as soon as it happens to keep it from spreading and setting into the fabric. When you get ready to do the actual upholstery cleaning you need to know just what type of cleaner you should use, which depends on two things.  The first thing is the type of spill and the second thing is the type of fabric.  To find out just what type of cleaner you should use check the tag that is usually attached to the furniture.  If it an older piece of upholstered furniture you should have it cleaned by a professional.  If you do not have the furniture tag you can test the cleaner in an inconspicuous area to make sure that it color fastness and that it will not harm the material. On the furniture tags, there are different codes, which mean: W -- clean with a water based detergent S -- clean with a water free product like a solvent for dry cleaning WS -- you can use either a water based or water free cleaner but which one you use will depend on the stain. X -- this particular furniture piece has to be cleaned professionally and all the cleaning you should do is brush and vacuum it. In Conclusion For upholstery cleaning, how you clean it and what you use depends on what type of stain it is or are you just general cleaning the couch, chair, ottoman, etc, and how the fabric tag tells you to clean your upholstered furniture