Posted on June 26th, 2020
Our pets mean no harm, we know that. But even so, they have a way of ruining furniture and breaking things without any regard for any of our rules about furniture care. Many pet owners have sworn to never let their pets on their sofas, but who are we kidding? We love their company and we will always allow them to snuggle up beside us if they want to. Furniture and sofas are generally things used a lot and we’ve previously discussed how to clean other busy areas of the home such as the kitchen. Extra care really is needed on items of furniture; especially if you have pets.
We have already looked at ways to get rid of pet hair, but sometimes it can be hard to remove from furniture. It’s expensive, you know! So, how can we make sure our furniture doesn’t get completely ruined? Well, the best thing you can do is (1) look for the right characteristics when you’re looking at furniture for your home, and (2) choose the right fabric for your furniture.
The Characteristics You Need from Your Furniture
Pets have many ways of damaging furniture. They can tear the fabric with their claws, make scratches on wood, chew on things, soak the furniture with saliva or urine, and also move or topple over your furniture. To prevent these things from happening, there are a few characteristics you should look for when purchasing furniture.
First, make sure the fabric is easy to clean. It doesn’t matter how tidy you or your pet are, it’s going to happen, they will get your furniture dirty. This is why you need your fabrics to be easy to clean, which usually means choosing synthetic fabrics, leather upholstery, or denim.
Second, you need the fabric to be resistant to pet hair because there will be a ton of it. Some pets will shed more than others, but they all shed nonetheless. It drives some people mad because it not only looks unpleasant, but it can also cause bad smells, not to mention that it can lead to allergies. You can control how much pet hair gets stuck on your furniture by choosing tightly woven upholstery. And you will also benefit from a hand-held vacuum if you can afford it!
Third, you want your furniture to be durable. After all, it’s a long-term investment, so you want your fabric to be sturdy. Durable fabrics that will withstand all wear and tear include leather, denim, and canvas.
Fourth, you need to make sure your furniture has as few seams as possible. When pets get chewing, they usually start with seams and corners. And yes, seams are unavoidable when it comes to furniture, but just make sure you don’t choose a piece that has more seams than necessary. This will make your furniture less tempting!
Fifth, you want your furniture to have a thick finish. The wooden details of furniture are usually covered with stain or paint, and those are the type of finish you can benefit from because they will protect the wood not just from fluids, but also from claws.
Last but not least, choose furniture that’s similar to the color of your pet’s fur. I know it seems crazy to base your furniture choices on something like that, but trust me when I say it will make a difference. Also, consider patterned fabrics because they will make pet hair and scratches a lot less noticeable.
It’s important to note that you may not find furniture that fits all these criteria. In that case, what you want to do is focus on the things your pet does that give you the most trouble. Once you’ve determined that, you can let your choice be guided by the most relevant criteria.
How to Choose the Right Fabric for Your Furniture
One of the pieces of furniture that require the most attention is your couch. You absolutely want to make sure you choose one that can withstand the test of time and the test of your pets, which is why you must choose a pet-friendly fabric.
Luckily for you, there are as many options on the market as there are fish in the sea, so finding the perfect couch won’t be a problem. To help you narrow things down a bit, here are the most pet-friendly fabrics in the world:
- Denim. Okay, it’s not the fanciest fabric, but it’s as durable as it gets. It’s easy to get rid of pet hair and it won’t get stained by drool or pee, which is great. Also, because of its tight weave, it won’t be damaged by your pet’s claws. In other words, it checks all the boxes and there are many types of denim couches that will suit your style perfectly.
- Canvas. This is another fabric that’s not super fancy, but it’s durable and super pet-friendly. This fabric will withstand claw action and bodily fluids won’t ruin it. However, it’s not suited for indoor furniture; it’s more of an outdoor furniture fabric and it’s also commonly used to make furniture covers.
- Synthetic Fibers. This is another great option when it comes to pet-friendly furniture, so consider options such as acrylic, polyester, and nylon. Super thin microfiber fabrics are one of the best options for pet-owners. You should also consider micro suede, which feels and looks like suede but it doesn’t stain and it’s easier to clean.
- Leather. Leather, whether real or fake, is a great option for pet-owners. It’s durable, sturdy, extremely easy to clean, and it won’t collect pet hair, which is what many pet-owners need. However, the one drawback is that it won’t withstand the test of your pet’s claws and it will eventually get scratched. However, this only changes the aesthetic of the fabric, not the functionality, so you might want to weigh up the pros and cons.
Which Fabrics to Avoid
Now that you know which fabrics are the best for pet-owners, you should also know which fabrics to avoid. You don’t want anything to do with loose weave fabrics because they will get easily ruined by claws. Silk and velvet are also out of the picture, sorry! Velvet will make pet hair stick to it like glue and both fabrics are super high-maintenance, so no one has time for that when you already have a high-maintenance pet. Suede is difficult to clean and even though it looks great, it’s a pain to get rid of water spots and stains.
