# what's a good child-proof sofa?



## luckydogcafe (Sep 25, 2004)

our sofa is a disaster. stains everywhere. (even though we paid extra for that stainguard) our fault for letting the kids actually use it I suppose, but when shopping for a new sofa, what should we look for?

lots of places say they are "stain proof" but I don't buy it. is there a good quality, stain resistant, easy to clean sofa out there that doesn't cost a lot? I'm looking to spend under $1000. what have you found to hold up to food/juice/writing utencils?

thank you......


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## 4evermom (Feb 3, 2005)

I'd go with dark colored, patterned, slip covers.


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## superstella (Aug 25, 2006)

:

Since the puppy just covered my sofa in doggy diarrhea from one end to the other, I'm thinking I'll be in the market for a new sofa in the very near future... Definitely need a stain proof one.


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## adon (Oct 24, 2005)

slip covers. slip cover. slip covers! no matter what type of sofa you get i would definetly go with a slip cover. it's easier to replace or wash a $50 (when you get them on sale








) slip cover then a whole new couch. then hopefully the couch will last until the kids are older and you will no longer need the cover


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## Lisa Lubner (Feb 27, 2004)

I got a beautiful new berry colored velvet sofa for around 700 from jcpenny... It is in the no food allowed room with a slip cover on it until the kids are past the wreck-every-nice-thing-mommy-owns phase.


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## luckydogcafe (Sep 25, 2004)

we thought about slip covers, but some sofas just don't look right with them. like ones with the removeable pillows. have you had issues with that?


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## adon (Oct 24, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *luckydogcafe* 
we thought about slip covers, but some sofas just don't look right with them. like ones with the removeable pillows. have you had issues with that?

DH does not like the sofas with removable cushions, and neither do i. they seem to "wear out" faster. at least removeable back cushions. we have a slip cover now tha is 2 pieces one for the couch and one for the cushions you sit on. it works very nicely. i think the one thing you need to do is make sure you get the couch with the right arms on them....you know what i mean...the type that all slip covers seem to be made for?


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## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

I bought a couch about 2 years ago. If I had to do it again.....I would buy a couch you later can slip cover and just buy extra toss pillows. My couch is stain resisant. Paid extra have had them come clean it, yada, yada, yada, it looks like crap. I want a new couch but this one will break first because I am going to wait until the kids are adults and I can tell them they stain it they pay for it.


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## earthchick (Sep 30, 2004)

We just replaced our sofa and recliners with a sectionial and a loveseat from World Market. They are having a big sale from now until Nov. 4, and if you open a credit card with them you get another 10%. The sectional we got was originally $899, on sale for $719, and with the 10% off we got it for $647; it's their Quinn Reversible Sectional (a new arrival) - a three-seater with chaise. It's a sort of taupe chenille fabric. We hate slipcovers (have never found one - and we have really tried! - that would stay on right and not have to be readjusted every time someone sat down or got up). So we are going to try a combination of scotchguarding, covering it at night (to keep the cats from messing it up) and making a rule for the boys of no eating/drinking on the furniture (tried to make the same rule for dh but he refused!







). [The loveseat is called the Dylan Twin Sleeper and is a cream-colored fabric - yikes! - with the sale and the credit card discount we got it for $539].

I know we can't keep these in perfect condition with two three year-olds and two cats, but we will do our best.


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## ~Nikki~ (Aug 4, 2004)

Have you looked at Ikea sofas? Most of them are very affordable, and many of them come with slipcovers that are designed to fit that specific sofa, so they don't look sloppy or out of place. You could probably buy a sofa and _two_ different slip covers for under a grand. Buy a dark one for when the kids are young. You can toss it in the wash over and over. Buy a second one in case the first gets severely damaged.


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## Alyantavid (Sep 10, 2004)

We have a couch and loveseat in that microsuede. Its been awesome. I wouldn't have any other type of couch with kids. We have puke, pee, crayon, everything you can imagine on it. A friend of mine even spilled a beer on it and you can't tell. We've had them for almost 5 years and they still look brand new.

It looks nice and you can't tell what alls been spilled on it.


