Of all the furniture in your house, your sofa is likely one of the more expensive pieces. And since you spent all that money to buy a nice couch, you want that couch to last as long as possible, right? If you’re wondering how long your sofa can be expected to last, low-cost and mid-priced sofas should last about 10 years, while a high-end couch could last up to 25 years or more! But unfortunately, people tend to do a lot of things to their sofas that can cause them to wear out or break prematurely.
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Today I’ll be sharing 14 behaviors that can cause undue wear and tear to your sofa. If you’re interested in protecting your investment in your sofa, consider changing these behaviors! These are easy fixes to make, and once you make the switch, you’ll find that your couch will live a much longer and happier life because of it! :-)
14 Ways You’re Ruining Your Sofa
1. You Sit In The Same Spot Every Time
We tend to be creatures of habit, so it’s no surprise that we tend to gravitate towards a certain spot on the couch. However, sitting in the same spot on your couch over a long period of time can cause it to wear unevenly. Your sofa could end up being saggy and worn on one end while looking relative new on the other. Instead, mix up where you sit on the sofa. Sit on the left one day, then on the right or in the middle the next day. Distributing weight over the entire couch will help prevent premature wearing in any one area.
2. You Jump Onto It
No matter what your weight is, it’s not a good idea to throw yourself on your sofa. (No matter how distressing that episode of your favorite drama was!) Throwing your weight onto your sofa can damage the frame, causing it to be less supportive and develop squeaks. The same principle applies to recliners—always recline gently and smoothly. You’ll keep your sofa or recliner nice for years longer just by treating it gently!
3. You Forget To Vacuum Your Sofa
You vacuum your carpet every week, but do you vacuum your sofa? It’s a great habit to get into! Vacuuming up crumbs, dirt, and other debris can help keep it from getting ground into the fibers, keeping it cleaner, longer. Start by removing the cushions and vacuuming underneath them and around the frame. Then use an upholstery attachment to vacuum the cushions thoroughly. I use this vacuum to clean my sofas, and it works wonderfully!
4. You Expose It To Pollutants
When it comes to your sofa’s upholstery, everyday dirt and grime aren’t the only threats. Indoor pollutants like kitchen grease and cigarette smoke can settle into your upholstery too! Use a hood over your cooking range to filter out grease and smoke, and don’t smoke indoors. These easy changes will help prevent discoloration and odors from developing in your sofa.
5. You Sleep On It
Sofas are meant for sitting, not sleeping! Laying on your sofa for prolonged periods of time will cause it to sag and even deteriorate over time. A short nap is fine, but if you’re settling in for a full 8 hours, it’s better to make the trip to the bedroom.
6. You Never Clean It
Even if your sofa doesn’t look particularly dirty, there are likely all kinds of things lurking in your sofa’s upholstery. Since you sit on it so often, it’s important to keep it clean! Take the time to give it a thorough cleaning (or hire a professional to do it) once every year or two.
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7. You Use The Wrong Cleaner
Avoid “all-purpose” cleaners if you’re looking to make your sofa last longer. It’s better to use a cleaner that’s formulated for your specific material(s). Check out the following links to learn about cleaners that are suitable for these materials: microfiber upholstery, cloth or canvas, wood, and leather.
8. You Don’t Protect The Upholstery
One of the easiest ways to keep your upholstery looking great is to protect it from getting dirty in the first place! A lot of people institute a “no-eating-on-the-couch” rule, which can be simple and effective. But if that’s not your style, you can always put a blanket or towel over the couch when eating food. Or treat the upholstery with a protective spray like Scotchgard.
9. You Never Rotate The Cushions
Another simple way to maximize the life of your sofa is to rotate the cushions regularly. Flip them over so the other side faces up, and swap their positions if possible. This will help prevent uneven wear (and it will remind you to clean stains that are easy to forget and/or ignore.)
10. You Put It In A Sunny Spot
Sunlight can “bleach” certain types of fabric, so it’s important to put it in a spot that doesn’t get a lot of direct sunlight. Not only can it cause the fabric to lighten differently on the front versus the back, but it can also cause lightening around throw pillows that can make your couch look “spotty.” Keep it in a shaded area of the room, or make sure your blinds are closed during the times when the most sunlight is coming into the room.
11. You Don’t Clean Stains Immediately
If something spills on your sofa, it’s important to clean it immediately. The longer a stain sits on the fabric, the higher the risk that it will leave behind a permanent stain. So you can maximize your chances of lifting the stain out by tackling it right away!
