5 Easy Ways to Extend the Life of Your Upholstery 

Much has been written on the fascinating topic of upholstery cleaning over the years and, while I do not claim to have some miraculous new ways to keep our sofas and armchairs clean, what I do have is some serious hands-on experience in making old upholstery feel fresh and appealing again, and I thought I’d share some of it with you in today’s post. Sofas and armchairs are big ticket items on any decorating plan and can make or break a room in terms of comfort and style. The naked truth is that no mater what we do, or how careful we are, eventually our sofas and armchairs will get dirty, and will require upkeep to look their best. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission on all qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Over the last couple of years, due to the insane disruptions in the supply chain and workforce, many of us have experienced longer than usual waiting times on items we’ve purchased online. Upholstered furniture, which requires the coming together of several different trades, has been particularly challenging to have made and delivered in a sensible timeframe. Because of that, and because there’s only so long you can live without a comfortable sofa or an armchair without visits to a chiropractor,  many of us have turned our attention to buying vintage and gently-used furniture. During the pandemic, Chairish and Facebook Marketplace have become my go-to places for shopping upholstered pieces and these past couple of years we’ve bought not one, not two, but three beautiful sofas (two sofas and a chaise, to be exact). We were lucky enough to find them all in great condition, but since they were all pre-owned, they needed some serious cleaning. 

But regardless of whether or not your sofa is gently used or brand new, there are a few simple tricks I’ve found to be helpful not only in cleaning upholstery but in making sure you get the best out of your investment, and your upholstered piece lasts you a very long time. Note: I am referring here to fabric upholstery. Leather, faux or real, is a whole different animal (no pun intended), with its own set of cleaning & maintenance needs. Let’s start with a few preventive measures:

1. Throw blankets:  Whenever possible, try to find a great quality throw blanket or quilt that complements your décor and goes well with your sofa’s design, then drape it over the seat and / or the back of your furniture. This will save you so. much. heartache and you won’t have to panic each time someone wants to sit on your new sofa. (Are those jeans clean? Do you really need to sit down? How about standing? Ahem… )  Just make sure to check the color fastness of your throw blankets beforehand so you won’t have any pigments run off and transfer onto your upholstery because this will (sadly) defeat their purpose. ( I didn’t test my blankets so I learned this the hard way. )

2. Slipcovers: This one requires a bit of an investment on your part and I completely understand that it’s not in everyone’s budget but, I mention it here because having an extra set of slipcovers will be life-changing. Not only will you get a brand new sofa/armchair each time you put them on, but you’ll be able to refresh your décor periodically without buying new furniture, and you’ll save your upholstery the wear and tear of everyday living. 

3. Arm covers: If slipcovers are not in the budget, you can still considerably extend the life of your upholstery by having a set of arm covers made in the same fabric as the main upholstery. If possible. If your sofa is a vintage find like ours, tracking down the upholstery fabric will be next to impossible. What you can do is look for a similar fabric, in a similar color scheme and / or pattern. Obviously, arm covers won’t do much to protect the seat and back of your furniture but will go a long way in keeping the arms in pristine condition. 

4. Clean stains immediately: Let’s face it, sooner or later someone will spill something on your sofa or chair and you’ll feel the need to breath in a paper bag. Do not despair, even the toughest stains can be taken care of if you act quickly. There are several green (as in good for the environment) spot cleaners available and here are a couple I swear by Puracy for upholstery and this one for carpet stains. Sometimes, if I’m out of spot cleaners, I’ll quickly prepare a solution of water, transparent liquid soap, vinegar or lemon juice and baking soda. It’s my mother-in-law’s recipe, and it works like magic. 

5. Vacuum your upholstery regularly. As in once or twice weekly, if you can, especially if you’re blessed with furry pets. Once a month, try sprinkling some baking soda on your upholstery before vacuuming – this will refresh & deodorize the fabric. 

These five tips have worked wonders for us and have allowed us to consider, and even incorporate, vintage upholstered pieces in our home. There are, of course, other, more involved ways to keep upholstery clean and crisp: using carpet steamers and cleaning products specifically designed for this purpose is one way. Hiring a professional cleaning crew to refresh your furniture is another. In the end, it’s all a matter of preference, amount / type of cleaning required, budget etc. And while I know upholstery cleaning is not the most exciting aspect of decorating and homemaking, it is nevertheless something we’ve all needed and had to deal with at one point. So, if you happen to know of any other tips and tricks we can all try, please feel free to share them in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!

I’ve also included a pretty selection of sofas and armchairs in timeless designs I found on Chairish, just in case you are on the market…

This English roll arm sofa looks timeless and seems like a wonderful deal:

And your heart might skip a beat, too, at the sight of this stunning Irish Chippendale camelback sofa:

Or this beautiful Federal style settee:

You can find these, and others, linked below:

For more decorating tips, make sure to check out the following Café Design stories:

5 Timeless Sofas That Will Never Go Out of Style

6 Ways to Add Architectural Charm to Your Home

10 Ways to Add English Cottage Charm to Your Home

Thanks for stopping by!