Learn how to clean a linen couch, chairs and more! Whether you have Restoration Hardware furniture or linen slipcovered furniture of any brand, these tips and tricks will make your upholstery care so easy!
While linen can feel intimidating to clean and care for, it doesn’t have to be that way! Learn how to care for Restoration Hardware Belgian Linen and so much more.
It has been quite a few years now since we took the leap and purchased several pieces of Restoration Hardware furniture.
I know some folks thought I was crazy for purchasing “white” pieces, but after giving it significant consideration, I felt confident in our decision.
We wanted timeless pieces that could transition with our style and family, so we were willing to make an investment.
One of the most commonly asked questions I receive is how we keep our furniture so white, so I thought I’d share the details of how we clean our Restoration Hardware linen furniture.
I love RH style and have chatted about other subjects regarding their furnishings before. Be sure to read all about my love/hate relationship with this store, as well as how to seal a Restoration Hardware dining table.
Table of Contents
Restoration Hardware Belgian Linen
We purchased Belgian linen slipcovered sofas and dining chairs so that we could easily clean them or if worse came to worst, we could replace them.
We also eventually purchased an upholstered headboard for our master bedroom in Belgian Linen Sand. I just can’t get enough of this warm style and color!
Thankfully, to date we haven’t had to do either! I’ve been incredibly pleased with how easily they spot clean with water. We’ve spilled wine, soda, mac and cheese, had chocolate faces rub against them, etc.
While these tips work for cleaning Restoration Hardware Belgian linen, they will also help you clean any linen couches, chairs, ottomans and more!
I love linen so much, in every area of our home! Read all about our Linen Bedding, too.
At nearly five years, I feel like its time to clean our love seat, which gets the most use. There are no stains, but the arms are starting to look a little dingy overall. I’m a little scared to wash it in fear of the massive steam that will likely follow, so I’m going to start with a mild upholstery cleaner.
We’ve had great success using it on our deconstructed chairs, which have required routine cleanings, the fabric has been less forgiving than Belgian linen.
How to Clean Linen Furniture
- Vacuum. It keeps dust particles out of the fabric, making it appear brighter.
- Soak up the stain with a white cloth by blotting (don’t rub).
- Spot clean with distilled water and a white cloth.
- Use a mild soap, distilled water and a white cloth. (I was told this over the phone from one of the RH representatives.)
- Last Resort – Dry cleaning any linen slipcovers that can be removed.
- Or, machine wash on cold and hang to dry. Note that you should do all pieces in the set so that the color is consistent.
One thing to keep in mind about cleaning your Restoration Hardware furniture beyond vacuuming and spot cleaning is that doing so will remove the protective finish that we’ve come to love and appreciate.
Fabric contracts when washed and dry cleaned. Use a steamer to loosen the fabric and tug.
I can only hope that they’ll bottle it and share it with us someday, but until then, we live in our home and enjoy our furniture.
We don’t live in a museum, nor do we treat our home like one. I am not my mother’s daughter when it comes to furniture, protecting it with a blanket until company arrives.
We have been successful machine washing our linen, steaming and tugging to loosen the fibers. Proceed at your own risk.
Maintaining Restoration Hardware Linen
Linen will wrinkle. That’s the beauty of the natural fibers, and the joy of this casual look! Just like your linen clothes, linen sheets and more, it’s important to be aware of this trait before purchasing.
I embrace the look of linen rather than stress about steaming it. If wrinkles bother you, I’d avoid the linen fabrics because they almost always look less than perfect.
Our dining chairs are always a hot mess because the girls love hiding under them and where the fabric is tailored at the leg of the sofas, we brush past frequently and they tend to curl.
Try a baking soda paste! As with many natural cleaning options, a little baking soda and vinegar can go a long way.
First, blot the stain to remove remaining moisture. Then add a little sprinkle of baking soda, moistening with a damp sponge. A little vinegar can help activate the stain removal, as well.
Surprisingly, yes! While this fabric has a delicate look, it holds up beautifully to daily wear and tear.
As with clothing stains, always blot, then gently rub a pasta of cleaning solution into the stain to attempt removal. For linen, try a paste of baking soda and vinegar or a basic dish soap. A mild detergent can also work wonders!
If you have Restoration Hardware linen furniture, I’d love for you to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
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I’m about to purchase 2 slip cover rh track arm sofas with Belgian linen. I’m nervous since it isn’t listed as a performance material. Would spills go through the slip cover onto the down cushions? Your post is making me far more comfortable. Thank you!!
