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When you first brought home your new dog, you knew you’d be getting a lifelong companion.
What you may not have considered is that you were also getting a furry friend who loves your furniture just as much as you. The only problem is your four-legged bestie, much like your kids, doesn’t exactly leave your living room sofa in pristine condition.
Oh well, that’s just the cost of owning a pet, right? Wrong.
At the very least, that shouldn’t prevent you from creating living spaces you love. Because while you may be unable to completely avoid dog hair on the furniture, there are certain fabrics and materials that are more forgiving to Fido’s couch-loving ways.
Learn more about these pet-friendly finds that will hold up to the wear and tear of your fur babies.
PET-FRIENDLY FABRICS
Leather
While the polished look may seem counterintuitive to having pets make their home on it, leather acts as a sort of repellent to pet hair. Take a vacuum and the occasional cleaner to it once or twice a week and your leather sofa will stay shiny just like the day you bought it.
Microfiber
You’ve probably heard of this miracle maker before — and with good reason. Microfiber is known for its durable and water-resistant traits, which makes it an obvious pick for homes where tiny hands and paws roam freely.
It also has a soft, velvet-like feel that screams comfort. And, best of all, most stains will come out with just a bit of mild soap and water, as well as some light scrubbing.
Slipcovers
Can’t bear to part with a special piece, but know it’s not pet-friendly? Try a slipcover.
Slipcovers, especially those made of canvas or faux leather, can be a great compromise for a design-loving home. Remove the cover with little effort for when guests come over or to launder it when it gets a bit dirty.
DON’T PICK PLAYGROUND PIECES
This one is sort of an “aha” moment once you understand what a playground piece of furniture means to your pooch.
Of course, a dog’s urge is to chew is both instinctual and a boredom buster. Think about it this way. If you pick up a stick and throw it for your pup to fetch, they now associate wood with toys and fun. And who doesn’t want to play?
Now, think about all the ways your home décor might be full of tantalizing wood “treats” in the form of furniture. Coffee tables, sofas, and chairs with wooden legs accessible to dogs’ mouths could all become a target.
With that in mind, your best bet is to avoid buying wooden furniture and instead opt for metal. Then again, you can also use a pet-friendly furniture spray on wooden pieces to discourage chewing.
TIGHT WEAVE = PET-FRIENDLY
What any design-forward person wants is not to feel limited in their choices of furniture.
So, even those of us with kiddos and/or dogs at home can have our space reflect our unique style — as long as the fabrics we choose all share this one quality: a tight weave. It won’t trap odors, it’s durable and easy to clean, and it won’t catch a stray toenail and snag.
Ultimately, pets and stylish, modern furniture can happily coexist if you know what to pick and what to avoid.
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
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“Every day is another chance to get stronger, to eat better, to live healthier, and to be the best version of you.”
Passing on to my son
These are good tips! I like the idea of having a slipcover since it can be taken off and washed. You know you can really get it clean then.
That’s totally true! I have slipcovers on my kitchen chairs.
My dog is getting on in years and doesn’t always make it outside for the bathroom. Our furniture is ruined at this point. Thank you for this post so I know what to get for replacements.
Awe, poor pup. Could he use a diaper? I’ve never had an elderly dog before.
i really needed to read this because our pets are so tough on our stuff!
I feel ya, Molli. We have pet hair galore in our house lol.
We love having pets. I know that with this we do have some issues with furniture, flooring etc. I really appreciate all the information you provided in this article. Thank you so much for sharing
We love having pets too! Couldn’t imagine not at least having one.
With one dog and two cats {not to mention four kids}, this post was a must-read! :O
Sounds like you have your hands full. That’s a great thing 🙂
We really enjoy having leather sofas; they’re so easy to clean! No worries about cat or dog hair.
We had leather couches once, but it didn’t go well with our cats’ claws lol.
Will keep this in mind the next time we replace furniture, most the stuff we have is wrecked by my cat, even though we have preventative tape in place.
Have you ever tried (aff link) cat nail caps? I know most people aren’t into declawing but these guys worked great when we had leather couches.
I also find that tight weave does best.. Have a few and my cat doesn’t touch them. Wish my parents knew about the pet proof sofas when they got the furniture last time.. as now the other ones are looking more and more like a scratching post for my cat..
I’m sorry to hear your cat likes to scratch on your furniture. Do they have a scratching post?