Answer: A slipcover is a plastic, or, more desirably these days, a fabric sheath that is placed on furniture for a variety of different reasons.
Question: Are the covers made to protect furniture?
Answer: Although they can do that, it is no longer their primary purpose. Now, they are used more to cover worn or stained furniture. Or, they are used to add interest by changing the colors and fabrics of your furniture often.
Question: Will specially shaped chairs fit in these covers? For instance, will my wing chairs fit in slipcovers?
Answer: Not every manufacturer makes this type of slipcover. Some make generic formless bags that will fit any furniture, but fit it poorly. Other companies offer special wing chair covers, sofa bed covers, and recliner covers, to name a few.
Question: Do slipcover fabrics have give in them, or do they stretch?
Answer: Yes, these covers can be bought in designs that will stretch to fit most any size or style of furniture. The fact that they stretch also makes them more comfortable to sit on. Beware, though! Not all of those on the market are made of stretch fabric.
Question: How do you clean these them?
Answer: Some manufacturers are taking the lead in the industry by making covers that are 100% washable. While these and other makers still produce covers that need to be spot cleaned instead, the trend is toward easy care.
Question: Where can you purchase a slipcover?
Answer: The biggest resource is online shopping. There may also be specialty shops or department stores in your area that sell them. Some stores send out catalogs that include them.
Question: I want to order online or from a catalog, but I can’t tell what the color really looks like. How can I be sure?
Answer: You can ask for swatches. In many cases, you will get them. If you don’t, you are taking a chance that the color is what you want. Then, if you don’t like it, you have the trouble of sending the slipcover back.
Question: How does the cost of a ready made cover compare to custom covers or reupholstering?
Answer: A custom cover will run you about $50 for the consultation and then around $800 for a custom couch slipcover. Reupholstering for the same couch could cost as much as $2000. However, you can get a couch cover with 2 T-cushions and 1 box cushion for less than $300 if you go to the right companies.
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( 3 / 178 )Just how comfortable is your slipcover? Perhaps you haven’t spent enough time on that particular piece of furniture to know. You should find out, in case someone has to spend more than a short time sitting there.
There are several reasons why people end up sleeping on the couch. The cliché reason is that a couple has had an argument and the husband has to sleep on the couch. There are other reasons as well.
Sometimes, you have more visitors than you have guest rooms. In this case someone will have to sleep on the couch. You’d better hope the slipcover is comfortable enough to make your guest at ease.
At other times, someone sleeps on the sofa so that they can be downstairs waiting for another person to arrive for a visit. Or they could be waiting up to hear from a sick relative. They can be waiting for any number of reasons. If they fall asleep, it is nice if they can do it on a comfortable slipcover.
So, what makes a slipcover comfortable or not? For one thing, an ill-fitting cover will cause bunches of fabric to impede you from lying comfortably on a couch. The extra folds of material will push against your skin and muscles, making you sore and miserable.
A slipcover that fits nicely will have no such wrinkles. You will be lying on a smooth surface that will not cause creases in your skin. You will be comfortable and relaxed, knowing that the material will not bunch up as the night wears on.
If you were to fall asleep on a slipcover unexpectedly, the texture of its surface would be an issue. If this is a concern to you, there are covers that you can buy that are very smooth and soft.
If you don’t want to take this into account when you’re buying a slipcover, there are all kinds of textures to choose from. Just make sure to have a sheet or blanket available for anyone when they might possibly fall asleep on the couch. This is the only considerate thing to do.
One final area of comfort in a slipcover is its thickness, or padding. If a cover is very thin it may not be as comfortable as one which has more to it. Not all sofa covers are the same in thickness, so that is a consideration you should think about.
Anyone who has ever slept on sofas can tell you that it can be a pleasant experience or a nightmare. Be sure you, your family, and your guests have peaceful dreams when they sleep on your slip covered couch.
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( 3 / 197 )Your furniture can have a longer life if you use slipcovers. They allow you to go on using the furniture long after its upholstery has passed its prime. There is no need to throw out your furniture, when you can use slip covers to perk it up.
On many couches or chairs, the fabric on the arms becomes frayed or tattered. You don’t like to even look at it. This worn fabric may even be uncomfortable to rest your arms on. You might wish you could get rid of the piece of furniture.
However, many pieces of furniture have these problems, and yet have solid construction that is still perfectly good. It is a shame to just toss these items out on the curb. If they can be salvaged by using slipcovers, they can continue to be an important part of your home décor.
You can use slip covers, such as couch slipcovers, to hide the worn spots on these. This will not only mask the unpleasant appearance. It will also give smoothness to the frayed fabric. This will allow you to sit on the couch without rubbing your arms raw on the worn fabric. This is where slip covers come in.
Perhaps, your chair’s colors or patterns have simply faded. In this case, there is nothing wrong at all with the structure or comfort of the furniture. It just looks drab because the colors aren’t as bright as they once were.
You can use a chair slipcover to make it like new. It will be just as comfortable, if not more so. At the same time, you can add any color or pattern you choose from the large selection of slip covers available to you. It won’t be the same as your old upholstery; it could even be better.
Sometimes, furniture comes to you through a family member. You want to keep the furniture to remember the person who once had it. However, the upholstery looks like it came from the dark ages. There may even be splits in the fabric. Slipcovers will solve this problem nicely.
So, next time you are considering disposing of a piece of furniture, ask yourself, “Is this furniture really unsalvageable?” If find that the answer is “no,” then you might want to check out the choices of slip covers that are open to you. You might be able to keep a piece of furniture that has served you well over a number of years.
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