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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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!
Love cleaning tips? Check out my Folex post to learn why it’s my favorite cleaning product!
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.