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!
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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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!