This Brilliant $5 Spray Melts Away Wine Stains — Even on White Clothing

When we 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, how easy the cleaners are to use and rinse away, how clear the directions are and 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 story.

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 process is safest for the fabric covering your chair. Check the care tag on your upholstered furniture before you clean it so you know exactly how to clean your couch. 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

Carolyn Forté has tested and reviewed hundreds of vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, mops and other major (and minor) home appliances as executive director of the Home Care Lab. She oversees all testing done in the Cleaning Lab and recently tested all of the handheld, stick, upright and canister vacuums that were submitted for consideration in the most recent Cleaning and Organizing Awards.