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.

A restoration hardware linen sofa with stacked baskets as side tables
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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.

A dining room with a farm table and Restoration Hardware linen chairs.

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!

A farm table with white linen chairs and a christmas centerpiece

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.

A living room with deconstructed Restoration Hardware linen chairs and a floral rug.

How to Clean Linen Furniture

  1. Vacuum. It keeps dust particles out of the fabric, making it appear brighter.
  2. Soak up the stain with a white cloth by blotting (don’t rub).
  3. Spot clean with distilled water and a white cloth.
  4. Use a mild soap, distilled water and a white cloth. (I was told this over the phone from one of the RH representatives.)
  5. Last Resort – Dry cleaning any linen slipcovers that can be removed.
  6. 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.

A restoration hardware linen sofa with stacked baskets as side tables

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

How do you spot clean linen?

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.

Is linen a durable fabric for a sofa?

Surprisingly, yes! While this fabric has a delicate look, it holds up beautifully to daily wear and tear.

How do you get stains out of linen furniture?

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!

A dark dining table with Restoration Hardware Belgian linen dining chairs.

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

If you have Restoration Hardware linen furniture, I’d love for you to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

You can find even more decor, high end dupes and furnishings inspiration in our Facebook group, Simple Steals!

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165 Comments

  1. 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?

  2. 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

    1. I have been incredibly impressed with how easily stains wipe off {when fresh}. I hope you enjoy yours as well.

  3. 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!!

      1. 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?

        1. Hmmmm…I think your best bet would likely be to use something on the entire chair so that it doesn’t leave a mark.

        2. Can I or should I use any type of soap, detergent? Or just distilled water and a clothe?

        3. 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.