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Sofa cleaning at €20 and at €90: what's the difference
You decide to clean your sofa, open a search, and see a spread you can’t make sense of. One service offers mattress cleaning for €19.90 on a coupon. Another charges €70 for the same mattress. A third writes “price on request, inspection needed.” A three- to fourfold difference for the same word in the description.
The first thing that comes to mind is that someone is overcharging. In reality it’s almost always two different services that happen to share a name. Once you understand the difference, you’ll stop comparing the incomparable and order exactly what you need.
Two technologies hiding behind the word “deep cleaning”
Dry UV treatment
The technician arrives with a powerful vacuum and an ultraviolet lamp. The vacuum lifts dust, hair and particles from the surface and the top layer of the filling. The lamp sanitises — ultraviolet really does kill dust mites, bacteria and some fungi.
No water is used at all. Hence the main advantages: the item is usable straight away, nothing needs to dry, and the risk of damaging the upholstery is minimal. And hence the main drawback: dirt already bound to the fibre stays put. A stain remains a stain. Darkening on the armrest stays too. An odour, if it’s in the filling, isn’t going anywhere.
This is a normal, honest service. It solves a specific task — a sanitary one. It just doesn’t solve the “make it look clean” task.
Typical price in Slovenia: €20–44 per item, often cheaper on coupon deals.
Wet extraction
A different technology and a different machine. The unit drives a cleaning solution deep into the fibre under pressure and, in the same instant, draws it back out together with the dissolved dirt. The dirty water goes into a separate tank — you see it, and honestly, that’s the most convincing proof the work is being done.
The sequence: dry preparation with a vacuum, a test of the agent on a hidden area, application of a formula matched to the fabric and the type of soiling, dwell time, extraction, drying. The item dries in 4–8 hours, or 2–3 with forced drying.
What it delivers: what’s visible goes. Stains, darkening, general soiling, everyday odours, pet traces. A mattress after extraction looks visibly different from the mattress before.
Typical price in Slovenia: €40–140 per item depending on size and level of service.
Why people confuse them
Because in adverts both are called “globinsko čiščenje” — deep cleaning. One word, different content. Coupon sites in Slovenia regularly sell a dry UV mattress treatment for €19.90 against a “regular price” of €44 — and that’s a fair offer if you understand what you’re buying. The problem arises when someone compares that coupon with €69 for extraction and concludes they’re being ripped off.
A simple way to check what’s on offer: ask whether water is used. If not, it’s a dry treatment. If yes, it’s extraction. Second question: how long it takes to dry. “Usable straight away” = dry. “4–8 hours” = wet.
What it actually costs: figures for the Slovenian market
Based on open price lists and aggregators for 2026. The range runs from the budget end to premium.
Mattresses (wet extraction, one side)
| Size | Budget | Mid and premium |
|---|---|---|
| 90×200 | €30 | €40–50 |
| 140–160×200 | €40–50 | €60–80 |
| 200×200 | €60 | €80–90 |
Both sides are usually charged as one plus a €15–25 surcharge, or as two with a discount.
Upholstered furniture
| Item | Budget | Mid and premium |
|---|---|---|
| Armchair | €20–35 | €50 |
| 2-seat sofa | €40–50 | €80–110 |
| 3-seat sofa | €50–60 | €90–120 |
| 5–7-seat or corner sofa | €70–90 | €110–140 |
| Chair with a padded seat | €6–17 | €20–25 |
Rugs and cars
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Rug up to 20 m² | €4.50–10 per m² |
| Carpeting over 20 m² | €3.50–7 per m² |
| Set of car seats | €50–95 |
| Full car interior | €140–170 |
| Camper | €200–220 |
The average market rate, calculated by the treated surface area, is around €21 per m², ranging from €5 to €30.
What drives the difference within one technology
Say you’ve already ruled out the dry treatment and you’re comparing two extraction offers: €50 and €99 for a three-seat sofa. What’s the extra for?
Whether travel is included. A cheap offer often turns out to be “plus transport.” Over 20–30 km that adds €10–20.
Minimum order. Many services won’t come out for a single €40 mattress. Either there’s a €60–70 minimum, or travel is added on top.
What they actually do. Extraction without prior dry vacuuming gives a noticeably worse result: dust turns to mud and gets rubbed into the fibre. That step takes time, and it’s where corners get cut.
