This Is the Upholstery Cleaner You See All Over TikTok

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Even in a house without kids and pets, upholstered furniture — couches, arm chairs, dining room sets and even the seats in your car — get more wear and tear than you might think. Regular vacuuming can help remove loose dust and dirt, but it's not enough to get the job done. Without the extra attention of one of the best upholstery cleaners, pet accidents, food and drink spills and other messes threaten to leave your furniture with stains and funky odors.

Here at the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, our experts rigorously test all kinds of products and appliances for taking care of the household fabrics that you can't just toss into the washing machine, including portable and full-size carpet cleaners, carpet and upholstery stain removers and even fabric steamers and fuzz removers, for ease of use, efficacy and added features, among other important attributes.

Below, the best upholstery cleaners from our testing, whether you're deep cleaning a fabric couch or spot cleaning a leather chair. Plus, more about how we test these cleaners and why you should trust Good Housekeeping's recommendations.

Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner

If you're a TikTok fan, there's no way you could have missed the viral videos on how this little powerhouse brought new life to dingy couches! Easy-to-store and easy-to-tote from room to room, Bissell's Little Green can remove just one stain or clean an entire sofa. Simply fill the clean tank with water and one of Bissell's cleaning formulas. Then, dispense the solution through the nozzle, gently scrub with the soft brush, and vacuum it all back into the dirty water tank for easy emptying.

In our tests, this portable cleaner made quick work of removing stains without damaging fabrics (or carpet) and it picks up spills faster and more thoroughly than you can with a cloth. We like that the long hose and compact nozzle make getting into tight and curvy spaces, like armrests, easy.

Best for fabrics coded: W and WS

INSTAclean Permanent Stain and Odor Remover

Blotting is a key first step to successfully removing upholstery stains, but usually you need to do more. Woolite's Instaclean stain remover contains ingredients to penetrate and break up stains on contact. Simply apply, let set for one minute and blot. Hydrogen peroxide in the formula acts like a fabric-safe bleach to fade stains like tomato sauce, coffee, fruit juice and more without damaging the fabric.

In our tests, Woolite's line of carpet and upholstery stain removers worked quickly and thoroughly without the need for extra rinsing or blotting. To note: Even though the oxy bleaches in this formula are color-safe, it's best to test it on a hidden spot for safety before treating any stain.

Best for fabrics coded: W and WS

Stain and Odor Treatment Spray

Method products use plant-based ingredients in their formulas and have been proven to be effective cleaners in our tests. We've tested the brand's dish liquids, laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners and more, but Method's Stain and Odor Treatment is the first one in the line to clean unwashable household fabrics like upholstery and carpeting.

The formula is clear and only requires that you spritz it on a stain, wait 10 minutes and blot. In our tests, it completely removed an old stain from a brocade dining room chair seat that nothing else our tester had tried could budge. And it removed stains from wool carpeting too. We found the formula easy to rinse and blot from fabrics, even though old stains did need several applications to be totally removed. This success impressed us so much that we included it as a winner in our 2022 Best Cleaning & Organizing Awards.

Best for fabrics coded: W and WS

Professional Stain & Odor Stain Remover

Pet stains are problematic for two reasons. It's not just that the stain looks bad, but that the odor — if left untreated — draws Fluffy or Scout back to do their business on the same spot again. This Bissell formula contains enzymes that attack both the stain and the odor pet messes leave behind.

After using it to erase the stain, place a moist cloth over the area and let it set 12 to 72 hours. This keeps the enzymes working to completely eradicate the smell and to throw your pet off the trail. In our tests, Bissell did a great job removing food stains, too, and works just as well on carpeting. In fact, we recommend it for wherever pet stains happen. While it works quickly on visible stains, it's best to give it time to erase odors.

Best for fabrics coded: W and WS

Carpet & Rug Dry Cleaner

Upholstery fabrics like silk and velvet can't be cleaned with the majority of upholstery cleaners on the market, which are water-based and safe only for fabrics that don't water-spot.

As a result, you'll see these furniture pieces labeled with the cleaning code S, for solvent cleaning only. These upholstered pieces, while beautiful, are not the best choices for high traffic and frequently used rooms. When regular vacuuming with your vacuum's upholstery tool isn't enough, Capture's dry powder formula can freshen and brighten delicate fabrics without damage. To use it, liberally sprinkle Capture on the cushions, back, armrests and even fresh stains and gently brush it in. Let set 30 minutes for the granules to absorb dirt and stains, then vacuum. Capture can be used to clean carpets too.

While we haven't specifically tested this Capture powder on upholstery, the product has been on the market for many years and based on our previous good results testing it on carpeting and its favorable online reviews, we are comfortable recommending it for upholstery. For un-removed or set-in stains on S-code fabrics, it's best to call in a professional.

Best for fabrics coded: W, S and WS

Leather Care Kit

Leather upholstery is more forgiving and easier to care for than fabric, but it does need attention from time to time. GH Seal star Furniture Clinic's Leather Care Kit is a one-two punch that removes grime and conditions and protects against future stains.

In our tests, the cleaner removed grime embedded in the grain and erased blue dye from jeans that had transferred to a leather car seat. The protector left our leather seats and swatches supple and shiny and helped make ink marks we applied afterward easier to remove. The kit includes an applicator sponge and buffing cloth. We also like that Furniture Clinic is not just for leather furniture: It's safe to use on bags, shoes, jackets and more.

Red Wine Stain Remover

Relaxing on the sofa with a cabernet or chianti is a great way to unwind, but one wrong move and your sofa is awash in red wine stains. Wine Away was the best red wine stain remover in Cleaning Lab tests. It completely removed fresh stains and lightened set-in ones so well they could be easily washed or rinsed away.

After cleaning, Wine Away was easy to remove from fabrics without excessive blotting or rinsing that can abrade or damage fabrics. And don't just keep it for upholstery stains: Wine Away works on clothing and carpeting stains too. As soon as you spritz it on, the color starts to fade.

Best for fabrics coded: W and WS

Large and Wide Surface Roller

Big surfaces covered with pet hair call for drastic measures. Ditch your little lint roller for this oversized one from Scotch-Brite. Because it's wide — not narrow — it's more comfortable to hold and covers cushions and chair backs more quickly and with less wrist twisting than a smaller roller requires.

Pet hair clings to fabrics with static electricity, so the sheets on Scotch-Brite's roller are 50% stickier to pick up more hair with fewer passes. Scotch-Brite tools always do well in our tests. They are well made with quality components and this one is no exception. Thanks to its horizontal configuration, it's easy to use on carpeted stairs too.

Best for fabrics coded: W, WS, S and X

RELATED: 8 Best Vacuums for Pet Hair

How we test upholstery cleaners

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 store.

How to safely clean a fabric couch

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 formula is safest for the fabric covering your chair.

Check the care tag on your upholstered furniture before you clean it for the codes that tell you how to proceed safely. 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

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

As its executive director, Carolyn Forté oversees all testing done in the Home Care & Cleaning Lab. Over the years she has tested and reviewed hundreds of vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, upholstery cleaners, mops and other major (and small) home appliances. Most recently, she tested all of the handheld, stick, upright and canister vacuums that were submitted for consideration in GH's 2022 Cleaning & Organizing Awards. She also spent 16 years as the director of the GH Institute's Textiles Lab, so she's very comfortable handling all kinds of fibers and fabrics and evaluating and assessing their care.

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