“By hiring a professional upholstery cleaning company to clean your furniture, it will extend the life of the furniture and help to remove stains, scents, and bacteria from the fabric of the furniture,” says Asya Biddle, Angi Expert Review Board member and manager of The Dust Busters janitorial company in Williamsport, PA.
Upholstery Cleaning Cost by Type of Furniture
Furniture comes in all different shapes and sizes, and each particular item needs to be cleaned and cared for in a slightly different way. Cleaning large furnishings like couches and loveseats generally requires more labor, materials, and special attention than your average office or dining room chair, for example. Find out what you can expect to pay for the most common types of furnishings below.
Couches and Sofas
These pieces are the most costly to have cleaned because of their size and the increased demand for materials and time. Suede and leather couches tend to be the most costly, ranging from $200 and $500 on average because of the specialty tools and materials required to keep the material intact. On the other hand, upholstery cleaning costs for similarly sized couches made from other materials range from $100 to $300.
Loveseats, Recliners, and Ottomans
The cost to have a loveseat professionally cleaned ranges from $60 to $120. Similarly sized reclining armchairs cost a bit less at $60 to $80 on average, and ottomans are even less at $20 to $50 on average.
Chairs
There are many kinds of upholstered chairs, and you’ll pay roughly the same amount to have each style cleaned. Find out what you should budget for below.
Armchairs: Because armchairs are typically larger than other types of chairs, they also cost more to have cleaned. You’ll pay between $40 and $80 on average for this kind of professional upholstery cleaning.
Office chairs: While cleaning office chairs definitely costs less than larger armchairs, the project may cost more than you think. This is especially true for office chairs with special adaptations (like a swivel or adjustable seat) because they need to be handled with additional care. In general, you’ll pay between $20 and $40 for office chair cleanings.
Dining chairs: Because they typically only feature a limited amount of fabric, upholstered dining chairs are the most inexpensive furnishing to have cleaned, at roughly $10 to $30 on average. That’s probably a bit of good news if you’re dealing with the aftermath of spilled spaghetti.
Slipcovers
Slipcovers cost $10 to $15 on average to have dry cleaned, but in most cases, this extra service isn’t even necessary. Many options are made from washing machine-safe materials like cotton, so you can simply pop them into your next cycle and forget about the rest.
Upholstery Cleaning Cost Factors
The type of furnishing, the material it’s made from, and a handful of other factors will help determine how large or small your final upholstery cleaning bill will be.
Material
Furniture can be made from an assortment of different materials, from silk to leather. Find out what you can expect to pay for the most common types of furniture materials below.
Leather: Not accounting for the type of furniture, the cost to clean leather upholstery ranges from $175 to $195 on average.
Wool, cotton, and polyester: These types of materials are frequently used on furnishings because they’re affordable and fairly low-maintenance. The average cost to clean these types of materials is $160.
Silk: Silk requires special materials and cleaning tools so you can clean it up without destroying it. For this reason, the price to have it cleaned is a bit higher than other materials, ranging from $180 and $230 on average.
Additional Factors
Cost per linear foot: Although not all upholstery cleaning professionals charge by the linear foot, some do. In those cases, expect to pay around $10 to $20 per linear foot of furniture on average.
Stain removal: While many professional upholstery cleaners include stain removal for no additional charge, some may charge an extra fee of $20 or slightly more, especially if it’s a particularly tough one.
Protective treatments: Most pros charge an additional rate for protective treatments like the use of stain-blocking solutions. Expect to pay $20 to $30 more for extras like this.
How Much Does It Cost to Clean Furniture Upholstery Yourself?
Most people tackling this project themselves find that they spend between $120 and $220. A few different factors affect the budget:
Cleaning Products
The biggest expense when it comes to cleaning your own furniture upholstery is investing in the right cleaning products for the job. A 20-ounce bottle of cleaning fluid costs $14 on average.
Volume
If you are cleaning more than just a chair or two, you’ll wind up buying more bottles of cleaning fluid. It is important to remember that different materials used in furniture upholstery may require different types of cleaner.
Soil Levels
Cleaning up the upholstery on your new leather chair from daily wear and tear is a lot easier than cleaning up the couch that your grandmother got from her grandmother, that's been sitting in the garage since you were 8. Spot cleaning machines that are perfect for that deep down-grime cost about $120.
Optional Costs
Though not always necessary, buying or renting a steam cleaner can make it much easier to clean furniture upholstery yourself. Machines cost between $150 to $500 to buy outright or $40 to $60 to rent for the day.
Professional vs. DIY Furniture Upholstery Cleaning
Though it’s totally possible to clean furniture upholstery yourself, there are a couple of instances where you may be better off leaving the job to a pro.
For example, if you’re dealing with any heirlooms or furniture made with delicate fabric (like silk or leather), a professional will ensure that nothing gets damaged during the process and everything looks as it should in the end. On the other hand, it’s safe to try your hand at cleaning fabrics like cotton or wool because the odds of damaging them are lower in the first place. Plus, you don’t need as many specialty tools or materials to make them shine like new.
