Tips for Longer Lasting Sofas
Everybody loves a brand new sofa, the look and feel of a new sofa is amazing, but how can we maintain that look and feel for longer?
There are many things that you can do to increase the life of a brand new sofa although after time you may be subjected to some kind of mishap, usually accidents are unavoidable in busy households especially with children and pets. But, to get the most of your new sofa and to prolong its life follow some of these helpful tips and you should at least get your money’s worth out of your new purchase.
Cover and protect is always a winner!
The best way to protect your new sofa is to cover it up, many people will use a throw-over to protect their sofas because it is so much easier to remove a throw and wash it than it is to clean the actual sofa itself.
The only downfall is that you may not want to cover up a brand new sofa because the one you purchased was specifically chosen to match a room decor perhaps? If so, then it may be a good idea to cover it up for general day to day usage and to remove it when a guest arrives.
Opt for a sofa that is going to be practical in your home, there is no use buying a cream coloured fabric sofa when you have a toddler who may get sticky finger marks on it, or opting for a fabric that attracts hairs and bits when there is a dog at home. Think practical before you buy and it will more than likely last longer.
Add life to old and grubby sofas!
After time no matter what effort we make, sofas are bound to be in need of some much needed TLC and if your sofa has seen better days right now and you cannot afford a replacement, then trying a bit of self DIY may be your best option.
You could opt to hire a professional upholstery cleaner to give your sofa a spruce up, this may be a little pricey however it won’t cost anywhere near the amount of the cost of a brand new one, so there are considerable savings to made here.
A steam cleaner is ideal for sofa cleaning, it uses hot steam to lift even the hardest to remove areas of dirt and best of all the sofa dries out incredibly fast due to moisture evaporation.
Steam cleaners may be a little pricey however they are multipurpose and can be used for many areas around the home; they do not require a detergent so once you have made that initial investment the savings which can be made afterwards make it extremely worthwhile.
As many people know removing cushion covers from sofa and then trying to get them back on, is always a tricky task to do, Steam cleaners eliminates the need to remove any of the cushion covers at all, bonus.
Quick Fixes
For a quick fix there are things that you can try at home, if only a small area of the sofa is in need of attention then only focus on that area, do not try to clean the whole thing.
Use a sofa shampoo or washing powder and water to work into the stain and to try and lift it, rinse away excess residue and blot away moisture, never sit on a damp sofa as it’s more vulnerable to staining and attracting dirt so allow adequate drying time and if all else fails, invest in a new fancy throw to be used as a temporary fix until you can afford professional help or a replacement sofa.
