The Dirty Truth. Everything You've Wanted to Know About White Slipcovers.

Ahh.  White Slipcovers.  We love them don't we?

Windsor Smith

Country Living

Cote de Texas

I know I love mine.

However, our life isn't a magazine.

We live like true super heroes in our house.

And we really, really live on our white couch.  Allll over it.  And even under it, sometimes.

Life is too busy and too short to worry about everything being picture perfect, all of the time.

However, if you don't have at least a day every other month to fight with your sofa, I wouldn't recommend the white.

Here is the dirty truth. ....

White gets dirty.

Say, what?  Yep.  It indeed does.

You can't really tell from afar...

But start getting closer....

And, you'll start to see the grime.

The marker from fake school face painting smeared on the cushions.

Yikes, haha.   Right now, our slipcover is in desperate need of a wash.  It's been in need of a wash for about 2 weeks now, but I keep avoiding it.

Which leads me to- The Dirty Truth about WHITE slipcovers.

They really come off pretty easily.   I have no problem getting most stains out of them.  Two thumbs up in that regards.  However, these things are a pain and a half to get back on.  Seriously, you better make sure your nails are trimmed short and you've done a few jumping jacks before getting these suckers out of the dryer.

You have to be careful on drying, so that they don't shrink.  The last thing you want is your girly couch legs showing.

If you go white, please get, or make, some sort of arm cover for the arms of the couch.  The only parts of the main cover that get dirty for me are the arms.  It would be so nice to just wash the cushions and the arm covers.   -I have yet to listen to my own advice.  I'll be stripping all of the covers, including the main one, this afternoon.   Bah-hum-slip.

They usually say quality matters.  In the case of white slipcovers, I'm not so sure.  Granted, you do want something that isn't going to fall apart.  However, would I honestly buy a Pottery Barn couch with a white slipcover? 

No, I would not.  Why?  Because I'm cheap.  But also, because those replacement slipcovers are $699.

That, my friends, is a couch budget in my mind; not a slipcover budget.

I am in no way trashing Pottery Barn or their wonderful covers.  If you have the money and don't mind the risk that bleach poses, then go for it. 

I, personally, would not feel comfortable bleaching and RIT-ing (more on a that in a bit) an almost $700 cover. 

One of the most frequently asked questions I've received about our couch is asking where we bought it.

IKEA.   It is the Ektorp model, and to get a new cover for our large sectional is only $99 online, $119 in store.  (Our little secret, but if you print out the online page showing the price and take it in, they'll honor it for you.  I'm all for saving $20.)

If you purchase the normal ol' Ektorp couch for $399 (remember that couch budget thing- this is more my style), the covers are only $49.   Seriously??   For that price, bleach away, my friends.  If for some reason your laundering ends horribly wrong, you can just buy a new cover for less than the cost of dinner and movie.

So despite the fact that the white does get dirty, and getting those form fitting covers back on is a pain in the ...  why on Earth would I be buying ANOTHER white couch?

Because, when you find something you love, you're willing to take care of it.  Remember those photos above of my boys and our overly abused couch?  Just consider the couch a member of the family. 

I could buy a brown couch or cover (we had a brown cover for the first 5 years of our couch's life), and I'd have to wash it less, but I wouldn't love it near as much.

So, here are a few tips for those of you who are stubborn like me, and would rather have what you love and work harder, than live life easily, yet sub par.   (Disclaimer.. I'm not calling those of you with brown slips sub par, unless of course you would rather have red.   Then, I call you a pansy for not buying what you love.)

How to care for your white slipcovers.

Mine say not to bleach.  I do anyways.

Rit Whitener.  Awesome stuff.  It's located on the laundry aisle with the other dyes.  Use it.  Love it.

If you dry, dry on fluff, or low heat.  My covers are cotton.  Cotton shrinks.

Be practical.  I drink and snack on our couch whenever I please.  Am I going to let my 4 year old eat his red Jello on the couch?  No.   Call it lesson lived and learned on that one.  Yes, it did come out.

We don't have animals, and if I had a black haired animal, I could imagine a white couch would be a nightmare.  I'm sure a white sock or shirt would be a nightmare too.

We have 3 boys, one of which is a baby.  A baby with reflux issues.  Spit up city.  Did you know that if you don't clean up spit up right way, it turns yellow, spells funky, and then stains??  STAINS!

Yes my dear readers, if you have small spit-uppy babies, be prepared for yellow spots.  And then, because you're demotivated from lack of sleep, be prepared to go 2 weeks longer than normal on your couch washing schedule.

If you do encounter spots that just WON'T come out, try Clorox clean up.  Yep, the stuff for counters and bathrooms.  I spray a little on, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then wash it.  Works great on the stubborn stuff.   Like spit up.  And Jello.

So maybe this wasn't EVERYTHING you wanted to know about White slipcovers, or maybe it was more than you wanted to know.  Having said that, if you have a question that I didn't address, feel free to leave a comment and I'll answer it to the best of my ability.

Meanwhile, I have white slipcover to wash.  :)

-Courtney