In this post: I’m calling foul. I don’t care what anyone says…White Slipcovers are NOT Easy to Keep Clean! And now we have grey ones instead.
So, you know all those pretty blogger houses with bright white slip-covered couches and chairs?
And how every.single.one of them insists the slipcovers are so easy to clean – just pop them off, throw them in the wash and all is well?
Lies.
Lies, I tell you!
Okay maybe I’m over exaggerating. Being a little dramatic.
But in the month or so that we had white slipcovers on our Ikea Ektorp sofa sectional, my experience was the complete opposite of (seemingly) everyone else on the internet.
The edges got grungy.
The dog – despite having his paws thoroughly wiped when he came inside – somehow managed to get dirty paw prints on at least three cushions.
And the dust and hairs! Ugh.
Not to mention that everyone was terrified to get the couch dirty for fear of mommy’s wrath.
Table of Contents
And then…and then…I decided to wash the slipcovers.
Oh. Em. Gee.
The Ektorp sectional is um, large. So it took three loads in the washer.
Fair enough. Our washer isn’t huge.
But did you know you’re not supposed to dry the slipcovers? Apparently they might shrink.
What the heck?!
I don’t have the space or time to wait for the covers to drip dry!
So I put them on air dry in the dryer – no heat.
Which worked – except I’m pretty sure it took about as long as letting them drip dry would have.
Oh and did I mention that I broke the washer in this “oh so easy” process?!
Even with separating the covers into three loads, the washer just couldn’t handle it.
Which meant it then decided it should seek revenge – and get lovely black grease marks on every single slip cover!
Which is exactly when I gave up on the white slipcovers and went straight to Ikea to buy dark grey ones instead.
Which everyone likes better anyway.
And if the grey slipcovers need washing, they’re going to the dry cleaners.
(P.S. I personally know several bloggers who have and truly love their white slipcovers. I bow to their cleaning awesomeness! Seriously. I have no idea how they do it.)
Living Room Source List:
- Wall Color – Sherwin Williams Analytical Grey
- Curtains – Ikea
- Flooring – Sandy Hills Hickory “Handscraped” Laminate from Lumber Liquidators
- Area Rug – Moroccan Trellis in Tan from Rugs USA
- Couch – Ektorp Sectional from Ikea
- Pillow Covers – Porter Lane Home on etsy
- Pillow Inserts – FJÄDRAR inner pillow from Ikea
- Grey Plaid Throw – similar here
- Oversized Clock – Fulton St. Wall Clock from Wayfair
- Grey Knit Poufs – Addison Pouf Ottoman in Grey from Wayfair
- Chandelier – Hampton Bay Heritage 6-Light Iron Chandelier from The Home Depot
- Large Square Coffee Table – DIY Brickmaker’s Coffee Table found here
- Large Square Tray – Homesense
- Large Vase – Walmart
- Faux Pink Stems/Flowers – Michael’s
- Electric Fireplace – Canadian Tire
- Corner Floor Lamp – Logan Floor Lamp from Wayfair
- Leaning ladder – DIY Ladder Made with 2”x4”s found here
(Our source list contains affiliate links. That just means that we make a few pennies at no extra cost to you, should you purchase anything via one of the links. Thank you for helping to make this site possible! )
Same nightmare Shanon:))))
Did you correct it?!
No. Still struggling :)))
Zeina Itani I’m sorry
I, too, have a white Ektorp slipcover and find it hard to keep “clean”. I know that everyone says the dirt is there whether you can actually see it or not, but I just can’t stand it! I LOVE the gray slipcovers with all the neutral pillows! This may be what I end up doing. Thanks for the inspiration!
Lol. Yes. I know the dirt is still there whether I can see it or not. I’m a little bit okay with that!
I’m glad someone said it. I feel like everyone makes it seem like it’s no big deal. I love the gray!
Thanks, Stacey! đŸ˜‰
Yes! I love this! I have two boys and no way they would stay clean!
I know, right. I adore how white looks, but living with it sucks!!!
I have the Ikea sectional sofa, regular sofa, chair, and ottoman – all in white. The first day we had the sectional, my daughter flipped an entire cup of coffee all over it. I panicked, but it came right out in the wash so I relaxed after that. The second time we had to wash it, we got those black grease streaks all over it and had to spray the streaks and rewash it. They came out and now I wash out the washer before I wash the slipcovers. At first, I hung them to dry. Now I just throw the largest part in the dryer on low, and put it back on slightly damp. I dry the cushion covers on the dining room chairs if I can’t use the clothesline. I’ve had the sectional for over 3 years and still love it. It is starting to get grundgy at the bottom where our 2 woolly huskies (black & red fur) lie against it. There is a line that disappears when I wash it, but comes back the next day. The white ottoman was a totally ridiculous choice for a family that likes to put their feet up. I just cover it with a piece of fabric and tuck it in, otherwise, I would be washing it every day. I know this makes it sound like a nightmare, but now that I’ve figured it out it isn’t that bad. I still love the white and would do it again. They gray, however, look fabulous in your home! I love it!
