East Hampton properties spend more of the year empty than occupied, and that single fact drives almost everything about the upholstery in them. The furniture isn't worn out from use — it's damaged by what happens during the season and then left to set over eight months of closure.
Sunscreen, salt and the eight-month winter
Outdoor cushions here are frequently the most valuable fabric on the property, and the most consistently ruined. The mechanism is sunscreen: oils and titanium dioxide transfer from skin into fiber, then oxidise. On the white and cream cushions that dominate East End decks, that oxidation reads as yellowing.
What makes it permanent is time. Cleaned in September, it lifts. Left under a cover from October to May, it has had eight months to bond, and full recovery becomes far less likely. We say this to every seasonal owner we work for: the autumn clean matters more than the spring one, and if you only budget for one, do it before you close the house.
Salt compounds it. East Hampton furniture, indoors and out, sits in air carrying salt that draws moisture from the atmosphere and holds it in fabric. Cushions stay slightly damp, odor develops faster, and natural fibers stiffen over time.
Our prices in East Hampton
| Sofa — 3-seat | $125 |
| Loveseat | $99 |
| Sectional — 2 to 3 sections | $150 |
| Sectional — 4 or more sections | $220 |
| Dining chair | $20 each |
| Recliner | $65 |
| Ottoman | $40 |
| Mattress — any size | $99 |
| Headboard | $99 |
| Pet stain & odor treatment | +$50 |
| Fabric protector | +$65 |
Identical prices in East Hampton to every other town on Long Island. No travel charge, no surcharges. $99 minimum per visit — build your exact total above and take 10% off.
Mildew, honestly explained
Every outdoor fabric manufacturer says their product is mildew-resistant, and they're telling the truth — mildew doesn't eat acrylic fiber. What it eats is everything sitting on the fabric: pollen, skin oil, sunscreen, food, and general organic debris.
So a clean cushion genuinely resists mildew and a soiled one genuinely doesn't, regardless of what the label promises. That's why sets stored dirty come out spotted in spring while sets stored clean come out fine. And it's why never pressure wash is the most important advice we give out here: it drives water into foam that then takes days to dry, growing mildew inside a cushion that looks perfectly clean on the surface.
Opening the house
Indoor furniture in a closed East Hampton house absorbs moisture across the winter. The result is the musty smell that appears the moment the heating goes on, and it comes from moisture plus ordinary settled soil in the cushion foam rather than from anything dramatic.
A clean in April or May means the house is usable from the first weekend. It also removes the winter dust load, which on a house shut since October is considerable.
Rentals, and what guests notice
Upholstery is disproportionately what guests photograph and mention. A tired sofa or a stained outdoor cushion affects reviews more than most owners expect, and rental use is harder on furniture than family use — heavier sunscreen, more people, and nobody bringing cushions in when it rains.
We work to changeover deadlines and can handle the property in your absence. Poolside sets are worth doing twice a season, because chlorine and salt-system splash leaves residue that attracts soil and slowly degrades fabric finish.
Interiors out here
Linen dominates East Hampton interiors, and it's among the least forgiving fabrics we handle — it watermarks and browns readily if over-wetted, so it needs low moisture and careful feathering at the edges of any treated area. Performance velvet, bouclé and aniline leather all turn up regularly too, and each needs identifying before anything touches it. Price is the same for all of them.
What the work actually looks like
Real jobs photographed on Long Island — not stock images. This is the hand tool, the technique and the standard of finish you get in East Hampton.
How we work, on every piece
We find the manufacturer's tag and read the cleaning code — W, S, WS and X each demand a different method, and guessing is how furniture gets ruined. Dry soil comes out first with a crevice tool through every seam, because adding moisture to dry grit makes mud. Then an organic pre-conditioner with real dwell time, gentle agitation with a soft horsehair brush, and hot-water extraction with an upholstery hand tool rather than a carpet wand.
Fabric changes the method but never the price. Velvet, bouclé, microfiber, leather, linen and wool are all priced by the piece — our fabric guide covers what each needs.
Booking in East Hampton
Build the whole job in the calculator above — interior and deck together — and take 10% off the total. Scheduling can run an extra day in peak summer, but the price is identical to anywhere else on Long Island and we work the East End year-round.
Nearby towns we also serve
See every town in Suffolk County, the full A–Z list, or our complete price list.
Get it booked today
Same-day and next-day appointments are usually available across Nassau and Suffolk. Build your price above — 10% comes off automatically — and we will call to confirm.
Questions Long Island homeowners ask
When is the best time to clean outdoor furniture in East Hampton?
Before you close the house — September or October. Sunscreen cleaned off in autumn lifts; left under a cover from October to May it has eight months to bond and oxidise, and full recovery becomes far less likely. If you only budget for one clean a year, make it the autumn one.
Is Sunbrella really mildew-proof?
Mildew-resistant, and the claim is honest — mildew does not eat acrylic fiber. It eats what is sitting on the fabric: pollen, skin oil, sunscreen and organic debris. So a clean cushion resists mildew and a soiled one does not, whatever the label says. That is why sets stored dirty come out spotted.
Why does the house smell musty when we open it?
Furniture in an unheated, unventilated house absorbs moisture across the winter, and that shows up as a musty smell as soon as the heat goes on. It is moisture plus ordinary settled soil in the cushion foam, and extraction removes both in one visit.
Can you clean the property while we're not there?
Yes. We work to changeover deadlines and handle seasonal properties in the owner's absence regularly.
How much does it cost out here?
Exactly what it costs anywhere else on Long Island — a three-seat sofa $125, a sectional $150 or $220 by size, chairs $20 each and mattresses $99. There is no travel charge and no East End surcharge.
Can you clean linen upholstery?
Yes, carefully. Linen watermarks and browns readily if over-wetted, so it needs low moisture and careful feathering at the edges of any treated area. It is among the least forgiving fabrics we handle, and it costs no more than any other.