ the fabric. It is rare, but it has been known to happen.
This is slightly different to the other upholstery cleaners as it can remove a huge array of different stains. This is going to be perfect for removing grime, tar, and even blood stains. In addition to that, it can remove those awful odors that pets tend to leave behind from time to time. In addition to that, it has a built-in scrub cap which means you don’t need anything else apart from the Blue Coral upholstery cleaner to eliminate those stains. It works incredibly well too.
You can also use the comparison table below to find your best upholstery cleaner. There you will find the size of the cleaner in ounces, average customer review score, price range, special features and short description of each cleaner. Happy cleaning!
Upholstery cleaners comparison chart
Find your best upholstery cleaner| Cleaner | OZ | Notes | $ | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Blue Coral Upholstery Cleaner | 22 | Aerosol | $$ | 4.2 | - Effective on grease, tar, coffee, lipstick, ink, blood stains and more - Odor eliminator neutralizes offensive odors from pet stains to mildew leaving your upholstery smelling fresh |
 BISSELL Fabric & Upholstery Shampoo | 12 | Brush | $$ | 4 | - Fabric safe brush safely cleans upholstery and carpet fibers - Patented fabric-safe brush gently loosens tough stains and embedded soils - Helps repel dirt and stains so fabrics stay cleaner, longer - Quick clean-up of spots and spills to entire sofa - Safely cleans all colorfast upholstery, carpeting, leather, and vinyl |
 Woolite Carpet & Upholstery Foam Cleaner | 12 | Foam, Fabric-Safe Brush | $$ | 4.1 | - StainLift technology to list dirt and stains - Combines a fabric refresher with a powerful fabric and upholstery cleaner - Leaves upholstery clean, fresh and soft with no sticky residue - Odor elimination technology |
 BlueMagic Heavy Foam Upholstery Cleaner with Stain Guard | 22 | Foam, Stain Guard, Brush | $ | 4.2 | - Removes stubborn stains - Cleans and brightens upholstery - Prevents spills from penetrating - Cap is also an applicator brush for concentrated stains |
 Eco Touch Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner | 24 | Non-toxic | $$ | 4.4 | - Safely cleans rugs, carpets and upholstery - Effective on wine, coffee, and more - Non-toxic, biodegradable and free of any VOCs, fragrances or dyes - Easy spray + wipe process - Leaves all surfaces soft + fresh |
 White Wizard Spot Remover And All Purpose Cleaner | 10 | Non-toxic, odorless | $ | 4.3 | - For use on virtually any stain and it is odorless - Remove blood, wine, food, paint, coffee, ink, grass and more - Safe to use, biodegradable, non-toxic, non-abrasive |
 3M Scotchgard Fabric And Upholstery Cleaner | 14 | Scotchgard fabric protector, Foam | $ | 3.6 | - Deep Foaming ActionPerfect for the toughest stains - Leaves behind Scotchgard (TM) Protector anti-soiling agents to protect against future resoiling - Restores the look of household fabrics - Ideal for large surfaces |
 MOTHERS Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner | 24 | Trigger spray bottle | $ | 4.3 | - Cleaner can be used in your home on stubborn stains - Trigger spray bottle for easy use - Environmentally safe to use |