Noooo! I think I may have had a bad mommy moment when that coffee spilled. Honestly I totally commend anyone who has the white and makes it work. I personally just couldn’t do it!
Loved this post, so honest and funny. I have cream covers on my sofa and chairs and I’m coming up the realisation that I can’t ignore the marks any longer but I dread the thought of even trying to get the covers off. They will definitely be taken to the dry cleaners though…
Mary, London, UK
Yeah. Unless you have a huge washer, I’d recommend that!
Love all the other details too – especially the clock & EVERY one of those pillows! YUM!
Thank you!
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!! Ahhh I did this SAME POST about 5 months or so ago & got “jumped” buy these bloggers & readers from all angles that claimed they were so easy & cheap {our covers were NOT cheap $100++ } ..! I only speak the truth on my blog & I just couldn’t sit back & write something that wasn’t true on the IKEA slipcover review..We’ve has the worst experience with them…Everything from rips, pilling & it takes like 3 people to get them back on & I may have been in a sweat after it all hahaha! Thanks you so muchhh for writing this from one blogger to the next!!
Happy Tuesday, Shannon đŸ™‚
Here is my original post –>http://thequaintsanctuary.blogspot.com/2016/03/leather-vs-ikea-ektorp-sectional-review.html
Paige.Rose
from
The Quaint Sanctuary
Oh gosh! I didn’t see your post. I’m sorry you had some not nice comments. Honestly I do love the actual Ektorp couch. It’s comfy and fits the space. And now that we have the grey slip covers I’m totally happy with them. I just couldn’t do the white.
Definitely love the gray! You’re amazing for being so honest, I could never do white!
Ps This has me totally rethinking IKEA sofas if the slipcovers are difficult
Okay. So it’s not so bad. The covers are tight, but that makes the couch not look slip covered. You know in the “oh look she cheaped out and got slipcovers” or the “look she just threw a sheet over the couch”. Lol. We love the actual couch. The white slipcovers were just a bad choice for us.
Shannon
The grey is honestly more dramatic – if not more practical.
Thanks for a bit or ‘reality’ in the blogosphere đŸ™‚
<3
Pia
I do like the drama too, Pia. đŸ™‚
Anything that is to fussy is not worth it if you actually live in your house. I never fell for the white cover thing ,maybe because I’m older and and know my family. I’m all for dirt hiders! Don’t like furniture with skirts either ,they catch dust and dog hair and hide things, then get a funny crease in them from legs hitting them and of coarse the vacuum trying to get stuff under them , no skirts and medium color fabric , better leather, for me! Just my opinion , and what works best for me. Thanks for your information and entertaining site!
Right? Not fussy so should be a thing.
I laugher when I saw this entry!! I do not own a white couch nor will I ever own a white couch. Not with 4 kids and 2 dogs. Yes, they are pretty but I don’t believe that they are easy…not even for a second. I would literally be washing mine every single day. Your blog made me laugh and made me happy to hear that somebody else out there agrees with me!
I’m so glad my foibles could be entertaining! đŸ˜‰
Love, love, love your honesty Shannon! The grey is rich and neutral and practical! I’m not interested in a room or couch everyone is afraid to use.
Exactly! We won’t likely remove and wash the grey very often. Which is not gross because people have couches for years without being able to remove the covers. So even at every 6 months to a year, we’re still ahead of the game! Here’s to actually using a room without fear of wrecking it!
I love my Ektorp loveseat and two chairs with my white slipcovers. I have two dogs and two kids and I have managed to keep them looking great. Oxiclean spot stain spray for immediate use and Oxiclean detergent additive to the laundry which I do once a month(smaller pieces keep it manageable but a trip to the supersized washer laundry mats might be needed for bigger pieces). I do dry mine in the dryer, but not all the way…slightly damp they go on easier and once dry they are almost wrinkle free. I tend to do this at night before I go to bed and they are dry in the morning.
I did just purchase the tan linen covers for the fall just to warm up the room.
And, being the neat freak that I am, remember all the grunge, dirt and grime you mentioned are still on your grey covers, you just don’t see them! Eek!
See? You’re one of those people who can make it work. And I wish I could. Kudos to you!
