Cleaning upholstery can change greatly based on the fabric. Before you clean make sure you check the manufacturer's cleaning instructions. Typically, a tag on the furniture piece will tell you if and how it should be cleaned. Look for these 4 letters as a reference:
W – You can clean this material using water
S - No water should be used to clean this piece, instead you will need a special solvent based cleaner
WS – you can use water or a solvent based cleaner on this furniture.
X – Should be dry vacuumed only