How To Wash Sofa Covers in Dubai Without Shrinking
How To Wash Sofa Covers in Dubai Without Shrinking
A residential or commercial space is complete with a proper seating area. The ideal way to enhance your seating area is by adding sofas. You can comfortably sit on them for relaxation or intimate conversations. But like all things made for interior design, sofas need care and maintenance. This mainly involves protecting the sofa upholstery with sofa covers. Yet, these sofa covers require cleaning and supervision to keep them fresh.
The problem is that sofa covers are prone to shrinking if not all, but some fabrics. For this issue, in this blog by L Shaped Sofa Dubai, we will describe how to wash sofa covers without shrinking.
Know Your Sofa Cover Fabrics
Do more than start removing and putting those covers into the washer. There are different fabrics for these covers, each with its own cleaning instructions. You should identify the fabric type of your sofa cover to determine the appropriate cleaning and washing method. This is crucial in preventing the sofa cover from shrinking.
- Cotton is the most common fabric choice for sofa covers and is machine-washing safe. Avoid washing in warm water or drying on high heat, as both forces shrink.
- Linen: This natural textile is also machine washable but air dry to prevent fabric from shrinking.
- Velvet: This luxury fabric requires delicate maintenance. To resist shrinking or other damage, hand wash or dry clean it.
- Microfiber: This blend of synthetic and natural fibers is highly durable and safe for machine washing. However, to prevent shrinking, refrain from high-heat drying.
- Polyester: This fabric is often used standalone or mixed with other materials for durability & longevity. It highly resists shrinking from machine washing.
Washing Guide: How To Wash Sofa Covers Without Shrinking
Pre-Washing Tips
Before you move on to washing, use these pre-washing sofa cover tips.
- Your sofa cum bed body will have a care slip; read it to know the precise washing & drying instructions.
- Before you wash the cover, do a colorfastness test. For this, test a small area of the cover to see if it loses color. Use a white cloth to rub the small washed area to see if the fabric gets the cover’s color. If it does, you ought to get a skilled cleaning service.
- If your sofa cover has stains or spills, see them before washing. Make your stain cleaner with a mild fabric cleaner, a suitable detergent, and water. Mix all the elements in the specified proportions and apply the mixture to the stain. Allow it to sit for a few minutes, then use the blotting technique to remove the stains.
The Right Washing Method For Sofa Cover
There are usually two washing methods for sofa covers: machine and hand washing. You must use the right one to prevent shrinking according to the fabric type and its care instructions. Below is the step-by-step procedure for both these washing methods.
Machine Washing Sofa Covers
Most sofa covers allow machine washing. However, some steps are still needed to achieve ideal machine washing.
- Always machine wash these covers in cold water. Hot water causes fabrics such as linen and cotton to shrink.
- Put the machine on a gentle cycle. Too much agitation damages fibers, which leads to shrinking.
- Buy a mild detergent for washing sofa covers, particularly for delicate fabrics. Strong detergents have harsh chemicals that weaken and shrink the materials.
- Do not put different-colored sofa covers in one washing load. Instead, either wash them separately or similar sofa covers simultaneously. Not overloading also prevents the covers from getting wrinkled.
Hand Washing Sofa Covers
Hand washing is the best method for working with softer and delicate Arabic Majlis sofa cover fabrics. It is also suggested for luxury genuine fabrics like silk, linen, or velvet.
- Take a big basin or a tub and fill it with cold water. Now add in some mild detergent and mix it with your hand.
- Bring your sofa covers and gently sink them in the water. Start containing them to spread the detergent evenly to the entire sofa cover.
- Let it soak for half an hour before draining the soapy water. Now refill it with cold water once more and rinse the covers. Do this a few times until all the detergent solution is clean.
- Squeeze the covers gently to remove excess water; avoid wringing or twisting as it may cause wrinkles.
Drying Your Sofa Covers
There are also two famous drying processes after washing your sofa covers. The drying process significantly prevents the sofa cover from shrinking: air drying and machine drying.
(i) Air Drying
The steps to efficient atmosphere drying are as follows.
- Take your cleaned sofa covers and lay them facedown on a dry rack. Do not hang them, or the fabric will stretch.
- Constantly place these passed covers away from direct sunlight exposure in a shaded area. This contains color fading and resists shrinking.
- To avoid creases in the covers, shape these covers in their original dimensions. This also prevents shrinking, and the cover will fit properly once it has dried up.
(ii) Machine Drying
If your washing machine has a dryer, use the following approaches to prevent the sofa cover from shrinking.
- Set the dryer in a low-heat environment or put it on the Air-dry cycle.
- Ensure you remove the sofa covers from the dryer, as they are still a bit wet. This will prevent the slugs from over-drying, which causes shrinking.
- Now lay these slightly damp sofa covers on a drying rack and let them air dry. Tuck them into their dimensions to ensure their perfect fit once all dried up.
Our Final Say
How to wash sofa covers without shrinking: Follow our tips for pre-washing and the proper washing and drying techniques to protect sofa covers from shrinking. Additionally, make sure to repair the sofa instantly if it gets damaged. A well-maintained sofa cover adds to the charm of your interiors and provides a hygienic sitting place.