They come pre-treated. Honestly, we love the fabric and will do again!
Thanks you so much Julie for all this info! Can I please ask a few questions we are trying to figure out. We are looking at a deconstructed chesterfield couch (indoor use) and was debating between Belgian Linen Sand, Belgian Linen Solid Sand and now Brushed Belgian Flax linen. Out of these any recommendations on color, and is brushed linen better – wrinkles (not huge fan of wrinkles, but I know linen has the organic look). Trying to see in a tufted seating & back if wrinkles will be less pronounced in your opinion. And if there are pros and cons between belgian linen and brushed belgian linen. Really look forward to get some guidance ….
We used belgian linen.
Hi Julie
I was so happy to come across your blog. We are considering getting the deconstructed chesterfield sofa – in Belgian Linen. My preference is Belgian linen versus performance fabrics. This is for indoor use and we don’t have any pets so I am really hoping just regular Belgian linen would be ok? I was leaning towards Sand or Solid Sand. Do you have a suggestion for the color? And on a sofa does the linen wrinkle? Thanks so much ….
Yes and I love sand. Not much at all, the fabric relaxes.
Hello,
I have a RH 3.5 years old 9′ feather-down KENSINGTON SOFA that I really like and enjoying.
This was from my mother and she is not living U.S. now.
However, I have some problem.
The backrest of the sofa and some of the seating cushion area was faded in sunlight and the color was different from other normal colored areas.
I was wondering how I can get this fixed.
I have contacted RH, and they recommended to replace the whole cover and it cost too much for me.
Would you advice what will be the best solution ?
Thank you so much.
Lissa
Thank you so much for this thread! I had a very hard time choosing a sectional for my family room, and actually returned the classic depth slope arm cloud in White Washed Belgian Linen, for the luxe depth slope arm in White Brushed Belgian Linen Cotton – less wrinkly and less of an “aggressive” shade of white, but still natural looking with some wrinkles which I now really appreciate. I have been happy with the look and feel of the fabric – it almost has a velvety feel. But because the weave is different than the washed linen, I have noticed with just water, little smudges aren’t totally coming out like they did with the washed linen. Anyone familiar with this fabric from RH and how to clean? Thank you again – there is such little info on these RH fabrics, so this string is so helpful!
I am considering the Belgian linen sectional. I was wondering what color yours is. I saw the sand color in the store and it looked white. But when I brought the sample home, it looked more beige.
Sand – I really love it.
I followed your instructions however it did not clean the Belgian linen! I have a chair from restoration hardware and followed your instructions. It actually left a yellowish stain instead. Pretty upset.
What was on there you needed to clean? How did you dry it?
Hi
I just washed my rh Belgium linen cloud…cold wash.
And I dried it in the dryer…the lint bin for the dryer was overflowing with lint…the covers looked and fit great but now they seem to release lint particles every time i sit on it…house is dusty all the time…
Any advice???
I’m not sure – I don’t recommend drying it as it breaks fibers down.
Method for using steamer on the Belgian linen slipcover couch?
To release the wrinkles? Just place near the fabric, steam and tug on the bottom of the slipcover.
Hi! I have the same chairs and have no idea how to go about cleaning them. I have 3 kids and 2 dogs and the chairs have taken a hit. I’m to the point where I’m wondering if I would be better off reupholstering. Any tips on how you clean yours? Ty!
Regarding the grease stain… I learned from an RH employee that RH uses Folex on their linen for grease stains. Can you believe that? We had a massive grease (nachos and a teen) on the arm of our sofa and it worked. Sprayed it, then dabbed it up. Waited and saw there was still a faint stain. Repeated, and viola! It was gone!
Amazing! I know a lot of people swear by it but it has yet to work for me. Thanks for sharing – hope it helps someone!
Thanks so much for your insight on Restoration’s Irish Linen slipcovers. I just purchases slip covered arm chairs for my kitchen. I also love the casual look of linen but am afraid that between our Bernese Mountain dog and enthusiastic guests the chairs will get stained. Have you ever considered spraying them with scotch guard?
I didn’t, they come pre-treated. I’d call RH for more advice.
