We all love our sofas. They are a very integrated part of our home life and the key furniture piece in our living rooms. Beside the fact that they help anchor the room and enhance its appearance, they also provide comfortable seating. Either you and your family have a movie night, or you are entertaining a group of friends, your couch is the most used item in the entire house. Which is why is prone to get dirty relatively easily. With children or pets running around, you spilling a bit of coffee or some wine, your upholstery will look grubby in no time.
Follow our advice on how to take care of your sofa and you will enjoy the good look of your favourite piece of furniture for longer.
- Make an informed decision– since a sofa is such an important item for your home, it makes totally sense to take some time and do a bit of research before going shopping. One very important thing to consider is your own lifestyle. Do you have children or pets, do you entertain a lot, are you looking for a bold and colourful piece, or for a more traditional one that’s going to perfectly integrate with the décor? All very important questions that you need to answer before making a decision. Choosing the right fabric for your home, will help you make the most of your investment.
For example, fabric sofas are well known for their cosiness and versatility, while leather ones for their durability and luxurious vibe. Synthetic fabrics work better in heavy usage areas, and for houses with pets, heavily textured sofas or sofas with loose weaves are definitely a NO.
- Stain guard- fabric protection deflects dirt, providing a protective shield around your upholstery and carpets. This defensive layer keeps spills from absorbing into the material. Basically, you will have time to grab a towel and blot up a stain before it soaks in. Stain guard will prevent the sun fade on your sofas and carpets, which means they will last longer. If you apply the incorrect type of protectant for your fibre type or too much of it, it could make your couch sticky. Better get a professional carpet cleaning company to do it for you.
- Keep it away from direct sunlight- this is one of the easiest and most effective methods to protect your upholstery, no matter what material are made of. The UV rays in the sunlight can break down many of the chemicals that exist in the furniture as well as causing permanent discoloration and fading of wood. What you could do, is to organize the room to accommodate natural light and use hanging curtains and draperies, blinds or shutters. Window films are also a great option. High-quality solar window films can reflect up to 99.9 percent of the sun’s UV rays and they will not restrict your view.
- Loose cushions- using loose cushions as opposed to fix ones, allows you to plum, turn and rotate them regularly. By doing this weekly, you make sure thatthe foam and fibres are allowed to recover, and they wear evenly. Another advantage of loose cushions is that you can use slip covers. This is a very popular way of making your sofa child and pet friendly, and giving you the opportunity to try a new colour or style every time you feel like doing so. It also slows down wear and tear and tends to make the sofas look newer.
- Vacuum- remove the dirt and dust from your sofas and armchairs, by vacuuming them at least once per week. Make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies using the upholstery attachments on your hoover. This is one of the most important steps in keeping your furniture clean and increase its durability.
- Use a lint roller- in house with pets, lint rollers are your best friends. They will help you remove any loose hairs or debris stuck on your sofa, giving it a cleaner feel and appearance. Lint rollers are extremely helpful on white or light coloured furniture, as stray hairs tend to be more visible on it.
- Use professional services- over time, all the dirt, dust and allergens get embedded within the fibres of your upholstery making it look grubby and being a major contributor to poor indoor quality air. While vacuuming is a great way to maintain your sofas, it won’t remove the built up of dirt as domestic hoovers are not strong enough. Having your furniture professionally cleaned at least once per year, will not only preserve its good look, but it will also keep it sanitized. Choose a professional cleaning company that has great reviews, and uses the water extraction method, such as Happy Clean. Happy Clean is the best rated carpet and upholstery cleaner in Dublin.
- Condition leather furniture- the same as the fabric sofas, leather ones require professional cleaning every year. More than that, if you want to keep your sofa supple and soft, a good quality leather conditioning should be applied even more often than once per year. There are few options on the market, however it’s best to consult with a professional leather cleaner, to make sure you’re not doing more harm than good.
Other tips and tricks:
- Consider using arm caps or throws on head rest.
- Avoid sitting on the arms or the edges of the cushions.
- Keep changing your spot for evenly wear of the fabric.
- Use a scissor to cut a snag on your sofa. NEVER PULL THEM!