Sofa cleaning prices at home in Paris

Finding a straight answer on sofa cleaning prices at home is frustrating: most sites advertise a very low starting rate, then charge double once the technician is on site. Here is our full rate card, item by item, with the amount you actually pay after the French tax credit.

These rates apply across Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne and the outer ring. They cover a complete hot-water extraction clean: fabric assessment, targeted stain treatment, deep clean, and moisture extraction.

How much does sofa cleaning at home cost?

Price depends first on the number of seats, since that determines how long the machine runs. Here is the rate card applied across the Paris region, incl. VAT, with travel included within Paris.

To measure your sofa, take the total width from armrest to armrest, not the number of seat cushions: plenty of sofas sold as 3-seaters measure 240 cm and fall under the 4-seater rate.

The 4 factors that move the price

Beyond size, four things change a quote. Knowing them lets you compare two proposals honestly.

Fabric type

Polyester and microfibre are cleaned at the standard rate. Velvet, Alcantara, suede, fine linen, bouclé and leather need a specific protocol and a patch test, and carry a 20% surcharge. That is the only fabric surcharge we apply.

How old the stains are

Unlike much of the trade, we do not charge per stain. Yesterday's wine spill and a two-year-old mark cost the same. The outcome does differ: after a few months, a pigment set by heat or by the wrong product may only lift 70 to 80%. We say so beforehand, not afterwards.

Access to the property

A professional extraction machine weighs around thirty kilos. A fifth floor without a lift is charged the same, but flag it when booking so the slot is sized correctly.

Service area

Travel is free within Paris. Beyond that, a flat fee applies regardless of how many items are cleaned.

50% tax credit: what you actually pay

This is the point most comparison sites miss, and it changes the maths entirely. Upholstery cleaning carried out at a private home in France counts as a personal service, which opens entitlement to a 50% income tax credit on the amount paid — whether or not you are liable for tax.

• The work must be carried out at your home, in France — which rules out dry cleaners and off-site workshops.
• The provider must be registered as a personal services organisation. Our accreditation number is 2023-433.
• The credit covers 50% of sums actually paid, within an annual spending cap of €12,000, which can be increased depending on your household situation.
• We issue a tax certificate to enter on your income tax return. Nothing further is required from you.

Caps and conditions depend on your personal circumstances; current rules are published on impots.gouv.fr. A provider not registered for personal services cannot give you this entitlement, so their advertised price is their final price.

The delicate-fabric surcharge: when does it apply?

Six families of textile justify a specific protocol and a 20% surcharge. In every other case — cotton, polyester, microfibre, synthetic blends — the standard rate applies with no uplift.

• Velvet — brushed with the pile after extraction, otherwise the fabric keeps visible pass marks in raking light.
• Alcantara — pH-neutral products only, to preserve the suede finish that stiffens on contact with an over-alkaline detergent.
• Suede and nubuck — dry method, no wetting: standard extraction would stain them irreversibly.
• Fine linen — systematic colour test on a hidden area, since untreated linen can shrink or bleed.
• Bouclé — targeted vacuuming and reduced pressure, as the loops snag easily on a standard rotary brush.
• Leather and faux leather — pore cleaning followed by a conditioning cream; leather degreased and left unconditioned cracks within months.

Armchairs, chairs, cushions and mattresses

These are often combined with a sofa to reach the minimum call-out. Mattress rates are per side; double them for a full both-sides treatment.

At home, dry cleaner, or machine hire: the honest comparison

Three options exist for a 3-seater sofa. Compared on what you actually end up paying, they do not rank the way most people assume.

Machine hire looks cheapest until you add the products and a second hire day if the result falls short. More importantly, consumer machines extract far less moisture than professional equipment: the foam stays saturated for days, which is what causes water rings and, in the worst cases, a musty smell that cannot be undone.

Why €49 offers for a 3-seater deserve a second look

These ads exist, mostly on classified platforms. Here is what usually sits behind the price gap.

• No personal services registration. €49 stays €49, with no tax credit. The real gap against a registered €150 service is therefore not €100 but €26.
• No professional liability insurance covering your furniture. If colour bleeds or fabric is damaged, you have no recourse.
• A domestic carpet washer instead of a professional extraction machine. You see the difference at drying: 24 to 48 hours instead of 4 to 6, with a real risk of water rings.
• Bait pricing. The 'special fabric' or 'heavy staining' supplement is announced once the technician is in your home, when refusing is awkward.