Hi Julie I have white perennial linel with a tiny red stain, I am so afraid of cleaning even with water because I feel even a litlle bit of water will live a bigger stain
I too have slipcovered sofa, 2 chairs and 6 slipcovered dining chairs all from Restoration Hardware. They are 7 years old this year and have held up very well. But it was time for a cleaning, dust, and just minor spots. The tag said hand wash in cold water, hang outside to dry. Did that. WHAT A DISASTER! The white, well, it was supposed to be “white” but it looks like it was “natural” and it is now splotchy. My sofa pillow cover is completely white while the body of the sofa is a splotchy white/natural. My chairs came out the same way. I have owned linen slipcovers for decades and have even washed most in the machine and air dried and NEVER have had this disaster happen from a hand wash. Just plain ole cold water dunk. On the tag it says do not dry clean, just hand wash. Yeah, something funny about not being able to dry clean supposed top of the line Belgian Linen. Be forewarned if you intend to ever actually clean these covers of the dust alone that they collect. And the replacements are in the thousands. FYI. Start saving up for the new covers.
What kind of detergent did you use? It sounds like the dirt didn’t wash out, but was displaced. You may also benefit from using an oversized washer. Our dry cleaner does laundry as well…maybe take it somewhere? I think you’ll have a better result. I’m sorry to hear your frustration!
We are about to buy 8 dining chairs from RH. Is the Perennials PERFORMANCE Textured Linen Weave fabric WORTH it? The performance fabric in “Sand” costs about $1400 more than the regular Sand Linen. I just have NO IDEA if it’s worth it. Anyone have any input? THANK YOU!
I haven’t used their performance fabric indoors, but if you’ll use them on occasion, I would say no. They wipe down and wash pretty well.
We have a couch from RH and I have figured out after trial and error that after you wash it on cold… and I won’t lie it’s hard to do.. but put the covers back on the couch while they are still damp. It helps reduce the wrinkles to almost zero!!
BRILLIANT! Thanks for sharing, Danielle!
I have Belgian linen dining chairs and had a professional in to clean red sauce my children dropped on the chairs. This left horrific water marks So I got a professional in—no dice. He got the glaring water marks out, but left the upholstery yellowish with slight marks on the edging. I’m at a loss. What do I do? Please help!
Honestly, I find that dish soap is the best for red sauce. It sounds like you have nothing to lose so I’d give it a shot.
I am sooo grateful to have found this post! We purchased 4 RH Belgian Slope alarm sidechairs in sand linen at a consignment store…we got an amazing deal (4 chairs for the price of one) but they had stains and were grimy…I went with the ‘no fear’ approach…read through this entire blog and came up,with a strategy that worked. I washed each slipcover and corresponding seat cushion and lumber cushion cover in its own load…using Woolite, cold water, hand wash setting on my washing machine and medium spin cycle. Once I removed them from the wash, my husband and I stretched the fabric and then put it over the chair almost immediately ( the spin cycle had taken out most of the moisture)… It took the two of us to pull the fabric over the chair…linen has a life of its own…so we just got into understanding the fabric…it was a lot of work but worth it…once on the frame I ironed and steamed the cover….then did the same with the cushions.The result? Great…they look clean and they smell clean 🙂 We lost about 1/2 inch in shrinkage but not enough to make a diff encephalitis…the chair is on castors so it I see fine….(can’t see the wheels)…So thanks everyone for the terrific information and for sharing or experiences, it helped me a lot and now these chairs have a new life !
Hello! We are deciding on what fabric to choose for the Kensington Sofa. We love the feel and look of the Belgium linen but worry since it is not stain resistant. We are nervous to purchase one of the speciality fabrics without seeing or feeling how it looks on the couch, and not having the option to return if we do not like. Can the Belgium linen be scotch guarded? Any advice would be appreciated 🙂
Thank you.
It truly is – we didn’t have any issues with it at all! Our dog would lay on our asphalt sealed driveway, come in and rub up against the sofa. We had it professionally cleaned last month and it came out!
Hi Julie,
I just purchased a cloud platform King slipcovered bed in washed Belgian linen white. There are a couple of small stains. What is the best way to get the stains out? I called customer service and they recommend a professional upholstery cleaner. I’m nervous because of all of the posts that say that their fabric shrunk after washing it. Should I spot clean or put it in the washing machine? If washing machine, what detergent/washing machine settings? Should I place in the dryer after washing? For how long? What dryer settings? Thank you so much!
I would definitely spot clean first. I actually JUST had my large linen sofa cleaned professionally today and it looks great. It was only $99 for a 9′ sofa.
I would not dry it – when we washed out love seat, we hung it and then ironed.
