Sofa Care Guide

Proper care can help your sofa stay looking good, feel comfortable and perform well for longer.

In this guide, we cover how to clean and maintain fabric and leather upholstery, care for different types of sofa cushions, and look after the frame and structure through proper setup and everyday use.

Caring for Fabric Upholstery

Keeping your sofa fabric in good condition involves more than just cleaning spills. We cover how to clean and wash the upholstery where suitable, as well as simple maintenance steps that can help reduce fading, staining and everyday wear over time.

Cleaning Fabric Upholstery

Start with regular light cleaning rather than waiting until the sofa requires a deeper clean. This helps remove particles before they become embedded in the fabric.

Vacuum Regularly Use a soft upholstery attachment or low suction to remove dust, crumbs and loose particles from the surface and between the cushions.
Clean Spills Promptly Remove excess liquid and gently blot the affected area with a clean, absorbent cloth. Avoid rubbing, as this can spread the spill and work it further into the fabric.
Spot Cleaning of Permanent Stains Test your cleaning product or method on a small, inconspicuous area first. Allow the area to dry completely and check for colour change, staining or damage. If there is no adverse effects, proceed with cleaning the affected area.
Illustration of vacuuming dust on the sofa, blotting away spills and spot cleaning

Washing Fabric Upholstery

Many sofa fabrics are not washable. If you are choosing a removable-cover sofa with the intention of washing the covers, ensure that the covers are made with shrink-resistant washable fabrics.

Wash Only When Needed For normal household use, 1 - 2 washes a year is usually sufficient. Use vacuuming and spot cleaning instead for routine care.
Prepare the Covers Close zips and cover exposed Velcro before washing. Place the covers in laundry bags to help reduce friction and prevent the fabric from snagging on zips during the wash.
Things to Take Note During Washing Cold wash on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent, and avoid bleach or other strong cleaning products. Do not overload the washing machine, and wash larger covers separately if needed to keep within the machine's load capacity. Do not soak the covers for more than 40 minutes. Use the lowest spin speed for spin drying, then air dry the covers naturally.
Sofa covers removed from the sofa and packed into laundry bags to be washed in a washing machine

Maintaining Fabric Upholstery

Beyond cleaning, where the sofa is placed and what comes into contact with the upholstery can affect its appearance over time.

Limit Prolonged Direct Sunlight Prolonged sunlight exposure can accelerate colour fading over time. If your sofa is positioned near a window receiving lots of sunlight, use curtains or blinds to reduce direct sunlight during the day.
Keep Sharp Objects Off the Sofa Keys, buckles and other sharp objects can catch on the fabric and pull threads from the upholstery.
Be Mindful of Colour Transfer Dark denim and other strongly dyed fabrics may transfer colour onto lighter sofa fabrics through repeated contact and friction.
Minimizing sunlight exposure, reduce contact with sharp objects and preventing colour transfer from dark coloured clothing are somethings to do to maintain your fabric sofa

Additional Fabric Protection

If you want additional protection for your sofa upholstery, you can either maintain the fabric's water and stain resistance or add a sofa cover over high-use areas.

Reapply Water & Stain Resistance If Desired Water and stain resistance treatments can become less effective over time through repeated use and friction. If liquids no longer bead on the fabric as well as before, you can reapply a suitable treatment every 6 - 12 months. We recommend applying two light coats rather than one heavy coat and allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second. This helps the treatment spread and bond more evenly with the fabric.
For the Best and Least Effort Protection, Use a Sofa Cover A sofa cover provides an additional physical layer between everyday use and the upholstery, helping protect against spills, dirt, pet hair and wear. It is also easier to remove and clean, and can be replaced when worn, making it the easiest option for long-term protection and maintenance.
Applying water resistance coating and adding a sofa cover on top of the sofa are additional ways to keep the sofa fabric clean

Caring for Leather Upholstery

Leather is relatively easy to maintain, but the correct cleaning method depends on the type of leather and its surface finish. Using an unsuitable cleaner can affect the protective finish, colour or feel of the leather.

Cleaning Leather Upholstery

Leather generally requires less frequent cleaning than fabric upholstery. Regular dust removal and dealing with spills promptly are usually the most important parts of routine care.

