Not a Speck of Dust: How to Clean Sofas, Carpets and Mattresses — BestClean Expert Tips

We were invited onto Latvijas Radio 4 — the show «Простыми словами» («In Simple Words», aired on 20 September 2022) — to talk about how to properly care for upholstered furniture, carpets and mattresses, and why home «folk» remedies often only make things worse. The on-air conversation was in Russian; here we’ve gathered the essentials in English — honestly, without the marketing fluff. You can listen to the original via the link at the end.

Why cleaning «by yourself» often makes it worse

Every day we visit people who had already tried to rescue their sofa themselves: pouring on Vanish, Fairy, sprinkling baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, citric acid. The logic is clear — everyone wants to save money. But there’s a nuance few people think about.

Inside a sofa there’s foam. Foam works like a sponge: it absorbs everything and gives almost nothing back. When you pour household chemistry into the upholstery, it goes deep — and stays there. After that, you and your children sit on that chemistry every day. Try soaking an ordinary sponge in dish soap at home and then «rinsing» it — the foam will keep coming endlessly. It’s the same with a sofa.

And one more thing: there is no universal product for €10–20. If there were, we’d be the first to buy it instead of professional chemistry that costs thousands of euros. Every stain needs its own solution: one for marker, another for wine, a third for blood.

So tip number one: if you must experiment — only on a small, hidden area. Better still, trust your furniture to someone who has both the equipment and the right chemistry.

Which sofas clean up — and which don’t

The good news: around 90–95% of sofas clean up beautifully. On the Latvian market roughly 80% of furniture is synthetic, and it responds excellently to cleaning. We can «revive» even a sofa that hasn’t been cleaned in five years, with pets, guests and parties in its history.

Where difficulties happen:

• Very expensive sofas (a couple of thousand euros and up) made of natural Italian fabrics or cotton — such materials can oxidize from moisture. They need special, gentle chemistry.
• Burlap (hessian) — this material wasn’t really designed to be furniture, and it’s genuinely hard to clean.
• Flock — the hardest thing in our field. It isn’t fabric: the pile is glued to a backing using static electricity. Strong chemistry makes it fall off in pieces. We’ve developed a separate technology for flock, and we do clean it — but it’s always delicate, precision work.

By the way, for delicate upholstery (suede, velvet, light and white fabrics) we always ask for a photo in advance — so we can assess the job accurately and leave no streaks or yellowing.

The trickiest stains — and what to do about them

Coffee, wine, any «food industry», as we call it, come out well. But here’s what really causes trouble:

• Slime. That jelly-like toy children adore. Slime doesn’t just stain the upholstery — it literally burns into it, and cleaning that out is extremely hard. Our advice to parents: if you see slime at home, better throw it away; and if you do play with it, do so somewhere in the bathroom, away from the furniture.
• Wall paint after renovation. Some of it comes out well, some — sadly — is already there to stay.
• Pet urine odor. This used to be a real headache: masking the smell isn’t enough — you have to destroy the bacteria. We’ve now solved this with a special American chemistry that works on the source rather than masking it.

A tip about blood. With blood, time works against you: it oxidizes and literally turns to rust, and after a week it’s almost impossible to remove. If it happens — don’t wait: pour hydrogen peroxide on the stain. It will fizz; collect the foam and keep pouring. Peroxide is not an «old wives’ remedy» — it stops the oxidation, after which the stain washes out far more easily. The key is to act immediately.

The mattress you sleep on

A mattress absorbs dust, skin particles, sweat — and over time «all that life» moves in (dust mites, allergens). By rights a mattress, like bed linen, needs to be «washed». People with allergies feel this especially: the day after cleaning they text us — «I slept so well», «I can breathe with a full chest».

How we clean a mattress technically: the cleaning agent is delivered under high pressure and extracted back at the same moment — we rinse to a depth of 10–20 cm. Then a powerful extractor pulls out the moisture, and a separate fan is set up that dries the mattress 100%.

This is critical. If a mattress isn’t dried fully, over time it rots from the inside. Sadly, we often meet clients whose mattress was «cleaned» by others and not dried. That’s why for us drying is a mandatory part of the work, not an option.

Carpets and wall-to-wall carpeting

Wall-to-wall carpeting that has lain in an apartment for years is essentially a big dust collector. When you start cleaning it, literally black jelly comes out. The same goes for rugs and carpets — short and long pile, synthetic, wool, valuable handmade rugs — each needs its own technology and its own degree of care.

How cleaning works at our company

The technician arrives with «60 kilograms of happiness», as we joke: a powerful professional extractor (Italian equipment — about 10 times more powerful than household vacuums and «Kärchers»), two fans for drying, and a big bag of chemistry — a separate product for every stain.

Step by step it looks like this:

1. dry vacuuming with a powerful machine;
2. applying eco-friendly detergent;
3. brushing it in;
4. deep cleaning under pressure;
5. removing difficult stains;
6. rinsing and full extraction of the chemistry;
7. express drying with fans.

Usually the whole process takes about an hour — we don’t «fuss about» for two or three hours. One technician does the job. We use American, eco-class chemistry (certified, hypoallergenic) — it has no harsh smell, so it’s safe for children and pets right after cleaning. I’m allergic to chlorine myself, so the principle is simple: after us, the apartment shouldn’t smell of anything — we come to bring cleanliness and beauty, not «the smell of chemicals».

Our clients’ reaction is almost always the same — «wow». A single sofa often yields up to 30 liters of dirty water. So when we post «before/after» photos, people online often write that it’s Photoshop. It’s not Photoshop — it’s simply good equipment and the right chemistry.

How often to clean furniture and mattresses

Manufacturers recommend every six months — we recommend at least once a year. In families with children or pets — every 6–8 months. Regular cleaning not only freshens the furniture but also extends its life and removes allergens and dust mites.

And to keep furniture fresh longer between cleanings: vacuum once a week; blot fresh stains (especially red wine and ink) immediately with a napkin and don’t rub; and don’t try to remove them with household chemistry — use only clean water.

How much it costs and how to book

A few price reference points (Riga and suburbs):

• straight sofa — €45, corner — €48–58 depending on size, U-shaped — €65;
• leather 3-seater — from €45; chair — from €10; bed headboard — from €40;
• mattress — from €43 (double-sided cleaning +€30);
• carpet — €10–12/m² (natural — €15/m²).

Minimum order — €45. The call-out is free in Riga and suburbs up to 70 km. The price we quote in advance is final (the only possible surcharge is strong odor removal, +€5, and the technician warns you about it beforehand).

What’s important to know:

• You pay only after the result — no prepayment. Not satisfied — you don’t pay.
• Quality guarantee: if a stain remains somewhere after full drying, the technician will come back and re-clean it free of charge. We guarantee the sofa will be at least 90% cleaner.
• Express drying is included in the price; you can use the furniture the same day (it fully dries in 3–6 hours).
• We’ve been working since 1999 — that’s more than 25 years of experience and 12,700+ cleaned items.