I just purchased a second hand RH sofa with slipcover. It has a musty smell. Does anyone know of something I can use (maybe baking soda?) dry to take odor out or should I wash?
Try this first.
For worst case scenarios, such as water rings showing, I’ve successfully removed rings and stains with a light spray of hydrogen peroxide. I’ve done this on light color linen only.
Thanks for sharing, Lynne!
I have the white (natural) track arm slipcover sofa Belgian classic performance weave. I wash them every 4 months in the washer on gentle cold and put them in the dryer for 2-3 minutes then lay out over night to dry. They are tough to put back on but look beautiful when complete. I LOVE THE SOFA after 4 years!
So true! That’s a great idea, thank you!
I got a section at the outlet for m6 daughter’s room yesterday. Since it was an outlet the white cover on the cloud sofa was pretty dirty. I have washed it on delicate with Norwex . It is an excellent powder without chemicals.
Anyway ,make sure your spinning cycle is on medium. I took it out of the washer it was so white again and air dried it overnight on the rack. It had no wrinkles at all. Didn’t shrink.
So delicate, medium spinning cycle and let it dry overnight.
Help! We just got our Brushed Belgian linen cloud sofa and ottoman. Our cat urinated on the ottoman. I am beside myself. How can I safely clean it and get rid of the horrible odour? The mild soap and white cloth did not do it. I’m afraid she will do it again if I don’t get the smell out. I’m so sad. Help!
If it is slipcovered I would wash it. If not, I’d call RH or a professional cleaner for help.
I am curious if the Belgium Linen (just the standard) is soft? I am considering purchasing a sofa and would like the fabric to be soft. I’m married to a professional carpet / upholstery cleaner so I’ve got the cleaning covered 🙂
You can order fabric swatches. I wouldn’t consider it soft – maybe you’d prefer a brushed cotton?
I have an off-white linen RH couch, and the missus decided to take a nap on top of an M&M. May not melt in your hand, but it sure melts under her ass.
Anyway, I am leery of even distilled water because of whatever ring it may leave… I know a water ring is still better than a chocolate stain, but would love to avoid if possible!
You mentioned you were given advice from an RH rep on the phone – the ones I’ve spoken to were pretty clueless. Is there a specific help line that you know of?
Thanks for this post, BTW!
I am considering a RH, track arm, slipcovered sofa. We were in the store last week and I loved the ones I saw and they were very comfy.
My concern is the light color of the Belgian Linen sand. That is the look I like but want it to be low maintenance. That was the color displayed throughout the store.
I am concerned about stains and the level of wrinkling it will have over time.
It is going in a living area that we don’t use much.
I labor over decisions so keep going back and forth!!
We steam it once every couple years (the “flaps” that cover the legs”and have only washed the slipcovers once in 6 years and we use ours daily. I hope that helps!
You said you purchased “white” pieces but then said you got the “sand” color. Does the sand just look that white? I got swatches and the sand color seemed darker?
It’s very light in the Belgian Linen and I love it, but it’s not a true white. I like how it hides dirt.
HI Julie – great post! We have a Belgian linen Maxwell. We can definitely wash the slipcover, however how should we wash the actual frame? I made an appointment with a carpet & upholstery cleaning service to steam clean the entire couch. Do you think that would be ok?
I’m not sure! The slipcover should protect the frame, so I wouldn’t think it would need to be cleaned other than to vacuum the crevices.
Hi Julie – I’ve come across your site because our dry cleaner just told me that our RH linen couch covers specifically read “Do not dry clean”. And, he said that wet-cleaning will likely shrink them. So I’m curious whether you’ve done either, please? Thanks very much
I’ve washed ours – they do tighten, but with the use of a steamer they fit.
Thanks for your site. I have a 12 year old RH upholstered English Rolled Arm sofa in the Belgian Linen sand. I had the matching chair and tried to clean it with distilled water but it left water rings and I ruined it. This week we had someone spill tea on the cushions of the sofa. I just took the covers off all of the bottom cushions and pillows and washed them in cold water with All detergent. I air dried them overnight. It took my husband and I to wrestle them back on. We had to pull so tight that the wrinkles were mostly out. But I wanted to report that they look so clean! Now I am trying to figure out how to clean the 5 inch bottom vertical section where my dogs rub against. That’s why I’m on this blog. The water didn’t work. I’m afraid to use my steamer since that’s water. Suggestion: If your readers are looking to buy a new RH sofa, I recommend getting the slip cover so you can wash the whole thing in cold. We love the comfort of the down/feathers but they do poke out and you need to fluff them back up EVERY. SINGLE.TIME someone sits there. If that bothers you, don’t get the down. The English roll arms are great for laying down. If anyone finds out how I can clean the bottom part or the arms without water, I will check back for answers. Thanks everyone.
