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Whenever you are buying anything new, you might be caught up in wishful thinking of keeping that thing in mint condition forever. As unattainable as it seems, your inner self has a point, since mankind has come up with various ways of prolonging the usability of items. Take your cell phones, for instance.
These are typically purchased with phone cases to keep them looking fresh. In other instances, we use phone covers to hide random dents, scratches, and anything that could happen to your phone throughout its life cycle. Seems weird, but the same logic is rarely applied when buying furniture.
We eagerly buy costly sofas and armchairs without even bothering to take at least some measures to protect them. Loveseat covers and all sorts of sofa throws are perfect to tackle the problem of accidental spills, stains, and pet fur. Let's take a closer look at some budget-friendly ways to keep your sofa looking crisp without doing or paying much.
In This Post:
1. Follow the Care Instructions
Reading the care label is one of the basic rules you cannot overlook when pursuing a clean and fresh-looking coach. Care instructions should be followed as they are designed specifically for your sofa to help you with its long-term maintenance.
You might be happy to own a new sofa now, but to prevent its deterioration in the long run, you are bound to familiarize yourself with proper care tips. In case you purchased a sofa without a care label, contact your vendor for any additional information on how to take care of the sofa upholstery.
2. Keep It Out of the Sun
This is specifically true for summertime or if you live in warmer climates with way longer solar days than average. All types of upholstery, both of pastel and juicy hues are prone to fading over time, especially when your sofa is regularly exposed to direct sun rays. Make sure you keep your couch out of the sun or far from windows at least.
If it’s technically impossible due to your current design, show some consistency and regularly rotate your sofa to lessen the upholstery fading or, even worse, cracking in case you own a leather couch. In the worst-case scenario, simply purchase a window film to disperse intense sun rays and mitigate their harmful impact on your sofa upholstery.
3. Rotate Cushions
People are creatures of habit that’s why many of us are prone to choose the same spots on our sofas or chairs every single day. This might be detrimental to your sofa in the long run as the most used spots on cushions tend to lose their shape. Nobody wants a lumpy couch.
To prevent the deterioration of cushions in certain places, rotate your cushions from time to time. Another way to slow down the signs of aging in your couch is to vacuum it at least on a weekly basis. This is how you make sure your cushions are always clean and still hold their shape.
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4. Clean It Often
Sounds hectic, though regular cleaning is still a way out to keep your sofa off the dust, food spillage, body oils, pet fur, or anything that would require expensive reupholstering later on. You may get down to vacuuming, utilizing household upholstery cleaning machines, or mild upholstery cleaning solutions.
Vacuuming is great for preventing stray crumbs from getting into the fabric, while upholstery sprays remove many stubborn stains. If you are really worried about ruining your couch with unknown cleaning solutions, make use of old-fashioned upholstery brushing. Stiff brushes or white hand towels will perfectly do the job.
5. Get a Slipcover
If you are skeptical about your cleaning skills, placing covers or blankets over your furniture is another great way to protect it from stains. Slipcovers are particularly designed to handle food stains, сlaws, and all sorts of wear and tear that do not fit into your current budget. If you have a pet, training them to only sit on the couch while there’s a slipcover not only establishes healthy boundaries for them but protects your sofa as well. Another advantage of sofa slipcovers is easy cleaning.
Benefit from the variety of slipcover options available online. Some of them can be vacuumed, cleaned with a lint roller and machine washed. Give preference to slipcovers with water-repellent properties, These are more likely to serve you in the long run.
Any slipcover can also give a second life to your old furniture visually. This is how you can lull your visitors into thinking you got yourself a new sofa! Finally, if you’ve been thinking lately of a little makeover, a slipcover of a juicy contrasting color will add up that fresh touch to any boring room.
Well, it seems like you’re all set! Following these easy tips rest assured your sofa will look new for years to come without paying top dollar for dry cleaning or reupholstering. A big change is coming — let your sofa know in advance!