Upholstery Care Instructions

Congratulations on your new piece of upholstry furniture! One of our goals here at Sweet Dreams is to combat the cultural shift towards synthetic, temporary, and quick ways of consumption. A vast majority of our furniture is manufactured or assembled here in the United States. Over the years, we have accumulated what we feel to be the best of the best Upholstery manufacturers who are focused on quality and longevity. As they say, “if you take care of things, they last”! Upholstery is a huge category and each piece of fabric furniture has different requirements in terms of care and spot-treatment. Below, we have attached some general cleaning guidelines based on information from our vendors, as well as the furniture industry as a whole.

RESOURCES

Generally, each individual manufacturer has specific cleaning instructions geared towards their own wearability system. These instructions are available on their websites, usually under a tab labeled “Fabric Care”, or “Fabrics”. For more specific information it is recommended that you visit the manufacturers website, which we would be happy to help you with if need be! Some general tips are listed below;

  • Vacuum the surface of your furniture regularly, including the deck under the cushions, with the upholstery attachments of your vacuum cleaner.

  • Direct sunlight can cause the fabrics to fade. Care should be taken to limit the amount of direct sun on any piece of furniture.

  • Loose cushions should be flipped and rotated frequently to minimize soiling and add to the longevity of your upholstery.

  • All spills should be cleaned immediately, start by blotting the spill using a clean, absorbent cloth. If stain remains, please follow the care instructions below according to the type of fabric on your upholstery.

  • Before spot-treating, it is advised that you inquire about the cleaning code of your specific piece. Always pretest an inconspicuous area of the upholstery before spot cleaning, to ensure the product you are using is not going to damage the fabric.

CLEANING CODES

Each fabric, regardless of the manufacturer, has a universal fabric cleaning code attached to it. To find the cleaning code on your specific fabric, you may go to the manufacturers website and type in the fabric code - or you are welcome to call us here at Sweet Dreams and we can find that for you. The universal cleaning code will instruct you on how to best care for your fabric. The universal codes are as follows;

“W” - Code W stands for ‘Water based cleaner’, the easiest fabrics to clean. This is not the same as being machine washable. This code means that you can spot clean your fabric with a water-based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner. You can use a brush to agitate the cleaner or even an upholstery attachment on a carpet cleaner. Be careful to avoid over-wetting the stain.

  • “S” - Fabrics that are Code S must be cleaned with solvents (dry clean only). You can spot treat stains with a water-free solvent or dry-cleaning product. Use solvent cleaners in a well-ventilated room and keep away from open flames. Avoid using cleaning products containing carbon tetrachloride, as it is highly toxic.

  • “W/S” - A W/S code means that a combination of dry cleaning solvents and water-based cleaners may be used. These fabrics can be spot cleaned with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild detergent, or a mild dry cleaning solvent. This is a case where the pre-test is especially important. For overall dirt, call a professional to clean these fabrics.

  • “X” - Fabrics with Code X  can only be cleaned by vacuuming or light brushing. A Code X means the fabric is not cleanable with water or solvent cleaners.