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Whitie Tightie

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Some folks think I am crazy for buying a white couch.  I think the exact words were “insane” “stupid” and “why don’t you just give me your money?!”  but in actuality, our couch is probably the best thing we have ever bought.  BECAUSE it is white. 

So here’s the story….we bought our house, had a loveseat (pictured below), and decided to splurge if we found an extra deep sofa that we both loved. 

A couple months later, we did find that beauty at Pottery Barn outlet (here’s the VERY old post about it) and it lasted us all three years in the last house and the past year in this one….still unmarred by the likes of rough-and-rowdy Bower boys. 

Some folks were asking repeatedly how we kept it spotless.  So this post is for you guys.  The ones with dalmations for white slipcovers. 

Firstly – you should know, we eat on this couch….every. single. day.  And we spill, smear, sweat, bleed and dribble on this bad boy.  To date, we do not have any stains or lasting marks.  And I credit it to two things…one being the quality of the upholstery used to make the slipcover.  It’s just the standard ole canvas twill stuff…but it has held up great.  even against the red koolaid with chocolate on top.  The other thing that I think has helped our couch is the way we wash it.  And I have decided to share that with ya today with some very old photos.

First – strip.  Take it all off.  unzip, unbutton, undo it all.  let’s get dirty.  (how’s that for a thats-what-he-said montage). 

Next – Pretreat.  I use the Oxi-Clean laundry spray.  I am sure that a lot of other brands could do just the same.  I put all the cushions that have pretreated areas aside and spray – making note of what has what spots or spills or stains.  It should also be noted that I am super liberal with the pretreater.  If pretreater was a political viewpoint….I’d be democrat.  A swinging democrat that streaked and got arrested at baseball games. 

Then comes the other ingredients…bleach…full serving….laundry detergent….full serving….NO softener (unless you use something natural like vinegar because it’s just one more thing your washer has to get out next wash!)…and pretreater (I use either oxi-clean or just some extra detergent).

Then comes the settings.  I use one of two settings.  Whites – hot/cold, with steam, and a heavy soil level or Sanitize – extra hot/cold, with steam, and a heavy soil level.  It’s also important to only use a medium spin cycle because these are really heavy items and could screw up your machine if all of the guts are pushed to one side.  It takes me two separate loads to do our couch. 

Now here’s the real kick in the pants….after you wash the slipcover – take out each piece from the washer and INSPECT thoroughly before putting the guy into the dryer.  Once you dry a stain…it’s in.  DON’T DRY A STAIN.  Instead of setting that in for life – just redo the whole washing process for that piece and inspect again.

I also just dry normally…regular heat until it’s extra dry.  I’ve heard that some folks leave theirs slightly damp so that they can actually get their cushions back into the slipcover…but we’ve never had a problem.  Besides….I like my cushion covers like I like Jeremy’s shorts….extra tight 🙂  

So there you have it…our very white couch. 

Now I’m back to sorting through a bazillion Atlanta Aquarium photos and editing some photoshoots while simultaneously painting something 🙂

p.s.  John & Sherry insisted that I get on Instagram.  I succumbed to the peer pressure.  I also succumbed to the word succumbed 🙂  I’m under “bowerpowerblog” if you wanna join in on the fun. 

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  2. thanks for this! we’re working on some stains (and possibly getting a new, white couch) so the tips are definitely helpful!

  6. How often do you end up washing it? Do you do anything in between washes, like spot cleaning? We have PB kids “anywhere chairs” and they seem to get dirty so fast, and I haven’t been able to get all the stains out. But, they are not white, so I can’t bleach.

  7. I have the same washer and dryer! I LOVE them. I don’t have a white couch, but you are doing an awesome job of maintaining yours. We also eat pretty much every meal on our couch and ours is spotless. I vouch for the stain resistant spray we had them put on when we bought the couches (I think they’re micro-fiber?? maybe?). It didn’t affect the softness of the fabric at all and we’ve been able to get out any spills so far. We don’t have babies yet, but I like the idea of a couch with slip covers that I can wash! I’ll file that in the “maybe next time” file. 🙂

  8. We have the same sofa (in natural) and L.O.V.E. it! So far, I’ve been pretty lucky in the stain removal department, but between kids and dogs, I’m always fearful the day will come when there’s a stain that can’t be beat. Sadly, Pottery Barn discontinued that line not long after we bought our couch. Have you ever come across replacement Griffin slipcovers in your (online or real-world) travels?

  10. I do love my white couch too (it’s Ikea). But there are times, especially when I just washed the slipcovers an literally 5 seconds later a toddler/dog/husband invasion messing it up again, when I want to buy dark gray covers RIGHT NOW.