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## Nikki Christina (Mar 27, 2003)

we also have microsuede.

it cleans up nicely with a wet washcloth.
my 2 year old drew all over my couch with a pen a few weeks ago & it all scrubbed off with a magic eraser

my loveseat/couch where priced around $1000 together. but i paid $300 with stain proofing under my stepdads employee discount


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## proudmamanow (Aug 12, 2003)

We are just in the process of replacing our white (! I know, I know) sofa purchased pre-dd with a brown leather one. It was remarkably cheap, on sale for $799 and I'm pretty sure it's going to stand up better than our trashed white cotton one. Not everyone's cup of tea, but it will work well in our living room and is comfy...plus we have two cats and are looking forward to not having a sofa covered in hair!


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## ~ATenthMuse~ (Mar 16, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~Nikki~* 
Have you looked at Ikea sofas? Most of them are very affordable, and many of them come with slipcovers that are designed to fit that specific sofa, so they don't look sloppy or out of place. You could probably buy a sofa and _two_ different slip covers for under a grand. Buy a dark one for when the kids are young. You can toss it in the wash over and over. Buy a second one in case the first gets severely damaged. 

I usually don't like slip covers, but in Ikea's case... They know what they're doing. My mil has one. It's great.

We have a sofa from Lazy-boy that we bought back in 2003. It's just now showing some signs of wear on the arms. I've had some issues with the cushion covers, but only because I started washing them myself after awhile. This one has been through 3 moves, 3 kids, dogs, cats, etc. My best advice? Get one in a dark color... Our's is espresso with a swirly kind of patterned texture... If that makes sense. Not only does it hide more, but it's classic in color and style which I like. Get the stain-master treatment!


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## Selesai (Oct 26, 2005)

Ours is microfiber, too. It is a red sectional with non-removable back cushions. We got it from JC Penney on sale, but I think it was a little more than $1000. The color helps mask stains, but the fabric itself is easy to clean. I agree with the pp that removable back cushions always wear out fast. I already think we need new throw pillows, they look deflated.
We did not stainguard and eat on the couch all of the time.







: the couch also doesn't sag.
I don't like Ikea sofas. I have heard they are not great quality. I also don't like slipcovers. They never look right.
Just my opinion!


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## zo's ma (Mar 4, 2003)

Leather.

ANd as far as Ikeas quality goes, they have everything from 199$ sofas up to a couple of thousand plus, you get what you pay for.

We had a $500 Ikea sofa that got stuck into a spare room....literaly STUCK. We were moving so it had to get out......it took my dh 1/2 a day to sledgehammer/saw it apart into pieces that would fit through the door.

I don't know how we ever got it in to that room.


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## serenetabbie (Jan 13, 2002)

We just gave up and got a $98 metal futon.







I long for a real sofa.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

We bought two leather sofas 5 years ago, they still look great. Everything just wipes off, we've had grape juice spilled, beer, they have been puked on, peed on, pooped on, and etc...







I'd have a really tough time picking out sofas today, I love my leather, but now that I'm aware of the issues surrounding it... I don't know what I'd decide.

And my parents had two leather sofas that survived through both my sister's and I's childhood, they replaced them after we moved out.


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## happyhippiemama (Apr 1, 2004)

I work at a local furniture store, and I'm definitely sending you towards microfiber. The only problem with it is that it's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of a thing, I personally can't stand the way you can "draw" on the fabric. But kids love it!!









The reason microfibers are so stain-resistent is because they're 100% polyester threads that are 100x thinner than the human hair - no shit. They are woven together so tightly that hardly anything can penetrate it and leave a stain as long as it's cleaned up relatively quickly.

Microfibers come in a range of feels - they might be called microsuede, plushsuede, etc... some have a thicker pile so they feel all fluffy, others are thinner and feel smoother. They're all microfibers.

You should be able to just wipe about anything off of it with a wet cloth. Blot liquid spills really really really well to try to get all the dampness out, then press on the stain with a wet cloth, then blot again. Repeat a thousand times. Certain microfibers will leave a "stain" simply from the water - you can avoid that by using a hair dryer from the outside in, on a low setting.

Magic Erasers do work amazingly well on microfiber sofas, as well.

HTH!

(oh, and stainsafe or guard or whatever spray will do no good on microfiber - it won't penetrate, either!!)

Edited to add: oh, and leather!!! leather leather leather. Wipes off brilliantly.