Chemistry. Professional formulas matched to a specific fabric cost money. A cheap universal product can leave streaks or shift the colour.
Drying. Forced drying is separate equipment and separate technician time. Without it, a sofa in an unventilated room in winter can dry for a full day.
Liability. What happens if the upholstery is damaged. For some it’s spelled out, for others it’s “well, sorry.”
Price transparency. A service that names a final price up front takes on the risk of misjudging the estimate. A service that says “we’ll look on site” shifts that risk to you.
When you need which technology
Choose the dry UV treatment if: the mattress or sofa looks clean, there are no stains, no odour, and the question is about mites, allergies and sanitation. Or if you need it fast and can’t wait for drying.
Choose wet extraction if: there are stains, darkening, odour, pet traces, a tenant has moved out, the home stood empty for a long time, or you simply can’t remember the last time it was cleaned.
Choose both: extraction plus an anti-mite treatment afterwards — if there’s an allergy sufferer or a small child in the home. That’s the most common scenario for families.
How often is this actually needed
- Mattress — every year to eighteen months. With allergies, pets in the bed or a rental, more often.
- Sofa — every one to two years. If pets eat and sleep on it, once a year.
- Rug — once a year, ideally at the end of the heating season.
- A rental property — between tenants, regardless of the calendar.
What to ask before booking
Five questions that will rule out an unsuitable offer in a minute:
- Do you use water? How long does it take to dry?
- Is the price final or recalculated on site?
- Is travel included in the price? Up to what distance?
- Is there a minimum order?
- What happens if a stain doesn’t come out — will you warn me in advance or will I find out after the fact?
The last question is the most telling. An honest answer sounds roughly like: “old dye stains — wine, ink, hair dye — we don’t guarantee, and we’ll say so before we start.” A promise to “get everything out” is a reason to be wary.
How it works at DomCare
We do wet extraction with professional equipment and publish the full price list on the upholstery and mattress cleaning page — no “from” and no “on request.” You work out the cost yourself and book when you’re ready. The price includes travel within Ljubljana and 20 km around it, the cleaning agents and the work. Anti-mite treatment is a separate option, if you need it.
We also spell out what we don’t promise: old dye stains, silk, expensive velvet and antique upholstery. That’s not caution for caution’s sake — it’s a way to avoid falling out after the work.
Most often the service is booked together with cleaning — one visit, one day, one arrangement.
The simplest way to discuss it: message us through the form or on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Why does mattress cleaning cost €20 with some and €70 with others? Because these are two different technologies. For €20 you usually get a dry UV treatment: a vacuum plus an ultraviolet lamp. It sanitises but doesn’t flush out dirt or remove stains. For €70 you get wet extraction: a solution is driven deep into the fibre under pressure and drawn back out together with the dissolved dirt.
Which technology is better? It depends on the task. If the mattress looks clean and the only question is mites, a dry treatment is enough. If there are stains, odour, pet traces or it hasn’t been cleaned in a long time, you need extraction.
How much does it cost to clean a sofa in Slovenia? For wet extraction the market range is €40–140 depending on size and level of service. A two-seater: €40–50 budget, €80–110 mid-range. A three-seater: €50–60 and €90–120 respectively.
Can I clean a sofa myself with a household washing vacuum? You can, but the result will be noticeably weaker. Household units don’t have enough suction, and some of the water stays in the filling. Hence two typical problems: streaks after drying and a damp smell a few days later.
Will wet cleaning damage the upholstery? With the right technique, no. The mandatory safeguards: a test of the agent on a hidden area before the work, and a formula matched to the fabric. Silk, expensive velvet and antiques are a separate story — they aren’t cleaned “on general terms.”
What can be done about pet odour? Extraction removes most of it. If the source is deep in the filling, additional ozone treatment of the room helps. If even that doesn’t help, the honest answer is: it’s easier to replace the item than to clean it.
The spread in upholstery cleaning prices in Slovenia isn’t explained by greed but by the fact that one word covers two different services. Dry UV treatment at €20 sanitises. Wet extraction at €70–100 makes it look clean. Work out which task is yours — and the spread stops being a mystery.
Not sure what your sofa needs — message us, and we’ll advise without any pressure.
Sources and further reading
- DomCare — Upholstery & Mattress Deep Cleaning — full price list and method
- DomCare — Cleaning — regular and specialist
- When to clean your mattress: signs and timing
- Regular vs. specialist cleaning: the difference
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