Haha this is so funny. I think those covers would last all of 37 seconds in my house before being completely destroyed. Your washing story reminds me of the time that I tried to wash my light weight rug. The machine was constantly stopping due to being out of balance, therefore it never spun and came out of the washer weighing a tonne. What’s worse is that the black ink seeped all over the rug and basically wrecking it. Oh what fun!
Oh what fun! Yeah, rugs in the washer. Not awesome!
There is no way no how white slip covers would ever work in my home. They do look so pretty on all of the blogs I read but I would have to wash them weekly or never sit on them. I guess I am lazy because that is just too much work for me. : )
Well then, I’m lazy right along with you!
I have the white slipcovered sofas from IKEA also and find the same challenges too however I decided the dirt is there whether I see it on white or hid on the grey. Just a side note that the best way is to put them on wet and let them dry on the couch and cushions. I purchased the grey cover but it pilled badly:(
I’m sorry to hear about your grey covers pilling. That’s not cool! One of our couch arms is ever so slightly. But do you remember those sweater trimmer things from the 80’s? It basically shaves the pilling right off. A razor would do the same if you used it ever so gently. That’s my plan if the pilling happens. đŸ™‚
Hi Shannon, I’m totally with you! I have a white sofa and love seat combo in my living room. It is rarely used because we usually sit in the family room. However, it somehow gets dirty so I’m constantly having to spot clean it. I can’t believe I was crazy enough to buy it in the first place. Lesson learned.
I don’t know if you remember but we had cream colored love seats before the sectional. I had to have it steam cleaned minimum once a year. It likely could have been done more often but it was such an ordeal. I somehow thought the white slip covers would be better. Lesson learned. Darker is better at our house!
Had to chuckle over this one. Guessing you are t the only one. Maybe just the brave one to share what a pain they are. We LIVE in our house with 2 dogs, teens and grandkids spilling out all over most days. We do have a khaki one on our love seat and the dark grey on our large one. DH vacuums regularly as one day sheds like its her job. Covers dry on doors in a day. We do not have a separate living room. My husband firmly said no to the white as I was tempted to go with the crowd.
Lol. It doesn’t seem like I’m alone. We live in our house too. Especially since the kids and I are home all day for homeschool. I already vacuum the floors every other day for the dog hair and dust. I cannot imagine hauling the couch covers off every week to clean them! Although then maybe I’d be in better shape?! Ha!
I haven’t had white slipcovers, but I had white leather couches, and they were as bad. No, no, no; as much as I love white; I’d never get white slipcovers for my BROWN Pottery Brown sofa.
Oh. White leather. Yikes. We had black leather for years when the kids were little. It was fabulous for all those baby and toddler spills. Wiped right off. Life saver. Since the kids are bigger we went with fabric. I think Dean would still like to have a really aged brown leather. So would I, truth be told. But they’re expensive. And if they get torn there’s no fixing them. Honestly I love the slip covers – not because I can wash them but because if one cushion happens to get trashed somehow I can go and buy another cover set for $250 (CAD). Which isn’t small change, but sure beats the price of a brand new couch!
White is pretty to look at in pictures but in reality grey was a much better option. It also adds color to the room. I’m not a fan of the all white.
Lol. I hear ya. On the one hand I LOVE all the white. On the other I love a little drama!
I cracked up reading this, and not because your washing machine broke and got grease on every cushion……that would make me cry, and maybe knock my head against a wall. But more because I could relate to the freaking out part. A decade ago I purchased a sofa and a loveseat from an interior designer who had them custom covered in white cotton duck. We have 5 kids and everyone thought I was CRAZY for making such a dumb purchase. The quality of the couches (and custom covers) far exceeds the quality/craftsmanship of Ikea slipcovers (And I do LOVE me some Ikea). For me, the bleach-ability was key. Kids make messes, no matter what you do. These couches sat in our tv room and received tons of use. While it did require several loads in our front loading washer, I would put the covers back on slightly damp and stand them up to dry overnight. EVERYTHING has been on these couches; splattered paint, chocolate, coffee, mud…..you name it. And every ounce of it has come out. Bleach pen and OXY are awesome. That’s maybe the only blessing there is to ‘white’. I think, sometimes while cringing and agonizing over the mess, I had to force myself to just let it be until the next day, when I could regroup and take a deep breath. While I still have both couches, in awesome condition, went went with a massive sectional in our new home since moving several years ago. And I LOVE the look of your grey. Super sophisticated, neutral and clean looking. Awesome post.
LOl. I may or may not have cried a little too.
I feel the same. Somehow I am white slipcover challenged. More power to the gals who can make it work, for it looks awesome, but I’m not one of them.
Right?!