    So how often so you so the washing-circus? Cause I do know it’s not just a quick commercial break task!!

  11. Ah! Your Blog is addictive …;)
    Now u need to make a Blog app …for us iphone users..

    So yeah…Your couch is so white….i wonder how many trips its going to make it to the Washing Mach., now that u are soon gonna be a mum of two children…Have u considered on reupholstering it to leather or something?
    Also i always thght once u wash slip-covers they will never fit the same….but looks like they do!

    Cheers.

  12. And THAT is a big difference between Ikea and Pottery Barn slipcovers. After a few washes, we had a couple holes–HOLES!–in our Klippan slipcover. And wouldn’t you know it, they discontinued the four-seater. Now our couch is naked and it isn’t a good naked either. Meh!

  13. Girl! You have guts to deal with a white couch, mine has been less-than-fun. Question: Sometimes when I use bleach I notice a yellow/brown wave line almost. It’s hard to describe, but its unnoticeable until it is dry. Has this ever happened to you? If so, do you have any tips on getting it out?

  18. I have a friend that also has a white slip-covered Pottery Barn sofa, and she raves about it as well! We have a Karlstad in dark gray, from IKEA, just like John & Sherry :), and we love it for the fact that it’s dark, so not much even shows on it, but we can wash it if we feel like it needs it!

  19. Hey Katie! I too love white, our boxer sleeps with us (all 60lbs of him) and I use a very similar method for cleaning our all white bedding. However I know have a white glider in our son’s nursery and it isn’t slip covered so how do you spot clean? I have just been using a wet towel and clear liquid hand soap which work ok but not great. Hope your surviving this lovely Atlanta heat and thanks!

  20. Thanks I was thinking about getting white slipcovered couch and this helped a lot. One thing you should edit in your post is the suggestion for using vinegar as the fabric softener with the bleach. Bleach and vinegar cannot safely be mixed as it will create a toxic chlorine gas. Love your blog 🙂

  22. Heck no! We let that sucker get nasty! I would love to say monthly but I have been known to let it sit as long as three months 🙁
    xo kb

  23. Bleach is definitely my best friend when it comes to cleaning my white sheets and comforters…my husband initially thought I was nuts for switching to all white but he has since thanked me!

  24. I had a white sofa (many moons ago) and it really did get completely trashed. Having slipcovers would have made a big difference. Man, that sofa was nice, though – for about six months. I think some people have the Stain Removing Gene and others do not – I’m terrible at getting stains out even when following simple instructions. Crazy~

  25. I am so scared to wash my PB slipcovers! This post makes me feel better because I was most nervous about having to put them on a little damp.

  26. I use this crazy upholstery cleaner…its called FOLEX. I just spray and then blot. If it’s big and set in, there are other issues…but the key to getting it out is attacking it as soon as you can 🙂
    Hope this helps…
    xo – kb

  27. There might be a question of the type of fibers in the fabric. Sometimes I know bleach can actually damage a fabric (like wool) and it can become beyond repair. Sometimes hydrogen peroxide can help…so I’ve heard…but I’ve never given it a go. I’ve also heard of this thing called Yellow Out. I think you can get it at Walmart…anyone else with some help for Natalie?!
    hope this helps a little!
    xo – kb

  28. I want to do it once a month…but sometimes we let it get really gross and then do it. I’ve been known to let it go for two 🙂
    xo – kb

  30. I don’t spot clean in between washings….I feel like it’s counter-intuitive for some reason. I’d rather just wait till wash day 🙂
    And I don’t wash very often…we let it get real nasty. Maybe once a month or less? Bummer about your chairs – have you tried soaking in oxyclean?
    xo – kb

  31. Over time, it is possible that bleach will actually yellow your white slipcovers. Get Jeremy to put a clothes line up for you and hang your slipcovers outside once in a while – the sun is miraculous on stains!
    But hey – if it’s working for you, don’t sweat it. Just thought you might want to see your man bending over digging a few post holes in your yard 🙂

  33. For those of us with the basic whirlpool… what is a full serving of bleach? I am always nervous if I use too much then my fabric will disintegrate.

  34. I can actually do you one better…Fourteen years ago I purchased a butter yellow twill/canvas couch from Room & Board (clearance outlet!) I have one stain which won’t come out, the reason it was returned and I got a great deal because of it. 🙂 Like I’m really going to notice a dirty handprint on the back of the sofa- you know, the part usually against the wall?
    I remove the pillow/cushion covers probably twice a year to wash them, using the same OxiClean spray!! Granted, I’ve only had visiting children, not permanent ones, but I’ve had two cats who seem to think the comfy cushions are the best place to show me their displeasure with meal choices.

