How We Keep Our Tufted Couches CleanIf you're anything like me, you find it hard to keep your keep your couches looking and smelling fresh! We have 2 kids and 3 dogs, and they positively do not care what's on their hands (or paws) before they snuggle up. I try to walk this fine line where everything looks pretty, but is also usable! Nothing is off limits or just for looks! That means, lots of maitenence along the way, but I've found some pretty simple ways to make it more manageable! Our couches are 7 years old! They're tufted, microfiber couches. They do have the scotch guard on them, which I have to say has proven to be worth every extra penny. I don't know how difficult it would be to clean them if they didn't have that treatment on them! After about two weeks, our couches start to look like this- I have tried just keeping the couches completely covered up with blankets, but that turns into an even bigger headache than just cleaning them! It doesn't seem to take more than a few milliseconds for the blankets to get pulled off, or pulled half on half off, they constantly get tripped over, and, honestly, it just looks so ugly to me! I do pull the blankets out and cover them up on rainy days because I have yet to be able to wipe our dog's paws well enough to keep them from leaving little muddy marks on the couches! if our couches weren't tufted, I could just unzip the fabric and toss them in the wash-easy peasy! We've only done that once and decided once was enough!! It was time to work smarter, not harder! To keep these fresh, I just take a small Tupperware and fill it with warm soapy water, and then use a dish scrubber brush in circular motions over the entire couch. I learned quickly not to clean only the dirty spots, or the rest of the couch will end up looking dirty next to the clean spots! It helps to have a helper for re dipping your scrubber! (Though this will greatly, greatllllllllllllly add to your completion time)! ;) I unzip all the throw pillow cushions and toss them in the washing machine. (I'm sure to wash them on cold so they don't shrink a bit and cause problems going back on the pillow)! I do wash and dry them inside out, and have not had any of my fabrics get ruined. Check your washing tags to be on the safe side! It only takes me about 15 minutes to hand wash the couch!
Not too bad! If I had to do it over again, I would NOT have bought a tufted couch! It is such a challenge to take the fabric off the cushions and then re tuft them! I would love to just be able to toss them in the wash like the pillow cases, but 15 min twice a month isn't so bad! What is your preference for couches when you have kids and dogs? Leather, microfiber, or slip covers??! Inquiring minds would love to know!! ;) Here are some pictures of these all nice and clean!
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Howdy, folks! I've taken a quick hiatus from the blog because we decided to move! My husband received a job offer from a business that has been in my family since the 70's, and it was too good an opportunity to pass up. It took some serious hustle to make everything line up well, but we managed to put our house on the market, sell it, buy a new house, pack and move, and get settled in to the new house between the track out of school in one city and the first day of the next grade level at the new school in our new city! God is in the details! We bought a house that I am still completely beside myself over. We all have different tastes about what quantifies a dream house. To me, a white house with black shutters, character, creaky floors, wood working, exposed brick, shiplap, bead board, claw foot tubs, wrap around porches, tin roofs, and large, country yards make up a dream house! I can't remember a time in my life, even as a kid, when I wouldn't "rubber neck" every house like this that we'd drive past. I've always thought, "one day... maybe one day"! Well, Psalm 37.4 tells us, "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart". We found and bought the dream of all dream houses, in my opinion! This house just speaks to me. Several of our family members came to see this house with us, and we got very mixed reviews. Some could see our vision, and some could see all the work that it would take to make the inside meet our vision! It would undoubtedly be a lot of work to make this house, built in 1919 match what had planned for it, but we didn't shy away. We're ready, and I'm delighted to share this journey with you! Stay tuned for all the DIY projects and before and after posts! Here is a picture of what this house looked like when it was built back in 1919. This home was built using the lumber from the land, and then gave shelter to a family that raised seven children here. As time has passed, so did the parents of the children that were raised here, but now several of those children (and one of the grandchildren) are our closest neighbors. When the home was sold, another couple purchased it and raised several children of their own. They lived here for over 20 years, built on several room additions, and a wrap around porch with gazebo. They have now sold it us to raise our children in, and have moved on the next chapter in their journey. No one has ever passed in this home, but several children were born here, literally right here in the room where I am typing this blog post! This home has been the backdrop for so many memories, and we are so blessed to get to create our story here now! There are two barns and a shed outside, three adjoining chicken coops, a pig pen, and a dog pen (our dogs are so spoiled, but maybe we turn it into a duck house/duck pen soon)! One of the barns needs a lot of work, but will be perfect for refinishing furniture in soon! Be sure to check back to see the story of this farmhouse unfold!
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AuthorI'm a wife, a mother of two, and utterly obsessed with home decorating and renovations (including, but not limited to: painting, decorating, interior design, and furniture renovation). Archives
September 2016
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