I always recommend slipcovers. You will tend to get water rings if the piece is slightly dirty to begin with, which is bound to happen eventually. For example we haven’t had water ring issues on our sofa or dining chairs, but on the ottoman which has been suseptable to a little more dirt/dust through the years.
Is your RH sofa in “sand”? I am trying to decide if I should get that color, or pay a huge up charge for another color. Whatever color you have, it looks great in your house!
It is and I love it with all my heart and soul, it’s the perfect shade and disguises dirt. Have a great weekend!
Hi Julie!
I am in the market for a sofa, and loving the Belgian Track arm sofa in Sand. I’ve been in a dilemma in choosing the down-fill cushions/standard. When I go to the stores, all of the sofas are usually down-filled, however I have read reviews of them not lasting long/needing to be fluffed all the time to keep them looking good. Just curious what you went with and if you’ve been happy with your choice of fill? Would you do it differently now? Thank you so much for your help!! I really appreciate it! 🙂
So the good news is is that you can fluff them up. It can be annoying or look grumpy at times and you’ll find feathers on the floor, but we still enjoy them and they feel full almost 6 years later. I hope that helps!
Any recommendations for cleaning out stains on a RH belgian linen tufted headboard caused by oily scalp? It’s not a slip cover. Thanks!
Sadly, no. I would call RH. Sorry I’m not more help!
Hi Julia! I had the same exact issue and ruined it by trying resolve to get it out. I actually had to buy fabric by the yard and reupholster the entire headboard. And now it’s happened again and I’m afraid to do anything. Have you had any success removing your stain?
Thanks for sharing this article. I had scratches on my lovely wooden table and straightened them just like I used walnut. Simple and it works!
Thanks, Julie. I’m going to get the steamer and will do my best to “embrace” the relaxed look of linen. 🙂
Hi Julie. As a new owner of an RH linen sofa, I’m finding your blog and this thread very informative. Is your sofa down filled or what they called their “standard” fill. While the down is very comfortable, it requires daily “fluffing” to restore its bounce and I’m finding the linen wrinkles easily. ( I know that is just the nature of linen, of course). Is it possible to use a steamer to get the wrinkles out of the sofa? If so, which one do you recommend? Thanks!
I have a Shark steamer {purchased at Target} and do steam on occasion, but I’ve also just embraced the relaxed look of linen. Our s is filled with down as well. I find the bottom of the slipcover is what curls and frustrates me the most.
What kind of a rack did you dry on?
It was so heavy I just laid it out in our laundry room as a rack wouldn’t sustain it. Good luck!
Any tips on how to get odor out of Belgian Linen slipcovers? My dog unfortunately threw up on the sofa. Is baking soda safe to use?
I would call RH, I don’t have any experience with that
Hello, I used Wollite also, washed on gentle or hand wash. I have a 9ft Belgian Linen couch and 2 chairs in the classic arm roll. I have washed them per instructions,& dried the, per instructions (bought something special for this because of the length of the couch) -mine shrunk also by several inches all over including length of the skirt. Couch cushion shrunk by several inches in length so much so that it is visible, pipping doesn’t line up correctly, the back of the chair has to be stretched to fit the width and pulled to fit the arms. – so much so I’m afraid I’m going to rip it, skirt corners aren’t tied together anymore because of stretching them to get them to fit. I have tried steaming it, but not least effective and it shouldn’t take two hours of streaming & stretching to get them to fit. Seems better to put them on slightly damp, but i still have issues listed above. This fabric should be preshrunk, period. In my opinion, if this shrinkage is a bad fabric lot, it should be replaced at no charge. I’m sure that won’t happen as they can’t guarantee how it was washed, but the amount of shrinkage is ridiculious! If I had known, I would have made a different purchase as clearly these can’t be washed. In regards to dry cleaning, the tags w/ instructions for washing say do not dry clean. I even called RH before I washed them making sure is was doing it correctly. I just got short, shrunk slipcovers.
Hi Julie!
Did you use detergent when machine washing yours? We just paid to have our couches professionally cleaned 6 months ago and they’re already so dirty. I’m so nervous to wash them, but I’m really hoping your recommendation to machine wash on cold works! My husband and I just can’t decide whether or not to use detergent!
