How I Clean My White Couch

Many say I am absolutely crazy for having a white couch with 3 kids! I will be honest with you...it is EASIER to keep clean than any other couches we have ever owned! So easy in fact, that I bought another white couch for our new family room AND I also have 3 white chairs! 

So how is it so easy you ask? Because if you really needed to, you could honestly just bleach it! Now I have only experienced the white slipcovers from the IKEA Ektorp collection so please keep that in mind before reading on. I can't assume my cleaning method would work on other white slipcovers since all materials are different so definitely check your care label before cleaning. 

​To start, I usually clean our entire couch about every other month and then if needed, spot clean a cushion or two in between if it gets a serious stain. And yes, even though I tell my littles not to eat on the couch, they still do! But we do LIVE in our house so stains are bound to happen...

For the large sectional, I usually do the back slipcover first and then separate the couch into sections, so I will wash one side and then the other. It takes 3 loads to get it all done. A great tip is to number your couch cushions with a sharpie. There is a small label on each of my cushions and cushion cover. Since they all kind of look the same, it really helps when it's time to put the whole couch back together. Trust me!!! 

When it comes time to actually washing the covers, I honestly don't use anything too crazy. I use one scoop of Tide High Efficiency Powder Laundry Detergent, then spot treat any stains with OxiClean Stain Remover Spray and then lastly, my secret weapon on getting the covers nice and bright white again, one OxiClean 2in1 Stain Fighter Pak and that's it! I also always wash the covers using cold water as it helps prevent any extra shrinkage and I never put them in the dryer! I put them right on the couch damp as its easier to get them back on and again, will prevent extra shrinkage. Of course that means we may have a damp couch for a few hours so I always try and do this later in the afternoon or at night. 

So, you can call me crazy for sure for having a white couch with 3 kids but I can honestly admit that it is far easier to keep clean than any other couch that we have owned {and its been a few!}. I hope these tips help anyone who has been on the fence about getting one and if you have any questions, feel free to email me!