So we are looking to get new furniture for our basement area. We have not bought new furniture for there ever. What we have was handed down and is VERY well used!! Anyway, we have 2 kids, 2 dogs that both shed and 2 cats that shed. I am wondering if anyone has any advice on what furniture fabric is best for pets and kids. what we have now is fake leather and I love that the pet hair just brushes off, but is there anything other than leather that will work and be easy to clean and care for?
Thanks!
I 2nd the Microfiber. I have a couch and loveseat. It's help up very well to an active boy and 2 dogs.
I use warm water and a little Woolite and wipe the couches down about every 2 weeks. They aren't stained at all and I've had them almost 4 years now.
Hi K.,
Well, we have 2 kids, 2 dogs and 2 cats too and we've got a microfiber sectional that we love. We don't allow the dogs on the furniture...so that's not a problem. The cats love to lay on top of it, so I bought some fleece from the fabric store and put that along the top of the couch. Then, when we have company, I pull it off and it's hair-free. The fleece can easily be washed when needed.
We've had big kid and baby puke, pen, and other foods on the couch and a damp cloth has removed everything so far....knock on wood.
When I bought the microfiber sectional, the sales person said that they don't treat the furniture with a stain guard because the microfiber fabric doesn't need it.
Good luck!
R.
Microfiber is great, most can even be washed in the washing machine if need be!
Microfiber! You can easily wipe stuff off with a wet washcloth, and we've even put the cusion covers in the washing machine (air dry) and you wouldn't be able to tell at all by looking at them of feeling them. We have a 2 yr old who has vomited on it several times, and had accidents, as well as a dog that has gotten sick on it, and it has cleaned up very nicely.
I've heard nothing but good stuff about the microfiber...only wish that I'd found a style I could have lived with when we bought our couches...Nebraska Furniture Mart had the largest selection I had seen...something along the lines of 50 different kinds.
Since your pets shed, stay AWAY from micro-fiber! Also stay away form a courtoroy(sp) fabric, as both of these love the pet hair and it is a pain to clean the hair off of!
We had a sofa in the sitting room and the cats loved it, but boy was it ever a pain to clean. Because if you do not stay on top of it, it is just like a magnent.
I've had all kinds of furniture and never really had a problem with any of it. I use wet ones to wipe down the backs of the couch daily which is where the cats will climb up and sleep. I also wipe down the arms and cushions and wash the pillows as often as possible. I find that hair clings to the wet ones and wipes right off. Even my daycare moms that are allergic tell me that they would never know I have 4 cats.
I think the more important thing with pets is wood floors! My wood floors allow me to sweep and mop daily. We also keep one litter box per cat so that we can keep up with the litter changes and the cats don't get frustrated or jealous or upset by having to wait.
The bigger issue is teaching the kids not to slobber or pick at their nose or face while on the furniture and using pull-ups until they are potty trained. My pets don't soil my furniture. I won't let the kids do it either! The kids also like to help wipe the furniture down with the wipes. I think it teaches them about taking care of things.
Suzi
We bought a microfiber couch and loveseat set over a year ago, now, and we LOVE them! We had a dog at the time we bought them, up until a couple months ago, and we never had any problems with the hair on them (of course, we never let her on them, either...but even when she rubbed up against them, no hair). Also, about a week after we got them, my daughter took an ink pen across all 3 cushions of the couch. In calling the furniture company frantically, imagine my shock when they said use a warm damp cloth to get it out... and it worked! We've had many spills over the year, and everything has come up with just warm water. I highly recommend microfiber! :)
Go for the leather. My family is full of pets and 2 small children. Leather's by far the easiest to clean and doesn't smell. Microfiber is in, but hair/dirt,etc. clings to it although it is easy to clean. I have also found that microfiber absorbs odors.
Microfiber is awesome. And we just bought a couch from Nebraska Furniture Mart, who has a warranty you can buy where they treat your furniture with stain resistant stuff, then if you get a big tear, or huge stain, you can call them right away and if they cant fix it, they replace it. One of my friends had a friend sit on the arm of their chair, which broke the arm, and NFM came out, got the chair and repaired it for free.