Let me know what you think!!
I used Woolite! It was time consuming to air dry and iron, but worth it!
Julie, did not see anything specific on the RH website for cleaning their white linen Belgium curtains.. Thoughts?
You can dry clean them – I just took a peek at the tag on mine. I should really do the same!
How to clean white linen curtains? Belgium…
Those can be dry cleaned!
JUST got my 2 belgium slope arm linen slipcovers back from the cleaners..avoided this major clean like the plague, but since we were leaving town – I thought it could be a good idea… THEY SHRUNK BY 4 INCHES!!! I am not sure what the heck went wrong..but I am sick right now thinking I am now going to need to get 2 replacement slipcovers aka $3000++.
What the heck! Restoration Hardware….it is slipcovered because we need to remove it!! I get slipcovers bc I have dogs and kids and life!!! Unbelievable!!
Yikes! I’m assuming steaming doesn’t help compensate for that much. We washed and ironed ours and had to steam to get them to fit right.
I purchased mine in Belgian Linen for the same reason – dogs, life etc. I washed mine as they became dirty beyond spot cleaning. I called RH before I did this, they said not to dry clean them ( because I thought about that). So I followed the instructions on the inside of the slipcovers. I washed them, gentle cycle or hand wash can’t remember. Laid them to dry. ( bought special wrack for this as my couch is 9ft and I have two chairs) I had to stretch the fabric to get it to fit as mine shrunk also several inches all over. It was all I could do to get them back on and every time since when I’ve needed to clean them. I too tried steaming them to get them to stretch back out, not always helpful. Have tried putting them back on slightly damp, but still requires a lot of pulling ~ so much so I’m concerned I’m going to rip it. Corners don’t line up correctly, can’t get it to fit the back of the chair to pull it down, pipping doesn’t line up correctly, corner stitches holding the skirt corners have come off and aren’t approximated like it was when purchased, sofa cushion is short on the sides leaving inches of gap space that wasn’t there when purchased. I thought these slip overs should have been preshrunk fabric. Was considering calling about it. I’ve had mine for ~ 5 years. Still shrinks every time I wash it. Didn’t spend a lot of $ on furniture for the covers to shrink like that. In my opinion, if it is a bad batch of fabric or an error (fabric wasn’t preshrunk) covers should be replaced at no charge because obviously you cannot wash them – and expect them to fit. If I had known, would have made a different purchase.
Unfortunately linen is challenging because you can’t preshrink it. By nature it changes with washing. What did you use to wash it with?
Oh this terrifies me! Dogs and kids here too! Everything was easy with this fabric until 6 months ago. Now what to! 9′ couch and 2 huge chairs???? The bottom cushion on the couch is Huge!!! Not sure how we could get a cover back on. Dry cleaning shrunk the linen?!
That is EXACTLY what happened to me. So frustrating!
Wondering if RH helped with your situation S I am faced with the same right now and feeling so sad and frustrated!
Julie: our Restor Hardware sofas are a yellow linen/cotton, tightly stapled around the frames. Our darling dwarf rabbit just peed on one (!), and I’m afraid water or vinegar will destroy it/make it much worse. I called Ethan Allen furniture store, and their cleaning book recommends dry-cleaning-type solvents, so I looked online & found Blue Coral upholstery cleaner (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009IR0PQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER), which gets great reviews for this kind of thing. What do you think of it for this kind of job?
Thank you for such timely posting!
I would use what they recommend if it’s their furniture. No one will know their fabric better. There are really great dry cleaning solvents available, I just haven’t personally used them.
Love the idea of getting the cloud in white.. wondering if daily use (from jeans, feet on couch, etc) is noticeable against the material? Doesn’t need to be flawless at all times (what’s the fun in that!?), but in between dry-cleaning the slipcovers, just curious on how noticeable “daily use” is on the covers. Thanks!
We have a lot of indigo denim and haven’t had much of an issue. The sand linen hides everyday “dirt” pretty well.
Has anyone actually washed the Restoration Hardware Belgian linen slipcovers yet. I have a 9 ft sofa I want to wash but want to know if it is going to shrink. Can anyone tell me if they have washed them and how they turned out.
I did and it worked perfect, it just required ironing and steaming for it to fit correctly.
On a 9′ sofa?! Ours needs total cleaning. After 3 years the protection has worn off on the couch and two huge chairs as well. So scared of washing. Did you use cold with detergent? Is dry cleaning safer? Our cleaners says dry cleaning for grease, coldcwask for everything else.