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

leather or slip covered IMO is the way to go.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

I would just avoid getting velvet. It's a pain to keep clean.


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## delicious (Jun 16, 2003)

yeah we have a microfiber couch and chair. and ottoman. seriously, anything just comes right off. it's crazy. pen marks, spilled drinks, um, kid pee. oh, the list goes on. chocolate frosting...


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## luckydogcafe (Sep 25, 2004)

thanks to all! i'm glad to hear that the microfiber is good. they try to sell us that, but i just thought it was a tactic. i don't typically like 100% polyester stuff, it tends to wear or "pill" up. is that the case at all? you have a stain free sofa, but it still looks like crap, ya know what I mean?

is there a difference in microfibers enough to where we should ask specific questions? does microfiber come in designs, or just solids?

i'm not a fan of slip covers either, but would've considered them for this situation. it sounds like with microfiber or leather I wouldn't need that.

unfortunately we do allow eating in the living room for breakfast and lunch, so food on the sofa is unavoidable for now.

happyhippiemama: any other tips/brands etc. that will help us in our search?

is ashley furniture an okay place? value city furniture?

also...i have been unable to find the magic erasers. do they still make those? where do you get them?

thanks again!!! we're getting closer...


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## Leta (Dec 6, 2006)

We have a brown leather couch. It was free. (We are lucky, I know- it's even in good shape.)

I have always detested leather furniture, for athstetic reasons as well as the fact that I am an ethical vegetarian. (However, I do have/use used leather goods, so I am more okay with our sofa because we didn't buy it brand new.)

However- this couch has a been awesome. A big, shedful dog, two cats, and two kids and it cleans up like a dream.

So, my preferred couch would be leather or leather like, with removable back and side cushions. Then, have a seven peice custom slipcover for it- something like what Ikea does, with a one-big-peice cover for the main couch/frame, and then an individual zippered cover for each cushion, which you then put over the slipcovered couch.

I don't know if this couch exists, but it should.


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## Pepperdove (Apr 13, 2007)

Another vote for microfiber here. We got a couch and a loveseat at Wickes (don't know if it is local or what) warehouse (display pieces, perfect condition) for 1000, both. They are gi-normous, but really hard to hurt. Cat hair comes off with a damp cloth.


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## happyhippiemama (Apr 1, 2004)

I forgot that the other thing really important for cleaning microfiber is to use a very low-ph soap. If you use a harsh chemical cleaner, it's more likely to make it feel stiff when it dries.

Try taking a neutrogena facial bar, wetting it a little, and rubbing it in a circle over anything that might stain. Usually works.


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## mossimo12 (Sep 29, 2005)

Leather. Our couch has had more than it's share of drinks and smothies spilled on it and it just wipes up

Sarah


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## TinyBabyBean (Oct 18, 2003)

with five kids and after many ruined sofas i have found the best thing to be dark colored stretch slipcovers. they are easy to put on and easy to take off and wash. no ties or anything like that to deal with. we have them on over a velvet type fabric sofa. if you want to really protect the sofa you can get some waterproof mattress covers, i really like the ones from target with the fuzzy type tops(never put them in the dryer though, they dry fast hanging anyhow) and put those on under the sofa. if you buy two slipcovers and two mattress covers your sofa will always be protected. i wish i had done this years ago! so glad we have the slipcovers now.

oh, and the stretch slipcovers we got were from sears. we have washed and dried them many, many times and they still look awesome and are still soft. like new still really.


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## luckydogcafe (Sep 25, 2004)

okay, here are some microfiber questions: we went to ashley furniture last night, and they gave us a sample of some red material to take home to see if we liked the color. but since we had it, we decided to test out the stain part of it too.

we wrote on it with ink, green highlighter and permanent marker. the ink came right up, and so did the green highlighter, but the perm marker stayed.

one thing i noticed was that red came up on the rag we were using. would that indidicate that there would eventually be spots on the sofa that are lighter than other areas (if the color is coming off)?

also, i've heard/read that microfiber doesn't let stuff through its fibers since it's so tightly bound, but the green and black came through on the other side of this swatch, so wouldn't that mean it was penetrated? what does that mean? is ashley just not as good, or did i do something wrong when cleaning it?

any thoughts?


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