Avoid Using a Damp Cloth Avoid using a damp cloth when cleaning the leather upholstery. Excess moisture can cause discolouration of the leather surface, especially on older sofas where the surface protection may have worn down over time.
Remove Dust Regularly Wipe the leather with a clean, soft cloth or use a soft upholstery attachment to remove dust from the surface and seams.
Less Is More Avoid over-cleaning or using excessive cleaning products. Use only what is needed, as repeated or heavy cleaning can gradually affect the leather finish and colour.
Cleaning Persistent Stains Use a suitable leather cleaner and follow the product instructions. Avoid bleach, alcohol-based cleaners and other abrasive or harsh cleaning products. Test the cleaner on a small, inconspicuous area first before applying it to the affected area.
Cleaning leather sofa upholstery with a soft cloth

Maintaining Leather Upholstery

Leather can gradually fade, dry out and become more prone to cracking through exposure to sunlight, heat, sweat, body oils and everyday use. A few simple precautions can help reduce these effects and keep the leather in better condition for longer.

Limit Direct Sunlight and Heat Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and heat can dry out the leather, causing it to lose its suppleness and become more prone to cracking over time. Sunlight can also gradually fade the colour.
Do Not Sit on the Sofa When Sweaty Sweat and body oils can affect the leather over time, causing the colour to fade and the surface to dry out or crack faster. This is especially common on high-contact areas such as the backrest, seat cushion area and armrests.
Condition Genuine Leather Periodically Condition genuine leather every 3 - 6 months to help keep it soft and reduce drying. We recommend applying two light coats, allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second, rather than one heavy coat. This helps the conditioner absorb more evenly and reduces a greasy feel after application.
Three-panel lifestyle collage showing care instructions for a brown leather sofa: left panel shows sunlight rays with a sun-and-shield icon, middle panel shows a person sitting on the sofa with a towel over the shoulder and sweating that is not recommended, and right panel shows a hand wiping the sofa with a white cloth next to a small jar of leather conditioner.

Caring for Sofa Cushions

How you maintain your sofa cushions depends largely on whether they are movable or fixed. Movable cushions can be rotated, reshaped or replaced individually, while fixed cushions rely more on how the sofa is used to distribute wear over time.

Maintaining Movable Cushions

Movable cushions are easier to maintain because their position can be changed and the cushion itself can be reshaped or replaced when needed.

Rotate Cushions Between Positions If your cushions are interchangeable, rotate them between equivalent seating positions periodically. This helps distribute compression and impressions more evenly instead of repeatedly loading the same cushion.
Fluff Cushions with Down & Feather Down and feather can shift and compress with repeated use, causing the filling to gather unevenly. Fluff the cushion regularly to redistribute the filling and restore its shape.
Replace the Cushion When Needed Cushion fillings naturally soften over time. If your sofa was purchased from us and a movable seat or backrest cushion becomes too soft or no longer recovers its shape, you can just replace the cushion insert with us instead of replacing the entire sofa.
Different ways to maintain flexible sofa cushions overtime

Maintaining Fixed Cushions

Fixed cushions cannot be rotated between positions, so how you use the sofa plays a greater role in how evenly the cushions soften over time.

Vary Where You Sit Frequently using the same seating position will cause that area to soften faster. Vary where you sit to help distribute compression and everyday wear more evenly across the sofa.
Different seating positions used across a fixed cushion sofa to distribute wear

Caring for the Sofa Frame

Proper setup and everyday use can help reduce unnecessary stress on the sofa frame. We cover how to move and support the sofa correctly, and how to protect the frame, legs and suspension system during regular use.

Setting Up the Sofa

Correct handling and installation help ensure the sofa frame and legs are properly supported from the start.

Lift Rather Than Drag Dragging the sofa can place sideways force on the legs and their mounting points, which may cause them to loosen, bend or become damaged.
When moving the sofa, make sure that the sofa is completely lifted up from the floor.
Ensure the Outer Legs Are Properly Aligned and Firmly Grounded Check that all outer legs are securely tightened, perpendicular to the floor and sitting firmly on the ground. This is especially important for sofas with taller legs, as an angled leg can place additional stress on the leg and its mounting point over time.
A split-view lifestyle image showing a light beige upholstered sofa in a bright living room, with two people carrying it on the left and a close-up of the sofa's wooden leg on the right.

Maintaining the Sofa Over Time

Everyday use can place different levels of stress on the sofa structure. Avoid sudden or excessive loads to help protect the frame and suspension system over time.

Avoid Jumping on the Sofa Jumping creates a much greater sudden load than normal sitting and can place excessive stress on the suspension system, frame and connecting joints.
Kid jumping on the sofa