You’ve just had your sofa reupholstered and it looks amazing! How do you keep it looking fresh and beautiful for years? Here’s a professional upholsterer’s guide to keeping your furniture looking great!
No Jumping on the Furniture!
Do you know why vintage furniture is still around today, after 70 years of use? In short: Better quality frames, and the fact that parents used to whoop their kids for jumping on the sofa! Don’t get me wrong – I have 3 kids, so I know. I know. If you need to use your living room as the play area for 10 years, so be it. I’ve been there. Don’t expect your upholstered furniture to look beautiful and new during those years. Jumping on sofas will wear out the foam and springs quite radically – and these are the costliest repairs to make on upholstered furniture. If you’ve just invested in a new sofa for your young family, maybe go the extra mile and also invest in a backyard trampoline.
Vacuum and Flip Cushions Regularly
Even if you don’t eat dinner while sitting on your sofa, it will somehow accumulate crumbs under the seat cushions. Popcorn, pet hair, pens, nail files, receipts, bubble gum wrappers, remotes, toys…you name it, and I’ve found it wedged in your sofa. Don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me. To keep your sofa beautiful for years, you need a maintenance routine. Every week or two, remove the cushions and vacuum the entire deck area and then use that skinny little attachment and stick it deep down into the crevices at the back and arms (Oh, that’s what that is for!). Believe me, you don’t want to know how much dirt can build up down there. Now that you’ve removed your cushions, take the opportunity to flip them over and rotate them. You normally sit in the same spot, and this will cause the foam to get softer in that one area. So, it’s crucial to do this simple step in your regular sofa maintenance routine.
Use Footstools
Curling up on the sofa to watch your favourite show is a great way to relax and unwind at the end of the day. Unfortunately, the socks you’ve been wearing all day are probably not the cleanest, and rubbing them on your fresh new sofa will transfer the odours and dirt. Footstools are a great accessory, can add a fun jolt of colour to your space, and have the added benefit of taking the brunt of the dirt. See how to make your own footstool here!
Use Throw Blankets
Another way to stretch out the longevity of your sofa is to drape a blanket over the arm, and place it under your feet while you’re curled up reading your book. It’s much easier to throw a blanket into the wash than clean an upholstered sofa or chair. If you drape a blanket over the spot your cat has begun to claw, it may deter the sweetheart from her task of destruction. No promises on that one! Not only is a blanket a great way to save your sofa, but the right blanket adds character and charm to your room.
Choose the Right Fabric
Having your sofa reupholstered in a Performance fabric will dramatically increase its lifespan. Performance fabrics are made to resist moisture, making clean-ups a breeze. With some of these fabrics, red wine beads up on the surface and can be wicked away with a paper towel, leaving no trace. With others, mild soap and water does the trick. If you’re dreaming about a crisp, clean, white sofa, I highly recommend considering a Performance fabric, and test a scrap piece so you know exactly how to handle clean-ups before the spills happen.
Know Your Fabric Content
It’s important to know what your upholstery fabric is comprised of. Polyester, cotton, linen, acrylic, olefin, and rayon are some of the materials used in upholstery, and very often are blends of these. It’s important to get the cleaning code for your specific fabric. You can ask your upholsterer to provide this information, as it’s listed on the back of every fabric sample.
Change Out the Foam
Your foam cushions should last a pretty long time if it’s a quality sofa. But, you may notice that they just aren’t as supportive as they once were. Your cushions have a zipper at the back, so changing out the foam is an easy (but not inexpensive) task. You should take your old cushions to a foam store or upholstery shop to do this job for you, as proper tools and materials are required. Once you have your new foam cushions, your sofa should feel as good as new! If you don’t think new foam is in the budget, or it’s just not needed yet, a fresh layer of bonded polyester will make your cushions puffy again. This is something you may want to try yourself, if you’re up for it.
Steam It!
Lounging on your sofa day in and day out will inevitably cause wrinkles, puckers and tension loss. An ageing sofa is no different from your aging body, so it would seem. When your foam gets softer over time, as it will, it will lose its elasticity and firmness. This causes your fabric to slacken a bit. A garment steamer is a great item to add to your arsenal of sofa revitalization tools. Giving your sofa a good steam every 6 months will make it crisp again. A good steamer is every upholsterer’s trade secret.
A Final Note
A sofa is an important element in any home. It’s usually the biggest piece of furniture in the living room, and therefore a focal point for your decor. A great sofa will be the gathering point for your family, and give you comfort for many years. It becomes a part of your family. The right sofa should be an investment for you. An investment not only financially, but also one in your time to care for it. Like a car that needs regular maintenance to keep running smoothly, your sofa will require proper maintenance and care to keep looking and feeling it’s best for years.
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