Is mashed fruitcake mingling with the roses on your floral-print sofa? Red wine polka-dotting your beige tweed chair? If you’re tackling a post-holiday cleanup of upholstered furniture, try these tips:

• Follow any cleaning code. If present, it’s usually under the furniture or a cushion. The usual letters:

W is for Water. Spot-clean with a teaspoon of clear or white liquid dishdetergent in a cup of water or with a water-based upholstery cleaner.

S is for Solvent. Spot-clean with a dry-cleaning-type, solvent-based product, in a ventilated area.

W/S is for Water or Solvent. Spot-clean with either type of product.

X means Watch Out. Don’t clean with either water- or solvent-based products. Instead, vacuum or brush, in one direction.

• Many cleaning products include new bleaches, detergents, or solvents that could affect fabric, so be sure to test on a hidden area.

• Don’t remove cushion covers to launder them, which can distort the fabric; and don’t send them out for dry cleaning, which can change their color or finish or distort the fabric.

• Don’t overwet fabric or stuffing.

• Try to keep liquid cleaners away from piping. Its core can be of raw cotton or even paper, which can release a brown stain when wet.

• Before paying extra for a stain-resistant finish, make sure one hasn’t been applied already. (If a fabric is finished, a drop of water should bead on its surface.)

• Read the warranty. It may be void if you apply a stain-resistant finish yourself.

• After cleaning, remove as much moisture as possible, but don’t rub or press hard on moist fabric. To speed drying, set up a fan or open a window near the furniture.