Slipcovers provide an attractive and versatile option to protect your furniture and update its look. As with anything else, you will have to wash them from time to time. A benefit to slipcovers is that they’re far easier to clean than furniture with cloth you can’t remove. Maintaining your slipcover’s cleanliness will help them last longer, and we created a short list of ways you can do this.

When You Should Clean Them

As a basic rule, we recommend you wash your slipcovers at least four times a year. This may vary, of course, according to your lifestyle and where you keep your furniture. Patio furniture slipcovers, for example, may need more frequent maintenance.

Look at the Tag

While you can apply our tips to any type of slipcover, different fabric types may have additional instructions. Make sure you know the manufacturer’s instructions before you throw the piece into the wash.

Wash it All at Once

It’s handy to have slipcovers that come in more than once piece, as using separates such as zippered cushion covers can provide a better fit. If this is the case, do not wash only one piece at a time. If you do, the pieces may begin to fade unevenly. With this in mind, divide the wash into two different loads if you think you’ll overload your machine.

Pre-Soak Your Covers

You may be tempted to use bleach for tricky stains, but we recommend you try other methods first. Dab some mild soap on the stains, and do a pre-soak before the actual wash. If the stains stick around after this, we recommend you pay attention to how much bleach you use, as it can be too abrasive on these pieces.

Don’t Use Heat

We suggest using the no-heat setting if you choose to put your covers in the dryer. Heat can cause too many wrinkles and could potentially shrink your covers. You will also want to place the cover back onto the furniture while it’s still damp. This will help keep the pieces free of any wrinkles and make sure it fits back on your furniture when it dries.