An ottoman is three pieces of furniture at once — footrest, coffee table with a tray, and the seat guests get when the sofa is full. It collects accordingly: shoe and sock grit, drink rings from the tray, pizza, and the occasional pet who has claimed it. It is also the piece people clean last. Here is how to do it by material.
Fabric ottomans
- Vacuum the top and the sides — the sides collect kicked dust at sofa-foot level.
- Check the code under the base (W / S / X) — same rules as any upholstery.
- Dish soap foam across the whole top panel for W-code; rubbing alcohol dabbing for S-code spots.
- Blot, dry with airflow. Storage ottomans: open the lid to let the inside air out too.
The top gets the most abuse (feet, trays), so clean the full top every time and the sides as needed — otherwise the top ends up two shades lighter.
Leather ottomans
Shoe soles and socks leave grit that abrades the finish; drink rings from the tray leave water marks. Dry-dust weekly, pH-neutral leather cleaner monthly, conditioner twice a year. Never dish soap or alcohol on leather — see leather cleaning and why leather cracks.
Woven and knitted poufs
Cotton and jute poufs are often spot-clean only: minimal water, dish soap foam, blot. Jute browns when wet — keep moisture almost nil and dry fast. Many knitted poufs have a removable cover; wash cold and reshape while damp.
Tray marks and food
Rings under a tray are usually sugar from drinks — tacky, dust-attracting. Foam clean the whole top. Grease from food needs cornstarch first, then degreasing foam — see grease stains.
Professional cleaning
An ottoman is a 15-minute add-on to a sofa visit and almost never worth a separate trip — bundle it with the sofa or chairs. It gets the same extraction and dries in 1–2 hours.
Ottoman FAQ
The dog sleeps on the ottoman and it smells. Same fix as the sofa?
Yes — enzyme treatment plus extraction; see pet odor removal. Storage ottomans: check the inside for odor too.
Can a storage ottoman be cleaned with things inside?
Empty it — moisture and the contents do not mix, and the lid underside needs vacuuming.
My ottoman top is faded compared to the sides. Cleaning or sun?
If the “fade” is lighter where feet go — that is wear and dust, and cleaning evens it. If the whole top is uniformly paler than the sides — that is UV, and cleaning will not darken it back.