Sorry. Have to add: We have Belgian linen in sand.
I just bought a very gently used couch and love seat in the sand washed linen. I was scared to wash all the covers but figured the worst thing that could happen was nothing. I used a small amount a laundry soap in a bucket and saturated the stains with a soft face cloth. I only rubbed slightly but again, made sure stains were saturated. I took off all the pillow covers and did them in a load together. I have a soak option so I added 2 tide pods, deep water fill and soaked them for 20 minutes. I then added another tide pod and washed on cold and hand wash cycle. I removed, flattened out wrinkles with my hands and laid to dry on my laundry rack. I did the same process with the cushion covers and actual slip covers on couch. I put cushion covers on when they were almost dry but did put couch covers on right after I took them out of wash. Those were the hardest to get on and straight. It took some time and I would work on it, smooth them out then let them dry and do it again. I am soooo happy I washed them. Almost all the stains came out, they smell amazing and for less than 800 for both I got one heck of a deal. I will probably wash them every year or so just to keep them clean and smelling fresh. I hope this helps someone.
Hi Lauren. I came across your post when doing a search for washing RH linen slipcovers. I also purchased my RH sofas secondhand. I have washed all the cushion covers in cold water successfully but I am really scared to wash the frame covers because of anticipated shrinkage. I know that I can probably fit them back on the frames while they are still wet but I’m worried about the length being too short. How did you keep the length from shortening after washing? Did you weight it somehow? Your comment was very helpful to me and is giving me courage! My sofas will really look brand new if I can wash the frame covers. Thank you!!
I used Woolite and steamed to loosen the fabric
Currently I am deliberating on a RH sofa purchase, English Rolled Arm or Track Arm. Our living room is rather small so I’m leaning toward the slipcovered classic size track arm, a 7′ sofa and two matching chairs. I have not yet decided on the fabric, however, I’m definitely going with a linen. From my understanding linen is a fabric that literally will last for generations. Several of the comments I have read mention that the Perennial fabric pills. I am not surprised since it is an acrylic I believe… I never purchase synthetic fabrics specifically for this reason…
It has been informative reading your blog and all the comments.
Thank you, Kathy
No problem, Kathy! I absolutely love how our linen sofas are wearing. I’m glad this post helped.
Hello, I am planning on ordering the slope arm in Belgian linen and side chair too. I saw so many negative reviews for RH online that I started to get nervous….it sounds like you are very happy with their quality?
I absolutely love the quality – honestly, I think there are very few sofas and chairs that can compete with the quality.
I have a grease stain from food on my gray belgian linen counter stool. Do you have any tips on how to get rid of it? Mild soap and water are not working.
I’m assuming it’s not a slipcover? I’d call RH. Soap and water is always my go to for grease.
I accidentally used Shout to clean a spot off my linen sofa and the spot is now much larger and a different shade. The sofa used to be cream and the spot is now more of a tan color. I unzipped the cushion and applied water upon water and feel like the Shout and the stain had only spread. Any suggestions?
Yikes! I’d call Restoration Hardware, but most of their slipcovers can be washed or dry-cleaned and hopefully that will remedy it or at least minimize it.
I have had my sofa for 6 years now and feel the bottom seating cushion needs to be washed. (mine is a slipcover) you did mention washing it in cold water but have you actually washed it yet?
No, but it’s on my agenda for this month!
So glad to find this post because my slip covered Belgian linen sand sofas are looking pretty rough (especially the arms!) – wondering if you cleaned yours last month as planned;)
I keep putting it off. Maybe tomorrow?
I don’t think my comment went through. I have been slipcovering my couch for years in white linen. Anyone have feedback on the washed Belgian Linen by the yard from RH? We wash ours regularly…like 3-4 times per year.
We are about to purchase cloud white Belgian linen furniture from RH and thinking about the belgian washed linen as it’s less expensive. Anyone know the difference, and is the Belgian Linen worth the significant difference in price over the Washed Belgian Linen?
Hi, would you recommend using Resolve upholstery cleaner?
I’d be too nervous, personally. It works great on their cotton fabrics, though.
Super helpful, thanks!
Great post, thanks! I also have Belgium Linen in Sand for seat cushions on my dining chairs. I was considering scotchgarding them for added protection, but maybe that is unnecessary? Has anyone had any experience with scotchgarding?
I wouldn’t, personally.
