Older furniture needs a slower approach
Dalkey has more than its share of old furniture. Period villas on the hill and terraces in the village are full of inherited pieces: a carved three-piece suite in cream damask, a pair of wingbacks by the fire, a button-back chair that came from a grandparent's house. Alongside them there's usually a modern fabric sofa that the family actually sits on.
We clean both, but not the same way. A modern sofa with a W code is straightforward. An older piece can have a fragile fabric, dyes that weren't made to get wet, stuffing that doesn't like moisture, and a polished wooden frame that has to stay dry. So we go slower, use less water and test more.
Carved and polished frames
Suites like the one in the photo at the top of this page have exposed wood on the arms, the feet and along the top rail, often French-polished or waxed. Cleaning solution on that finish can leave white marks or dull it. We work the hand tool up to the edge of the fabric without touching the wood, and lay a dry cloth over the woodwork where it meets the upholstery. Any drip is wiped off straight away.
Buttons, braid, piping and fringing are treated as materials in their own right. Braid in particular can be a different fibre from the main fabric, and it can run when the rest doesn't.
No label? How we judge an old fabric
Most furniture made in the last few decades carries a cleaning code: W for water, WS for water or solvent, S for solvent only and X for brushing only. Older and re-covered pieces often have nothing. In that case we look at the weave, check whether the fabric feels like cotton, linen, wool, silk or a synthetic, and do a careful test underneath or on the back.
If the test shows colour on the white cloth, or the fabric tightens or rings as it dries, we go no further. We'd rather leave a chair as it is than shrink it.
Older padding is worth a word too. Some antique chairs are stuffed with horsehair, coir or wadding rather than foam. These hold moisture and can stain the fabric from underneath if they get wet, which is another reason we keep the water to a minimum on period pieces.
spotless.ieWhen we'll say no
There are pieces we'd send to someone else:
- Leather of any kind, including faux leather and leather-trimmed chairs. We don't clean it.
- Silk and silk-mix fabrics, which water-mark far too easily.
- Fragile antiques, especially worn fabric that's starting to split. A specialist upholsterer or conservator is the right call.
- Anything marked S or X, where water-based cleaning isn't safe.
If something's in doubt, we'll say so from your photos, before you book.
Not sure if an old chair can be cleaned? Send a photo of the piece, a close-up of the fabric and the label if there is one on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly and give you a price, usually the same day.
The modern sofa in the same room
For the sofa that gets used every day, the job is more familiar. Body oil on the arms and headrest, crumbs down the sides, a patch of dog hair at one end, juice from visiting grandchildren and a few drink rings on the seats. We vacuum, pre-treat, clean with hot-water extraction and stand the cushions up to dry, typically within a few hours.
Leave zip-off covers on the cushions. Washing them separately almost always means they come back a shade lighter than the rest of the sofa, or a size too small to zip up again. Pet hair is vacuumed off before we start, and keep the dog off the cushions until they're dry, because damp fabric takes a paw print easily.
Parking in the village
Dalkey's streets are narrow and parking around the village can be tight, especially at weekends. We carry a portable machine in, so we don't need a space at your door all day, just somewhere close to unload. If you have a driveway, tell us; if not, let us know the nearest place we can stop for a few minutes.
Dalkey and nearby
We cover Dalkey, Killiney, Sandycove, Glenageary and Dún Laoghaire. Carpets and rugs can go on the same visit: see carpet cleaning in Blackrock, our guide to carpet cleaning in Dún Laoghaire homes, and rug cleaning for older rugs. Beds are on our mattress cleaning page. If a piece is beyond cleaning, furniture removal can take it away, and if you're clearing a family home in the area, see house clear-outs in Dalkey.
Period pieces take longer than a modern sofa, and the quote reflects the time and care involved; you'll have it in writing before you book. Ciprian completed Prochem carpet-cleaning training in 2018, and we're fully insured on every job. Our upholstery cleaning page explains more, and the sofa care guide covers looking after delicate fabrics between cleans.
