Why I Love My White Ikea Furniture Slipcovers

When people walk into my home, I usually get comments about my white furniture. I’ve been told I’m brave to have white furniture with two doggies running loose around the home, but it really isn’t hard. Why not? Because I can wash my furniture thanks to my white IKEA furniture slipcovers! When I first contemplated purchasing white slipcovers for my IKEA furniture, I wasn’t sure if I should do it. After spending countless hours of my life scouring the web to read review after review, I finally decided to take the plunge and placed my order. I’m so glad I did, because nine months later I’m here to tell you why I love my white IKEA furniture slipcovers!It makes perfectly good sense that I would question purchasing white slipcovers. As a mother to two fur babies (one with long, black hair) and a husband who loves power tools and grease, I wasn’t sure if it was really a wise investment. I definitely had my doubts, and since I own 3 IKEA sofas, an ottoman and 3 IKEA armchairs, I wanted to be sure before I dished out the money. After reading reviews from mothers of toddlers swearing their allegiance to IKEA white slipcovers I decided to go for it. These mothers promised that these durable white IKEA furniture slipcovers would resist stains from magic markers, dirt, crayons, and even blood. Guess what? So far they’ve been right! 

I was so excited to receive my new IKEA white furniture slipcovers in the mail last year. Once I put them on my sofa, I loved how they instantly brightened the room and made me instantly feel happier.
Now nine months have passed, and my slipcovers actually look better than they did when I first put them on! To start with these Ektorp slipcovers were a little loose and almost looked off-white, but after the first wash they had a snug fit and a brighter appearance. I’d read that it’s normal for the slipcovers to brighten up after the first washing.I don’t wash my slipcovers as often as some do, but it is just me, my husband and our two little doggies. I imagine I’d have to wash them more often if we had children..or bigger fur babies. 
It doesn’t take much time to take these slipcovers off and wash them, but putting them back on can be a challenge if you don’t follow the right procedure. When it’s time to wash my slipcovers, I take them off and load them in my washer a few pieces at a time. Some of the larger pieces, like the cover for the sofa frame, get washed separately. I wash my white IKEA slipcovers with Biz Detergent and OxiClean. If there are any stains, I pause my washer and let them soak awhile. There is something about this combination of cleaners that gets the toughest stains out, but I still like to use bleach every few washes to keep my slipcovers looking super crisp and white.After they’re washed, I put my slipcovers in the dryer on low heat for the shortest setting. The trick is to remove the slipcovers from the dryer while they are still damp. Not only will this make the slipcovers easier to stretch onto the cushions, but it also helps prevent wrinkles. I have to be honest and tell you that one time I left them in the dryer too long. Let’s just say I got a good workout that afternoon. Unfortunately I didn’t lose an ounce, but my sofa cushions were an inch too small. Eeek! I was so worried about it and thought I’d have to buy a new slipcover. But once I ran it through the wash again and made sure to remove it from the dryer while it was still damp, it stretched out and fit perfectly again. Whew!! Lesson learned, so be sure to use a timer!
I actually love my white IKEA furniture slipcovers more since I have two little doggies. I love knowing I’m sitting on a clean sofa instead of a dirty one buried in dirt that you can’t see because it’s hidden with plaid tweed. When my slipcovers get dirty, they get washed. This is important to me since I have allergies. (Please take no offense if you own a plaid tweed couch – as long as you clean the upholstery every now and then.)
Don’t be mistaken and think we don’t use our furniture like we would any other sofa or chair, because I don’t believe in having furniture just for show. We LIVE on these sofas. And by living on them I mean we prop our feet up on them, we eat pizza and pasta while sitting on them, the doggies spend A LOT of time napping on them…we really enjoy our sofas!If you’re on the fence, wondering if you should take the plunge with white IKEA furniture slipcovers, listen to me. Yes, yes, yes, you should get them! I’m a perfectionist/neat freak, so if I love them, chances are you’ll adore them, too!