I did scotch guard mine cloud linen today and it’s fine! Bought scotch guard from Home Depot.
Hi Julie, I love the brass lantern in your dining room! I have been looking for such a lantern with no luck. Would you know who the manufacturer is of this gorgeous lantern ? Thanks so much, Barbara
Thanks, Barbara, you can find it here.
Hi Julie,
Have you ever Scotch Guarded the fabric when you first bought it? I just bought Belgian Linen Sand Louis chairs, and I am thinking of Scotch Guarding them. Any thoughts?
No, because they come protected
Any tips on de-linting the Belgian perennial fabric??
I wish! I’m not familiar with that fabric, sorry!
We purchased two sofas in Belgium linen ‘sand’. One is slipcovered and one is not. We thought it would be a good idea to protect the fabric with some kind of commercial fabric protector. Customer service did not offer any guidance in this matter nor did they mention that the Belgium linen had a protectant. I was surprised to read this in your blog. I’m still nervous about staining but this gave me some piece of mind
I have been incredibly impressed with how easily stains wipe off {when fresh}. I hope you enjoy yours as well.
This works great!! Just bought the cloud in white from the outlet and it had a few marks on it. I tried your tips on the back first and I cannot believe how well they work! I vacuumed first then used distilled water mixed with a tiny bit of tide free and applied with a white microfiber towel. I cannot believe how well it worked, even the dark spots on the back corner came out! Now I am much happier knowing it’s easy to clean, especially with two couch loving dogs. Thank you!!
Yay, Christine! I’m so happy to hear it. Enjoy your beautiful new piece!
Hi Julie –
HELP!! I had a guest over and they accidently dropped a few small pieces of chocolate on mu white linen dining room table chairs. Unfortunately, I didn’t read up on how to clean it so after about an hour once they left I picked the access chocolate off the seat, put cold water on it (which seemed to start lifting) and rubbed (mistake!), it started spreading the spot from two tiny chocolate spots to big puddle like circles. I put baking soda and water mixture on them left them to dry overnight and then rubbed it off with a soft towel. Unfortunately the chocolate little stains are still there and now I am left with a puddle like circles too. Any advice how to move from here?
Are they slipcovered by chance?
They’re not. Just regular linen dining room chairs.
Hmmmm…I think your best bet would likely be to use something on the entire chair so that it doesn’t leave a mark.
Almost like hosing it off?
Can I or should I use any type of soap, detergent? Or just distilled water and a clothe?
I just found this blog and we are in the same situation as you with the ‘puddle’ like spot on the arm of our linen couch after trying to clean up a little spot. I asked our carpet cleaning guy if they could help and they said, no..you simply should not get your linen couches wet and there is nothing we can do about the ‘puddle’ spot. It looks horrible. I’m going to keep searching and try and find an answer to help our could look new again.
Is it slipcovered?
any news on how to get the puddle out??
Great tips on how to clean linen upholstery, thanks for sharing!
Do you know any good steamer for wrinkles?i tried many in bath bed and beyond and none of them worked
I just have a handheld steamer. It’s not perfect, but it does the job. The key is to let it heat up well first and keep it filled with plenty of water, but not too high or it doesn’t work. http://m.target.com/p/shark-press-refresh-fabric-steamer/-/A-13037114
Hi.. I have two of your fabric chairs that I bought to go in the same room as my Maxwell leather sofa. They are at a point where the children have won the battle with their sticky little hands. Of course I had to have the Belgian Linen in the color “sand.” What would you recommend for best cleaning results between cold wash in machine or dry cleaning. They are both beyond spot cleaning.
Thanks so much 🙂
I have yet to do either, but they recommend doing either. The representatives have always been kind when I’ve called with questions. If you’re hesitant about doing one or another, give them a call and see if they sway you one direction or another. Personally, I plan to dry clean ours because I dread ironing.
Hi Julie 🙂
Can you tell me how you hung the silver trays on your wall? I think that is simply beautiful! Thanks..another Julie 😉
Of course! You can find all of the details here.
Hey Julie, hope you are enjoying the new year. I am always a fan of white and bright colors generally but I must admit that I was afraid of choosing white, so we went with a light grey for our furniture. It’s really nice to see how you are dealing with the cleaning. Like Nicky above, I also use some oil in cleaning. Thanks a lot for the share, I enjoyed the post.
Amy
Sometimes we can put a bit essential oil into the cleaning solution so our linen will have a pleasant smell. Thanks for sharing!