How To Wash A Slipcover Couch

Have a slipper couch or thinking about getting one and are curious about how to wash them? Here I’ll answer common questions about washing a slipcover couch and share my favorite way I wash mine.

Having slipcovers over your couch can be a very convenient and a worry-free way to spruce up your living room. When you’ve got kids or pets, it may seem like it would be impossible to have a light-coloured or even a white couch. The joy of a slipcover couch is that they are removable and cleanable! Read about mine here!

Everyone has their own way of cleaning their slipcovered sofa, and most brands have their own specifications on how to clean them, but I can show you a step by step process and hopefully answer some of your questions! Mine are from Comfort works and they are my absolute favorite!

Can you Wash Your Sofa Covers at Home? 

The very first step to cleaning your couch covers is checking the label of the covers. Usually, the tag on the fabric tells you the specific care instructions for the covers and sometimes it simply says to have them dry cleaned. I wouldn’t risk it if it requires it to be dry cleaned, you want to make sure they are taken care of correctly and can have a long life!. 

How Do You Clean Fabric Sofa Stains? 

It has happened to everyone – coffee spills over the rim of your mug or crumbs fall from your plate as soon as you sit down. It can be a frustrating situation, but the sooner you clean up the stain, the easier it will be to remove it.

A popular option for cleaning stains on couch cushions Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. You can make a paste out of the soda by mixing half water and half Arm & Hammer soda. If you let this soak on the stain as soon as it happens, it helps you scrub the stain right off. You can also do this with simply baking soda, adding ½ cup of baking soda and a few teaspoons of water together to make a paste.  Another option is Clorox 2 Stain Remover. This can be put into a spray bottle for you to spray directly onto the stain. 

Speaking of stain removal, this would be your first step in cleaning sofa slipcovers. 

1. Spot-Treat Stains

If you are going to wash your slipcovers at home like me, know that the washer won’t be able to get the bigger stains off of the covers. I like to use Palmolive Original Dish soap for spot cleaning stains. It’s not advertised as a stain remover but it is perfect for oily stains!

 

This is also a perfect time to vacuum your couch cushions and frame. You can get the pet hair, crumbs and coins that the couch has most definitely collected over time. 

Can You Clean A Fabric Couch With Vinegar? 

There are DIY couch cleaners that include vinegar! If you follow the recipe of ½ cup olive oil, and ¼ cup vinegar and put that in a spray bottle, you would have your very own natural stain remover. 

2. Remove The Slip Cover 

Once you’ve removed all of the visible stains, it’s time to take those slipcovers off! Bare couches can seem really weird for the time being, but it’s nice to clean out underneath the cushions and hit restart in the living room! 

Stay away from bleach or products with bleach for the most part. Bleach can strip away the quality of your slipcovers. It’s better to wait to use bleach until after a few washes, once you’ve washed the slipcovers enough and have a better idea of what works best for it. 

Can You Put Couch Covers In The Dryer? 

The easy answer is yes, you can, but you have to be careful. If the fabric is exposed to too much heat, it will shrink. The covers shouldn’t be in the dryer for too long, but if you are looking to keep it simple, another option is to air dry them. 

4. Dry Your Slipcovers 

As just explained, it’s important to keep the covers away from heat but air drying the fabric can be very time-consuming. You can start the load on light heat for 15 minutes. If the slipcovers are completely dry, not only do they risk shrinkage, but they may also come out with many more unaesthetic wrinkles. Running the dryer on low for 15 minutes speeds up the drying process, while also preserving the covers.

5. Put the Covers Back On

Now you are ready to put the covers back onto your couch. Putting them on while they are slightly damp helps make sure that they didn’t shrink, and it works out the wrinkles. Once you put the covers back on the couch and cushions, leave the cushions off the couch and stand them on end, rotating them every 20 minutes. This will help finish air-drying the slipcovers until they are completely dry.

How Do You Put On a Couch Cover 

An efficient way to put a slipcover back on is to start on one arm of the couch and move to the back. Follow the frame all the way to the other arm, so that it fits nice, smooth and snug.  

You’re Done! 

Now, you have a clean slipcovered couch that looks brand new! Some recommend cleaning the covers every 1 to two years, while others clean them every few months. As you clean your slipcovers, your process may start to deviate from the steps laid out here, but hopefully, these steps will help you get started and show the positives of having a slipcovered sofa!  

Looking to shop my covers? Check them out here!

Thanks for reading along!

Much love,

Kori ~ From The Farmhouse Life