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Your pets are undoubtedly a big part of your family, and they love to cuddle up with you on the couch. But that can be a problem if you allow your pets to sleep on your furniture, as Fido and Tibbles can do some horrendous damage to the upholstery.
Claws can pull and scratch fabric, while shed hair, dirt, dander, and grease can make a real mess of fine materials.
So, what’s the solution?
Well, you could choose dogs that shed less than others and clip your cat’s claws, but if you are set on letting your furry friends join you on your sofa, you need to choose pet-friendly fabrics.
Keep reading to discover five great pet-friendly fabrics for your home!
1. Microfiber
Microfiber is a soft, velvet-like synthetic fabric that’s a great choice for homes with pets.
Microfiber is renowned for being stain resistant and almost liquid-repellant. Generally, you can spot-clean the material, simply by using a little warm water and dish soap to blot the stain out. Also, the fabric weave is too tight to be snagged by sharp claws.
The range of colors you can choose from is pretty much limitless, so finding something perfect for your living room or bedroom should be fairly straightforward. And you can buy throws that can be used to cover fine fabrics that could be vulnerable to damage by your pets.
To keep your furniture looking nice, simply use a lint brush or vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment to remove any hair from the microfiber fabric.
2. Leather
If you have pets, leather has to be the perfect choice of upholstery material.
Leather is a natural material that’s really easy to keep looking clean and fresh. If your pet tracks dirt over the leather, simply wipe it clean with a damp cloth. If your hairy hound or fluffy feline deposits a truckload of fur all over your leather couch, just vacuum the hair away, using a wand attachment to clean down the side of the cushions.
Since leather gradually develops its own unique patina over time, any scuffs or scratches will gradually blend into the material until they’re not noticeable.
The main drawback of leather furniture is that it’s usually more expensive than synthetic fabrics and material upholstery. However, leather typically lasts much longer than fabric and is much more durable. But if your budget won’t stretch to a full-on leather couch and matching Chesterfield armchairs, you might want to consider opting for faux leatherette instead.
These days, there are some very realistic-looking faux leather materials that give you the look and benefits of the real thing, but at a fraction of the cost.
3. Outdoor Material
If you have a set of upholstered outdoor patio furniture, you’ll know that it’s hard-wearing, damage-resistant, and very easy to clean. So, why not bring the outside indoors?
Outdoor fabrics come in a huge range of patterns and colors that you can use to blend or contrast with your existing interior décor scheme.
Those same benefits can make outdoor fabrics a great choice for living areas to which your furry friends have access. Outdoor materials are designed and created to withstand the rigors of harsh weather conditions. They’re water-repellent, stain-resistant, and are also treated to resist bacteria and mold. So, that makes these fabrics the perfect choice for pet owners.
To clean outdoor material, simply vacuum up hair and use dish soap and warm water to sponge away grease and stains. In the event of a serious accident all over your couch, you can even take the cushions outside and hose them down.
4. Velvet
At first glance, velvet might not appear to be a good pet-friendly fabric option. Of course, you can get velvet cushion covers, and suites of velvet-covered furniture in pretty much any color you want, often with drapes to match. However, that luxurious, sumptuous fabric can take a lot of wear and tear, largely thanks to its short pile and tight weave.
But surely such a beautiful fabric would be a nightmare to clean. Actually, velvet is very easy to keep looking good. The material’s short fibers prevent liquid from soaking into the fabric and keep smells on the surface where they can be sponged away. Pet hair and dirt can easily be brushed off.
5. Canvas
In a similar way to outdoor fabrics, canvas can make a smart choice for homes with pets. This hard-wearing material doesn’t attract dirt or loose hair, and it’s also resistant to sharp claws.
Canvas comes in plenty of different patterns and colorways, making it easy to incorporate into your home decoration scheme. If you opt for canvas-covered furniture, you can strip off the cushion covers and put them into your washing machine to remove stains and odors. At the same time, loose hair simply sits on the surface of the canvas and easily vacuums away.
Final Thoughts
These five pet-friendly fabrics are all great choices for you if you enjoy having your pets snuggled up on the furniture with you.
That said, you will still need to do a certain amount of cleaning to keep your upholstery looking and smelling fresh. If you don’t relish the idea of doing that, you might want to opt instead for washable throws to protect your furniture or perhaps consider restricting your pets to their own beds altogether.