Cleaning Tutorial - How I Wash My White Ikea Slipcovers

Howdy, stranger.

 

It's been awhile (I hope you missed me because I missed you) but I'm back to share a little cleaning tutorial that I promised ages and ages ago in this post about white slipcovers.

 

As I've mentioned time and time again, I love my white slipcovers and the extra time it takes to keep them clean is totally worth it to me. (Except when we have unannounced visitors and there are Oreo cookie crumbs ground into the cushions and I don't have time to wash them.)(Embarrassing!)

 

I'm sure there are many different cleaning products and techniques that will also work when washing Ikea slipcovers, however I'm going to share the process that has always worked like a charm for me.

 

{WARNING: This cleaning tutorial is for white, Ikea slipcovers only!}

 

Step 1:

 

The first thing I do is strip the slipcovers off. Once you've been doing this for 5+ years you will learn some techniques on how to get them off quickly and easily!

 

Step 2:

 

 

 

I pre-treat all of the marks, stains, and heavily soiled areas with Resolve Spray N' Wash. I have tried several different stain-removal products and this one has worked the best for me, hands down. It may sound strange but I always bring my bottle of Spray N' Wash upstairs and pre-treat my covers in bright, natural light. If I bring them downstairs with artificial light, it becomes very hard to spot all of the marks and stains. I follow the package instructions and usually let the stain-remover sit for about 5 minutes before washing.

 

Step 3:

 

I divide the furniture and cushion covers into small, manageable loads. I find that my covers always come out cleaner and brighter when I don't overload the washing machine. We have a sofa, loveseat, armchair, and ottoman in our living room and so here is how I divide my loads:

 

Load 1: couch cover

Load 2: loveseat cover

Load 3: 4 loveseat cushions

Load 4: 4 couch cushions

Load 5: 2 couch cushions + 2 chair cushions

Load 6: armchair cover + ottoman covers

 

Keep in mind that I have a smaller, old-fashioned washing machine and not one of those large, fancy, front-loading ones!

 

Step 4:

 

 

 

I set my washing machine to a large or oversized load, regular cycle, and here is the key: HOT water. The hot water really gets the slipcovers clean. The covers will shrink a tad but will get back over the furniture and cushions with some good pulling and tugging. I just tell myself that I'm getting a good arm workout instead of cursing while I do it. 

 

Step 5:

 

 

 

I add laundry detergent to the washer and then load 'er up. We alternate between using Tide and Sunlight detergent, depending on what's on sale at the time.

 

Step 6:

 

 

 

Once the covers are in the machine, I dissolve one scoop of Oxyclean per load into the hot water as the machine is still filling up. 

 

Step 7:

 

Once the slipcovers are washed, I hang to them to dry - either outside on the line in the spring / summer or on the laundry line in the basement in the fall / winter. I've only ever air dried my covers. Just habit I guess!   

 

Step 8:

 

I squish the covers back over the cushions / furniture and then sit back and admire my brand new couches. 

 

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We have experienced every kind of spill / stain imaginable, from coffee spills, baby pukes, diaper leaks, muddy paw prints, splats of blood (from the dogs, don't worry it's not like a horror film over here), smooshed chocolate, you-name-it.

 

The only stain that hasn't come out of our white slipcovers has been a splotch where Cooper spit up after eating roasted red peppers. I did a quick spot clean and didn't wash the covers until the next morning which was a big mistake. I was too lazy to wash them the night it happened and now I have to live with a gross red pepper puke stain. (Thank goodness I can flip that cushion over!)

 

Lesson learned. For serious spills - always wash right away!!!!

 

:)

 

What about you..... do you have any tips or tricks for white slipcovers that I should know about?