Furniture isn’t cheap, and when you’re spending $2000 on a sofa, you want to get the most out of your money. Unfortunately, if you treat your furniture improperly, you might have to invest in something new pretty quickly. But if you take proper care, you can extend the lifespan of your furniture by up to 10-15 years! Want to know how? Take a look at some of these furniture saving tips:
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1. Have your furniture stained proof
Yes, stain proofing will cost a little bit of money upfront, but it will be well worth it in the long run – especially if you have children or if you eat on the furniture regularly. Stain proofing usually costs about $100, but you will be very thankful that you invested in two weeks from now when there’s a dreaded red wine spill. And the nice thing about stain proofing is that most stain proofers will actually offer a guarantee. If the stain doesn’t come out, they will replace your furniture!
2. Don’t eat on the couch
Yes, we know, we all do it. But the best way to prevent stains from ending up on the couch is to keep food and drink away. In fact, why not keep food away from the living room altogether? Keep your food and drink at the table where it’s easy to wipe up and away.
3. Keep pets down
Everyone wants to snuggle with their pet, but perhaps the couch or that new leather sofa is not the best place to do it. Pets have a way of destroying things. And it’s not just puppies! When your pets shed, their hair often gets stuck right down into the cushion, making it very difficult to vacuum away. Not only that, but pets also leave their sweat and body odor all over your cushions. You might not notice it right now, but in 5 years from now all of the odor will start to seep it’s way out of the cushions and into your home. In addition, pets have nails. And as we all know, nails are furniture’s worst enemy. So for multiple reasons, keeping your pets off of your furniture is a good idea.
4. Clean it regularly
This may seem obviously, but a lot of people don’t do this. And of course, your furniture isn’t going to look it’s best if it’s not kept clean. Dust your shelving, vacuum your cushions, and polish when necessary. If you have leather furniture, it also doesn’t hurt to treat it once in a while. Proper treatment will help to ensure that the material doesn’t split or crack.
Read more: How to clean a leather sofa
5. Keep it out of the sun
Just as the sun can be an enemy to our skin, it can also be an enemy to our furniture. In fact, UV rays are just as damaging to our furniture as they are to us. So whenever possible, keep your furniture out of the sunlight. This is especially true for upholstery and leather. If you can’t keep your furniture out of the sunlight, do your best to use blinds, curtains, or shades when the sun out. Doing so can extend the lifespan of your furniture by years.
6. Use all of your furniture
If you’re one of those people that has three chairs and a couch in your living room, use all of them. So many times we have multiple pieces of furniture, but only use our favorite. This, of course, causes our favorite piece to wear quicker. So don’t forget to give some attention to all of the furniture pieces around – not just the couch! And while you’re at it, take some time to flip the cushions regularly. Doing so will help the cushion to wear evenly on both sides, and will keep the fabric looking newer for longer.
7. Set household rules and boundaries
One of the best things that you can do for your furniture is to set rules and boundaries – not only for kids, but for adults too! No eating and drinking in the living room, no pets on the couch, no shoes on the carpet, no jumping on the bed, no drinks on the cabinets without coasters – the more rules you can set (and enforce), the less likely you will be to damage your furniture.
Oh, and as one last and final piece of advice, you know those glides and slides that you put on furniture to protect your floors? Well, it turns out they’re not only for floor protection – they’re also designed to protect furniture from breaking or damaging in transit. So enforce rules, use glides, and follow these 7 tips to make your furniture last for years to come.
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