    My point is, light colored removable twill covers are awesome! Kind of like a couch made of your favorite jeans. 🙂

  35. I’m in love with white couches. My husbannd is not! I’d really like to try to do some slip covers for my dark avocado green couches. It’s not in the budget to replace them but maybe with the help of my mother in law, the master seamstress, I could make some covers. Thanks for sharing for those thinking about white covers and those already with them (lucky people!).

  36. There is another veeeeery good natural bleach: Sunlight!
    It is really very good for tomatoe or getting yellowish from age. That’s why I try to dry white laundry outside – it’s also energy saving. I never understood, why people (living outside of foggy London^^) pay a lot of money to let a machine do something that can just be done by time and air for free : )

  37. Love white couches! What I want to know is where are the green wing back chairs in the before pic from your old house those are gorgeous. I love that console table too do you still own all that furniture? Love your blog:)

  38. SOLD! I would have thought crazy too, but once you explain, it’s the same as white towels and sheets- soo easy to keep nice when you can Oxi and bleach ’em! I will def keep my eye on the slipcovered whites next time we are furniture shopping. Thanks!

  39. here’s another great washing tip…pour about a cup of baking soda in with a very dirty load…..it cleans the wash so much better when using it, and i feel that the clothes come out softer…it’s so cheap to buy also. love baking soda for cleaning so many things!:)

  40. oops..i meant to say-add baking soda after putting laundry detergent in…don’t just sue it alone.:)

  41. Actually those were just old thrift chairs that I reupholstered in green. It was a chore but I still love them. And yes, we do still own all that furniture 🙂
    xo – kb

  42. I would love to be able to do that but we have terrible pollen here. It coats everything in yellow! If I could find a way to avoid it, I would….it’s funny how we all have different ‘issues’ to deal with, huh?!
    xo – kb

  44. Wow, I’m definitely considering a white sofa next time! We had ours slip covered in denim, figuring that it’d be boy-friendly and easy to keep stain free. Uh, wrong. You can’t bleach denim (well, you can but it looks awful afterwards).

  45. Duh, how annoying. – Maybe it would work behind a window…? When my parents grew up, they couldn’t hang laundry outside because of the smoke coming from coal- and steelindustry. Everybody’s house was painted a muddy brownish-grey, so you wouldn’d see the debris… Why did I write this actually? – I don’t really know…^^
    I guess yellow is at least a happy colour to have on your house/car/garden furniture/…. : )

    Have a good start into the next week!

  46. You gotta live a little- good for you. White is awesome. We almost got a white leather couch for our living room and now I really wish we did. I still think about that one. Next time I’ll stay away from safe beige.

  48. whoa…a much prettier and more exotic sister! I would love to look like her because holymolyshe’shot!
    xo – kb

  49. oh, i meant the model in the picture looks like your sister..the one who got married i think in september. but, you are pretty too. 🙂

  55. Too funny! We hear the exact same things when people see our white couch. First it was – Are you crazy getting a white couch with a dog…..now it is Are you crazy getting a white couch with a dog and kid. We are contemplating adding more animals and kids to the picture just to see how long that sentence will get. 😉

    Great post! Oxi-Clean is GREAT!

  57. So glad you are on Instagram!!! Now I’m just waiting for you to join Twitter!
    Thank you for your thoughts and tips on a white sofa. I love the look, but am scared I can’t keep it clean and bright. This makes me think I can.

  58. I had a cream-colored couch and washed the slip covers for YEARS! (18 to be exact). I always put them back on right from the washer and smoothed them where ever there were wrinkles. I normally did it in the evening so by the next morning they were totally dry. 3 loads to do a sofa, chair-and-a-half (wide) and an ottoman. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
    Good luck! Love the blog.

  60. I don’t have white but good to know you can keep it clean with kiddos around. Thanks for sharing your secret. I forwarded it along to a friend who’s thinking of doing white slipcovers for parsons chairs.

  62. well I don’t have a white couch although our sage slip covered couch from crate and barrel does have some mystery bleaching on the back cushion. I think it was when my fiance and his friends spill beer on it, he thinks its from my hair products when i lean on the couch after a shower. I guess we’ll never know… but I did try your methods last night on a pair of white pants and it worked great!! thanks for the tips!

  63. Katie, my wife (Rebecca) and I met you at the Thursday Family Fun Night a few weeks ago and finally decided to check-out your blog…really, really, good! Very informative and you are quite the comedian. Keep up the good work!

