One of the questions I get asked most frequently is, “How do you keep your white slipcovers clean?”. I think most people think I own white slipcovers because our boys are grown and that’s how they stay clean. But look at the photo above!
It doesn’t matter how old your kids are. Or how many pets you have. Keeping white slipcovers clean is easy. You just need to wash them. If you look closely at these photos, check out all of the spots!
I have to admit, it has been a while since I cleaned our slipcovers at the beach house. With my broken foot, it just wasn’t a priority. But let me share with you how easy it is!
These are the only products you need.
The steps are so easy.
- Take off all of the slipcovers.
- Spray every stain you can find with Resolve. I usually use an entire bottle per cleaning.
- Place in the washing machine. For the IKEA Ektorp sectional, I run two loads. One with the cushion slipcovers and another one with the couch cover.
- Add one large scoop of Oxyclean and one Tide (or any laundry soap) tablet.
- Change the setting to reflect HOT wash cycle and run the full cycle.
- Take the slipcovers out and don’t dry them. I know that some people dry them but I like my slipcovers loose fitting and I don’t want to take the chance they will shrink. Normally I hang them but I couldn’t find my clothesline! So I laid them out on towels on the ping pong table in our garage.
Once they are almost dry, go ahead and put them back on the sofa and cushions. Usually, I let them hang dry over night. Look how much better they look!
I can honestly say that there is not one spot anywhere on the entire slipcover!
And by the way, my slipcovers are almost five years old. My sectional is the IKEA Extorp with the white cover. I just love how they look brand new every time I clean them.
I gave the sofa, ottoman and chair and I love them!! I have the dark gray slips and a set of dark beige which I have yet to put on.
They’re very pretty but so glad I have leather!
I LOVE having slip covers too. Our Mitchell Gold sofa is nearly 18 years old and the slip covers still look great. I have a few different colors for each season and they wear so well~~especially with 3 children and pets. Thanks for sharing…haven’t used Resolve on them but will now try it.
The hot water doesn’t shrink them and then if you put them on damp do they dry fairly quickly? Mine need done desperately. I have done them before but not in hot water and I put them outside to dry completely which requires nice weather, but I hate to give up a pretty day to this chore, lol
I have the chairs and always take covers to the dry cleaners because that is what the labels say to do…If I can wash them you have saved me a ton of money.
So funny…I clean my white Ikea slipcovers almost same way! I have several of these sofas both at home and at our house on Cape Cod. Those slipcovers wash great! Sometimes I do dry them on low heat for a bit but never fully! I do have a few spare slipcovers for catastrophic stains though more likely in event of my lab chewing the corner of a skirt to sofa! I do also love solution of dish liquid, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda for tough stains on white slipcovers (or white jeans…works for red wine spills:).