Armchairs, footstools and pieces with a history
In Terenure's red-brick houses and 1930s semis, upholstery cleaning is often about more than the sofa. There's the wingback chair that was a parent's favourite, the footstool that's been in the family for decades, the armchair that came with the house, and a three-piece suite bought to last. Some of it is worth a good clean. Some of it is worth re-covering. And occasionally it's time to let a piece go.
This page helps you decide, and explains how we clean what's worth cleaning.
Clean it, or have it re-covered?
| Situation | Our honest view |
|---|---|
| Fabric sound, just grubby and grey | A clean is worth it; the colour usually comes back well |
| A few marks on otherwise good fabric | Worth cleaning; we'll say from photos which marks are likely to lift |
| Fabric worn thin, shiny or split on the arms | Cleaning won't fix wear; an upholsterer can re-cover it |
| Seat sagging, springs going, frame loose | That's structural; a clean won't change how it sits |
| Strong smell from deep in the padding | Possibly beyond cleaning; we'll tell you honestly |
A simple check helps. Lift a seat cushion and look at the fabric underneath, which has never seen sunlight or wear. If that's the colour you remember and the arms are just dirty, a clean will bring the chair close to it. If the arms are worn thin enough to see the weave, a clean will only show that more clearly.
If you're planning to re-cover a chair, there's no point cleaning the old fabric first. If you're keeping it, a clean can make a tired room look cared for again. And if a piece has had its day, furniture removal can take it away.
Care codes on older furniture
Furniture made in recent decades usually has a cleaning code. On a Terenure suite you might find:
- W: fine to clean with water, after a test.
- WS: water or solvent; we clean it with care and less water.
- S: solvent only, so we won't wet-clean it.
- X: vacuum and brush only.
Older and re-covered pieces often have no label. That's common and not a problem in itself. We look at the fabric, and the test on the day decides. Tapestry-style weaves and older wool mixes are the ones we're most careful with, because their dyes can be less stable than modern ones.
The hidden-spot test
Before cleaning anything you'll see, we test a part you won't: the underside of a footstool, the back of a wingback, the deck under a seat cushion. A little solution goes on, and we press a white cloth onto it. If the cloth picks up colour, or the fabric puckers or rings as it dries, we stop. On older chairs, braid, piping and buttons get their own test, since they're often made from a different material from the main fabric.
spotless.ieNot sure if it's worth cleaning? Send a photo of the chair or suite, a close-up of the fabric and any label on WhatsApp. We'll give you an honest answer and a fixed price, usually the same day.
Covers, pets and small hands
Covers. Suites with zipped seat cushions should have the covers cleaned on the cushion. A cover that goes through the washing machine usually shrinks or fades, and the suite ends up in two shades.
Pets. A dog's favourite armchair collects hair deep in the seams. We vacuum it out before cleaning, and the oily patch where the dog lies usually lifts. Old urine in the padding may leave an odour.
Small hands. Grandchildren and toddlers leave juice, chocolate and crayon on the arms. Fresh marks usually come out; wax crayon and permanent pen may only fade.
We clean fabric upholstery, not leather or faux leather.
Drying
Armchairs and footstools typically dry in a few hours. A full suite with thick cushions can take longer, especially in a cool front room with a high ceiling. Turn the heating on, leave a window open, stand the cushions on their edges and keep off until it feels dry. Don't put arm covers or dark throws back until then, in case they mark the damp fabric.
In a 1930s semi, where the front room is smaller and warmer, drying is usually quicker. Either way, a morning clean normally means the chairs are ready to use by the evening.
Terenure and nearby
We cover Terenure, Rathgar, Templeogue, Kimmage and Harold's Cross. For carpets and stair runners, see carpet cleaning in Terenure and our Dublin 6 overview. Next door, sofa cleaning in Rathgar covers velvet and period-style upholstery. If you're clearing a Terenure home, our clearance team works locally too: see house clearance in Terenure.
If a clean is worth doing, we'll quote a fixed price for each chair, footstool or suite, based on its size, fabric and condition; if it isn't, we'll say so. Ciprian, who leads the cleaning, completed Prochem carpet-cleaning training in 2018, and all our work is fully insured. For more on fabrics, see our main upholstery cleaning page and our sofa care guide.
