Upholstery Cleaning in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Row houses here are full of furniture with a story. A velvet chair in the bay window, an old settee in the front parlor, dining chairs that do not quite match because they came from three different estate sales, cushions on a built-in window seat. Most of it is vintage and not easy to replace.

Carrying a heavy armchair down a brownstone stoop to have it cleaned somewhere else is risky for the chair and for your back. We bring a portable machine instead and work on a drop mat beside the piece.

Everything we use is eco-safe and non-toxic, which matters on the chair where a child naps after school or the cat spends its afternoons.

Furniture from an estate sale rarely still has its care tag, so our first move is a small test under a cushion or on the back. That test tells us whether the fabric can take water, needs a dry solvent, or should only be vacuumed.

Old stuffing deserves respect. Horsehair, cotton batting and coil springs can leave brown rings on the outside if they get wet inside, so on older pieces we keep moisture very low and dry the surface as we work.

Velvet, chenille and other pile fabrics bruise easily. We clean with the direction of the nap and then brush it upright, so the chair does not end up with light and dark patches.

Newer units often have modern pieces in linen blends or performance fabric. Those are usually easier, and stains like coffee or makeup come out well with the right pre-spray.

Some row houses still have the original built-in benches or a bay-window seat with a custom cushion. These cannot be replaced from a catalog, so we clean them gently and leave the zippers and piping intact.

Plan on two to four hours before you sit down again. Loose cushions and throw pillows are part of the job. Leather is a separate service with its own cleaner and conditioner, and big couches have their own page: sofa cleaning in Bed-Stuy.

To book furniture cleaning in Bed-Stuy, 11216, phone 1-800-589-4364 or ask online for a free quote. The 10% new-customer offer applies. Many people send the parlor rug to our plant on the same day; read about rug pickup in Bed-Stuy.