A sofa that lives with children and a dog
In most Lucan family homes, the sofa is the busiest piece of furniture in the house. It's where the kids watch cartoons with a bowl of cereal, where homework happens when the table's full, where the dog sneaks up when nobody's looking, and where everyone collapses at the end of the day. Fabric soaks up all of it.
The two videos on this page were filmed on sofa and upholstery jobs in Lucan. They show what we do: clean the sofa where it stands, so there's no collection, no transport and no week without somewhere to sit. Most Lucan houses have a driveway, which keeps the van close and the job quick to set up.
Pet hair, dog smell and accidents
Pets bring three separate problems, and each is dealt with differently.
Hair. It works into the weave and clumps into a paste when it's wet, so it all comes off first with a vacuum and a rubber brush, along the seams and down the sides.
Smell. The doggy smell on a sofa mostly comes from skin oils in the fabric. It responds well to pre-treatment and extraction, and usually goes with the dirt.
Accidents. A recent wee on a seat cushion usually comes out. One that has soaked through to the foam, or happened repeatedly in the same place, is harder: we can clean the fabric and treat the area, but the odour can come back on a damp day if the cushion inner is saturated.
Claw marks and pulled loops are wear, not dirt, so they'll still be there afterwards.
spotless.ieChildren's spills: a quick guide
| Spill | Straight away | How it usually cleans up |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate | Scrape off what you can and leave the rest | Usually comes out with pre-treatment |
| Blackcurrant or orange juice | Blot with a white cloth and a little cold water | Usually lifts; strong colours can leave a tint |
| Biro on the arms | Leave it alone | Small marks fade; scribbles that have been rubbed rarely go |
| Sun cream | Blot, don't rub | The oil lifts; some creams leave a yellowish mark |
| Nappy leak | Blot, cold water, air it | Comes out well if it's fresh |
| Slime | Let it dry and pick off the bulk | Mostly lifts; coloured slime can stain |
Two rules for any spill: cold water, never hot, and blot rather than rub.
Why the cushion covers stay zipped on
If your sofa has removable covers, you might be tempted to wash them after a spill. We'd ask you not to. The zips are there so the foam could be put in when the sofa was made. Covers that go through a washing machine usually shrink a little, fade a little, or both, and then they don't match the arms and back or won't zip up again. Cleaning them on the cushion keeps everything even.
The label and the test spot
Before any water goes near the fabric, we check the cleaning code on the label:
- W: water-based cleaning is fine
- WS: water or solvent, so we clean carefully with less moisture
- S: solvent only, so we won't wet-clean it
- X: vacuum only, with no liquid cleaning at all
Then we test a hidden spot, like the back of the sofa or under a seat cushion, and check for colour on a white cloth. We clean fabric only; leather and faux leather sofas aren't part of what we do.
Sofa had a rough few years? Send a photo of the sofa, the label and the worst marks on WhatsApp. We'll reply with a fixed price, usually the same day.
When can everyone sit on it again?
Drying typically takes a few hours, depending on the fabric, the thickness of the cushions and the weather. We stand the cushions on their edges and run air movers. A morning clean usually means the sofa's ready by the evening, though a sofa in a cold front room or a conservatory on a grey day can take a little longer. Until then:
- keep the dog in another room, because damp fabric marks easily
- leave a window open, and the heating on if it's cold
- no throws or dark cushions on it until it's dry
- check the seat cushions by hand before the kids pile on
Lucan, Adamstown and nearby
Our Lucan visits take in the village, Adamstown, Esker and Griffeen, and the estates across to Palmerstown, Clondalkin and Leixlip. For carpets, see carpet cleaning in Lucan, and for Dublin 15, our Blanchardstown upholstery page. Beds can be done on the same visit with mattress cleaning, and rugs with rug cleaning.
Your quote covers the sofa, any armchairs or footstools, and how much the kids and the dog have been at it, and it doesn't change on the day. Ciprian, who works on jobs himself, completed Prochem carpet-cleaning training in 2018, and Spotless is fully insured. Our main upholstery cleaning page covers fabrics in depth, and our sofa care guide covers everyday care.
