How to Clean and Care for Franka Furniture, Material by Material

Warranties on upholstered furniture almost never cover improper care. Ours are no exception — the structural warranty on every sofa and chair we sell excludes general wear and tear, accidental damage and improper care. That is standard across the industry, and it means the ten minutes you spend learning how to clean a fabric is the cheapest insurance available on a piece you have just spent thousands on.

Here is everything, by material.

Two rules that apply to everything

Deal with spills immediately. Almost every upholstery failure we see is a spill that was left. The difference between a mark and a stain is usually measured in minutes.

Test any cleaning product somewhere hidden first. Under a cushion, on the back of a base. Always. This applies to every fabric in the range without exception.

The one difference that matters: dry cloth or damp cloth

This trips people up, because our own care instructions differ by fabric and the difference is deliberate.

On the textured boucle-inspired weaves — Marlo and Strata, used on Harvey, Rocco and Roy — blot with a clean dry cloth. Adding water at this stage pushes moisture deeper into the weave.
On the smoother fabrics — Rove chenille and Electra, used on Calvin — spot clean with a clean damp cloth.

And on every fabric: blot, never rub. Rubbing works the spill into the yarn and can disturb the pile.

Polypropylene — Alex, Carla, Cleo, Arlo, Theo

The easiest material in the range, and the reason these chairs suit families and venues.

Wipe the frame and seat with a soft, damp cloth as needed.
For tougher marks, use a mild detergent diluted with water.
Avoid abrasive cleaners and harsh chemicals — they will dull the matte finish.
Always dry thoroughly after cleaning.

That is genuinely the whole list. There is no fabric to protect, no finish to reseal and nothing to oil.

Marlo and Strata — the boucle-inspired weaves

Used on the Harvey Sofa and the Rocco and Roy chairs. Heavyweight textured polyester, up to 485 gsm, rated above 40,000 Martindale rubs and OEKO-TEX® certified.

Vacuum regularly and lightly with a soft upholstery attachment to lift dust out of the weave.
Blot spills immediately with a clean dry cloth. Do not rub.
For a deeper clean, spot clean gently with a mild water-based upholstery cleaner.
Rotate and plump the cushions regularly.
Keep sharp objects — and pet claws — away from the textured weave.
Avoid prolonged direct sunlight.
Use a professional upholstery cleaner for anything beyond spot cleaning.

What is not damage: some natural movement and variation in a boucle-inspired weave will appear with use. The fabric is designed to soften and relax over time. That is the character of the weave, not a fault, and it is not something to try to correct.

Rove — chenille

Used on the Calvin Sofa. A 100% polyester chenille chosen for softness, tested to above 40,000 rubs, pilling grade 3–4 at 5,000 rubs, colour fastness to light ≥4.0, tear and tensile strength above 63 N and 350 N respectively, OEKO-TEX® certified.

Vacuum regularly with a soft upholstery attachment.
Spot clean immediately with a clean damp cloth.
Avoid prolonged direct sunlight.
Test any cleaning product on an inconspicuous area first.
Professional cleaning for a deeper clean.

Chenille yarns are soft because the pile stands proud of the backing. Brush in one direction after cleaning so the pile settles evenly, rather than leaving a patch that catches the light differently.

Electra — soft-touch

Used on Calvin and on the Roy chair. A dense, tightly woven brushed polyester with a soft-touch finish, pilling grade 4.0 at 5,000 rubs, colour fastness to light ≥4.0, bursting strength above 500 kPa, OEKO-TEX® certified.

Vacuum lightly with a soft upholstery attachment.
Blot spills immediately with a clean dry cloth, then spot clean with a mild water-based upholstery cleaner if needed.
Clean spills promptly — this fabric rewards speed more than most.
Rotate and plump the cushions to hold their shape.
Avoid prolonged direct sunlight.

What is not damage: Electra will soften and shade with use. Shading — where the pile lies in different directions and reads as a lighter or darker patch — is normal in a brushed fabric and is not a defect.

Powder-coated aluminium — the Alfresco range

Estelle, Alfie, Remy, Clive, Carmen, Harper and Frankie. Aluminium does not rust, which is why this range is rated for year-round outdoor use, including coastal conditions. It is the powder coat that needs looking after, not the metal underneath.

Wash down regularly with warm water and a mild detergent, then dry.
Rinse off salt after coastal exposure — salt is abrasive as it dries.
Do not use abrasive pads or solvent-based cleaners on the powder coat.
Lift rather than drag when rearranging, to protect both the coating and your decking.
Watch for impact chips. The coating is tough against weather but not against a dropped object, or metal dragged across a seat — belt buckles, jacket zips, dog chains, keys in a back pocket.

The one that catches people out: tree sap. Sap and resin will damage a powder coat, and the damage usually shows up as staining that looks like rust breaking through — even though the aluminium underneath has not corroded at all. If your setting lives under trees, and eucalypts especially, wash it down regularly and cover it when it is not in use. Sap damage is not covered by warranty.

Living with pets

A fair question, and the honest answer differs by fabric.

The boucle-inspired weaves — Marlo and Strata — are more prone to catching on sharp cat claws, simply because there is a loop for a claw to find. Harvey and Rocco both perform well in homes with pets, but we recommend keeping claws trimmed.

Electra is the more practical choice here. Its tightly woven brushed finish is less prone to catching on claws than a heavily textured boucle. If you have a cat that uses furniture, that is the fabric to look at first.

Worth knowing: pet damage is excluded from the warranty on every upholstered piece.

Warranty at a glance

Piece	Structural	Upholstery
Harvey Sofa	10 years	1 year
Rocco Chair	10 years	1 year
Calvin Sofa	5 years	2 years
Roy Chair	5 years	1 year
Frankie Lounge Chair	12 months against manufacturing defects

All of these cover manufacturing defects under normal residential use. None cover general wear and tear, accidental damage, misuse, commercial use, pet damage or improper care.

When to call a professional

Every upholstered piece in the range specifies professional upholstery cleaning for anything deeper than spot cleaning. That is not a disclaimer — a domestic carpet machine forces far more water into a cushion than the filling is designed to release, and a damp foam core is a much bigger problem than the mark you were trying to remove.

Not sure which fabric you are living with, or want to test one before you buy? We send fabric swatches free.

Choosing between materials rather than caring for one you already own? Start with which materials actually last outdoors, or compare the six upholstery fabrics in the fabric guide.

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