12. You Don’t Have Couch Rules
You likely made a pretty significant financial investment in your sofa, so don’t be afraid to set rules in order protect that investment! Whether your rules concern eating, jumping, sitting on the back or arms of the couch, or something else, setting a few ground rules is a simple way to keep your couch nice for years to come!
13. You Don’t Do Regular Maintenance
Furniture joins can get loose and wobbly even from normal use, so take the time to tighten those screws and bolts regularly. It might require a bit of effort to get to the underside of your sofa, but it’s well worth the effort! A wobbly foot on your sofa can easily break, so tightening a few screws would be far easier than getting the whole thing repaired.
14. You Move Furniture Recklessly
The most perilous time for your furniture is during a move from one location to another, so make sure to be careful! Always lift your sofa, rather than pushing, pulling, or dragging it. And don’t stack heavy items against or on top of your sofa, as that can cause damage as well.
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I have 2 adorable dogs who now think they can chill with us on the sofa. I have a lovely cream leather in one room. However the dogs have left scratch marks which are a dominant black colour. I scrubbed with a scrubbing brush and soap and now its like the coating of leather has been removed. i also have a black corner leather and ive done the same with this. help?
It really depends on the type of the leather and the severity of the scratches. Here’s an article that should answer all your questions, good luck!! https://jillee.co/2KwVvx5
You could also try one of these products: https://amzn.to/2tSlmVZ :-)
Just paid a lot of money for my 2 & 3 seater reclining sofas and tttthere fabric ones some really useful tips thanks so much it’s my pride and joy
and do not let the pets take over the furniture!!! It will become a VERY expensive animal bed, and I do not want to sit on an chair or sofa that is for animal use!!!
Good tip!
Jilliee I do so enjoy your post for i find them so helpful in so many ways keep them coming.
Thanks Kathy!
Thank you so much for these tips, because there are so many things you listed in this post that I NEVER thought of. Thanks to you I now know how to better take care of my sofa.
You’re welcome! Thank you Ivory! :-)
I use furniture covers—I go ALL WHITE for the HOT, HOT summers in Texas. They are easy to launder and it gives the room a “new look” for very little money! I “found” all of my slip covers at thrift stores–you have to look a little–my chair ones were still in the package–at $3.00 apiece it’s a bargain. Cheers!
Great idea Chelsea, thanks!
Yeah, I was gonna say don’t let your crazy brother-in-law crash on it for a few days, weeks, months. That’s not good for anything in your house.
Ha ha very true!
Most of these are great ideas, but the estimated life span of furniture listed above is way off… I work in furniture retail. The general lifespan is 5-7 years, there are some that are estimated 8-10. Unfortunately, nothing is made the way it used to be. And today’s furniture, while beautiful, is not usually made completely out of solid wood, or metal components. If you do find something built like that, there will be a heavy price tag attached, but they will last much longer than most.
We bought a queen sized sleeper sofa. Paid almost $800.00 for it. Before it was 2 months old, with gentle use, the fabric started fraying at the seams. The fabric seemed too tight on them when you sat it had no stretch, and was a velour style. We went to the furniture store, told them and they had us bring in the cushions, which they sent out to have them restitched. It did no good, it made the covers even tighter and we had no funds to replace it. By the time it was all said and done, the six… Read more »
Most manufacturer’s carry a 1 year warranty on parts and labor. And some fabrics are better for certain frames than others…. I work in the service dept of a furniture store. I see many different issues, everything from normal wear’n’tear to structural defects. Some of the problems stem from us becoming a disposable society, and some come from the sheer fact that the cost of living has increased so much that we are paying more for “lesser” goods. To some spending $800 on a sofa is nothing, to others it is a lot. I’m in the a lot group. I… Read more »
Terrible service hope my british company look after mine if I get any problems
Thank you for this post. It is timely. I just ordered a brand new couch yesterday (chairs,too) and I had total sticker shock! I do want to keep it looking nice.
My microfiber couch isn’t supposed to have any protectant put on it. Especially Scotchguard. I was told to use ONLY water to clean it. It’s now about 5 years old and looks new. We had a child drop some cranberry sauce on it, and it cleaned up really well with only water. NO stain.
Amazing!
What brand is your new sofa? I am in the market and would love to check it out.
I bought it from RC Willey, I absolutely love it!