If you have a spill on a piece of furniture that you’ve never cleaned before, be careful what you do next. When it comes to cleaning upholstery, you can’t always just blot away stains with a bit of water and soap. Sometimes you need to get more specialized than that.

The upholstery in your Agoura Hills home comes with cleaning codes that tell you how each can be cleaned. You can usually find the cleaning codes on a tag underneath your cushions. They only describe in a broad sense what can be used to clean your upholstery, and new cleaning products should still be tested, but they make good guidelines.

In a general sense, the cleaning categories are water-based, solvent-based, both, and neither.

W – Water-based cleaning

If your upholstery’s cleaning code has a “W” on it, it can be cleaned with water or water-based agents and foam. This material won’t react poorly to moisture, but you still need to be careful about the amount and kind of water you use.

Distilled water is best, as it won’t have minerals that can cause damage. Upholstery with a W is also not necessarily machine-safe, so don’t throw it into the washing machine without double-checking.

This upholstery type can usually be cleaned by professional Agoura Hills steam cleaners. This is the best way to get this type of upholstery clean.

S – Solvent-based cleaning

If your cleaning code is an “S,” you can only use chemical dry cleaning and non-water-based solvents to get it cleaned. This doesn’t mean this type of upholstery will work with every solvent, and you should still spot test before going all in on one cleaner.

Don’t dry clean this type of upholstery in parts – instead, clean everything at once. This is why it’s important to ensure you use the proper solvent-based cleaner beforehand.

You can purchase many dry cleaning powders that can be great at deep-cleaning this type of upholstery.

S/W – Solvent & water-based cleaning

Upholstery with an “S/W” can be cleaned by solvent and water-based cleaners, sometimes simultaneously. This is not a very common cleaning code, and it can be tricky to guess what works best for it.

These don’t necessarily work with all types of water and solvents. Do plenty of spot testing beforehand, try different combinations, or just research what works best for your Agoura Hills home’s upholstery.

Generally, only mild solvents work best with this type of upholstery. Cleaning is best left to a Agoura Hills professional, and you should usually consult a cleaner before cleaning anything with this cleaning code.

X – No solvents or water

Upholstery with an “X” can’t be cleaned by either water or solvents and will be damaged by both. This is a very unusual cleaning code, but if you spot it, be extra careful with this piece of furniture.

You’ll have to stick to vacuuming and light brushing on this type of fabric. Don’t ever risk getting liquid on it. Always be careful when you might cause stains. Not even Agoura Hills cleaning services can get those off.