There are plenty of reasons to invest in a slipcover for your sofa. Many people choose a slipcover to extend the life of furniture that is structurally sound but has fabric that’s seen better days. Others may choose a slipcover to revamp their room and give it a pop of color. From children to pets to frequent guests, there’s no end to reasons to get slipcovers. Once you’ve decided to purchase a slipcover, you must install it properly so it stays and looks its best. Check out these steps to putting on a sofa slipcover so it stays secure.

Step one: Clear the couch

The first step to effectively installing a slipcover on your sofa is by clearing the furniture of anything that might be on it, such as pillows, blankets, pet items, or anything else that might be temporarily placed on the couch. This is all you need to remove if your slipcover is a one-piece. If your slipcover is a two-piece, remove the couch cushions as well as other items.

Step two: Place the slipcover on the couch

After clearing your couch, you can lay the slipcover over it to prepare it for installation. Start in the front of the couch and work your way to the back. After you’ve completed this, gently pull the slipcover’s arms over the couch’s arms. Inspect the couch and ensure it’s fully covered by the slipcover, if not, gently pull on the slipcover to adjust it to the uncovered area(s).

Step three: Tuck excess fabric

When you first put on your slipcover, it may appear to be too large for your couch, but don’t worry, this is normal. Simply tuck the extra fabric into the arms and into the spaces between the cushions to help the slipcover form to the natural shape of your couch. If this proves difficult with bare hands, try a kitchen utensil such as a wooden spatula.

Step four: Replace what you removed in step one

Now that your slipcover is properly secured, make sure to replace the decorations you removed during step one of this process. This means replacing any throw pillows, blankets, pet items, or other incidentals so you can begin to use and enjoy your couch. These directions work for placing L-shaped couch slipcovers on sectional couch slipcovers as well.