  64. Love your blog. I recently purchased a PB slipcover sofa with the brushed twill slipcovers. I love it, so soft and comfy to curl up on. I have yet to wash the entire slipcover. I have washed the cushion covers, but not the one big slip cover that covers the back and arms of the sofa. Do you wash that too when you do the big cleaning overhaul every month or so? My fear is that it might shrink and look funky after it’s been washed. What has your experience been? Thanks so much!

  65. Yup – I wash the whole shabang. Usually I do the big one in a separate load and all the cushion covers together.
    xo – kb

  66. Hi Tom! Or whatever your real name is – don’t wanna break your cover 🙂
    I saw you guys at church the other day and then didn’t see you after….are you staying for lunch because you totally should 🙂
    xo – kb

  67. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who lets the slip covers get nasty… :). I do love oxyclean… Will try that! xo

  68. Is there a way to receive your blog updates via email? I’ve looked all over and can’t seem to find where to sign up.
    Thanks!

  69. Yup! Click on the little fire icon (it’s called feedburner) on the sidebar…then click on the blue link called “subscribe via email”. Pretty simple 🙂
    xo – kb

  70. Katie – I have been eyeing a white PB couch at the outlet up the street. Your original post says it was “natural brushed canvas” but it looks white. The natural brushed canvas one I saw was more off-white or cream. The one I really like is the white-white one but I’m afraid it will look too clinical in the room. Also to make sure I get the right material – is yours brushed canvas or the regular twill white? I need something to put in the playroom. I’ve got two teenagers and a 7 month old so the stains can be anything from puke(baby) to dirt (teenage boy) to makeup (teenage girl). I don’t want to do leather in there and my experience with fabric couches is that when you have one in a color – they stain and you can’t bleach. So white is probably the answer.

  72. Hi Katie! I’m getting ready to take the plunge and (finally) wash my white couch slipcover this weekend. I remembered seeing this post earlier this summer and came back to make sure I get it right! Love your blog and thanks for the great post. : )

  73. I just purchased a slip covered sofa. It looked whiter in the store. Iam disppointed it’s not as white as I thought, Anything I can do to lighten it up? I love the couch but not the color more of a natural color instead of white. So sad.

  74. Hmmm…is there anyway to return or exchange the slipcover?
    And if there is no way and you aren’t afraid of bleach, then I say go for it (of course, it’s easy for me to say since it’s not my couch!)
    xo – kb

  75. I have this sofa and getting it clean is no big deal…however…I did ask the PB people if the cover of the sofa was washable and they said yes so I did. The said I could dry it a bit and put in damp but the darn thing shrunk…trying to force it in the zipper broke. Now being white is not the issue anymore…being broken took over.

    Worst is they don’t sell these covers anymore. Anybody has purchased anything that does the trick?

    Oh one more thing…the base of the sofa slipcover on mine is brown…how can you bleach and wash in hit water and not ruin the white part?

  76. We had an issue with one of the zippers on one of the big cushions but we figured out that as long as it was ever-so-slightly damp, we could make it work. I think that if it causes issues for us in the future, we will just have the zipper replaced by a reupholster pro (it doesn’t cost as much as a brand new cover). And we bleach it every single time and the brown hasn’t changed at all. Maybe it’s a fabric that responds well to color-safe bleach?
    xo – kb

  77. I finally got the courage to wash my slip covers. I’m so glad I did. They were so bad, nothing could make them worse. They’re red so they do fade some. I think if you have a color like that I would recommend washing all pieces every time you wash so they fade evenly.

  78. Is that a Pottery Barn slipcover? You bleach it and it doesn’t yellow it. Instructions say no bleach. I have an old PB comfort sofa I bought on Craigslist and would like to bleach the cover but am afraid to.

  80. We have had our PB couch for about 4 years now and I can get out individual spot stains, but you can see where I did spot removal, because the overall couch is just dingy. I’m super nervous to bleach it. I don’t think ours was ever a bright white–kind of an off-white. Was yours a bright white to begin with?

  81. It was white…I don’t think it was off-white….but you could always test an area that is hidden with a bleach pen.
    xo – kb

  82. I just bought a pottery barn comfort sofa and it is a performance canvas warm white 100% polyester, is that yours? I am curious about using bleach on it or not.

  83. Hmm….mine is performance twill. Is that the same thing? Mine is very old so maybe the terminology is different.
    xo – kb

  84. Do you use the oxi-clean powder in your wash cycle? I am switching from a top loading washer to a front loader and I’m wondering how I need to adjust my cleaning routine.

  85. So the idea is exactly the same…it’s just put in the drum instead. You might find that you can reduce the amount with the front loader!
    xo – kb

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