At least you bought a couch that can be slip covered. I bought a light cream colored couch. I just loved it in the showroom. Went great with my accent chair. My husband tried to warn me. Between us we have 4 adult children, 3 son in laws, 1 daughter in law, 4 grandchildren ages 17 years to 3 months and a 7 year old American Spitz. I babysit in my home for 3 year old twins, a two year old and a 1 year old. The arms and skirt of the couch that cannot be removed and put in the washer look diseased where I have spot cleaned. The back and seat cushions that can be removed and washed are now a lighter color than the rest of the couch. If I could ever find slip covers for my couch, they would probably cost as much as the couch. Did I mention the couch is less than a year old? It sure did look pretty in the showroom, where I now wish it would have stayed!
Yes! That is why we went with slip covered and the Ikea one specifically. So I could have the back up of being able to purchase new covers that fit perfectly if necessary.
Oh my gosh, Shannon! Reading this post, sometimes I didn’t know if I should Laugh or Cry! Sorry for your frustration, aggravation, exaggeration, and you terrified family! And to top it off, a broken washer? I’ve always heard slip covers are a pain in the A.., for several reasons you mentioned, but they are pretty. Glad you chose a different color! Hopefully it will do the trick! P.S., thank you so much for disabling all the pop up adds! It was totally frustrating. I follow a LOT off great bloggers, like yourself! I had to unsubscribed a few do to my sanity. Wish all of them would all go ad free! Xo
Lol. It’s okay now. When it happened I was super thankful that I have a real understanding hubby that goes along with all my decorating adventures!
It’s tough to go ad free – as a business you need to have another plan for revenue. Bear with them!
That was great….you are so real and so funny….
Lol. Thanks. I just want to talk with y’all like you’re hear having coffee!
I wondered about that myself! I have a black cat and you know how lovely that would look on white slipcovers!! I love the look, but I think I’d have to go a little darker myself!!
Ack! Yes. Definitely go darker!
I love the gray!! And I do think they look even better in your home. I thought before everything was perfect… but they do provide a contrast that I didn’t realize was needed. Who knew? The cleaning gods! Ha!
Thanks for telling “the truth.” I knew it!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for all your pain and frustration.
No ads?!!! Everything is beautiful! But… money? How?
I know! I didn’t know the contrast was needed either!
As for no ads. Well, it slowed the site down too much and was infuriating ME. So I can only imagine how it bugged our readers. As for money, that will come from products and services that our readers may need – like the upcoming how to decorate course I’m working on creating. đŸ™‚
Exactly what I’ve been thinking! When I purchase this sofa, it will be with the same grey slip covers. Love your post AND thanks for being ad free! Awesome!!
Thanks, Anne. The grey really is fabulous!
Hi shannon. I have the same Ikea sectional with both the white and grey slip covers just like you. Right now I have the white one on and I do agree with you that they aren’t as great as people make them out to be. I have 2 dogs and there are always foot prints and hair! And washing them is a giant pain in the ass! I lay mine outside on the lawn to dry.
Tania
Gosh! We have so many birds, I’d be afraid they’d poop on it! ?
I like the gray ones better!!!!!!!!!
Looking good!
Thank you!
They have housekeepers. Seriously, the gray is beautiful. Kudos to you for sharing a truth about something that really doesn’t work! I appreciate your honesty and integrity!
Lol. I doubt it. But they must be better cleaners than me! #lazycleaner
Shannon, I’m so sorry to hear about the problems with the Ektrop white slipcovers. We have the Ekrop sofa and love seat and have white slipcovers on both. Like Elizabeth, I wash the covers – only one sofa at a time and can do the pillow covers (6 for the large sofa) at one time – and slightly dry them in the dryer on air fluff and put them right back on. I will admit our washer is a top loader with no agitator and is great for such large loads. We have an orange cat and a grey/black cat so fur is a problem, but since, like you, I have to vacuum the floors every other day, I just put the furniture nozzle on and in a jiffy the fur is off the sofas.
I love the white with our yellow walls – my colours are yellow, white, and blue, and use coloured pillows for seasonal change.
I hope the grey slipcovers will prove to be a great improvement. IKEA also has red slipcovers, but not sure if they are made for the sectional. We have a set for the large sofa for the winter.
Thanks ever so much for such a lovely blog. I’m also happy that you no longer have the pop-up adverts. Great improvement.
Our washer is top load too, but it’s not oversized and it does have an agitator. So bad combo! Lol. I can imagine the white is absolutely lovely with yellow walls! I will have to look for the red ones for the sectional – they would be PERFECT for the Holidays!!!!
Oh my gosh! They do have the red one for the sectional too! Eek! đŸ˜€
Thanks for injecting some real life into a beautiful space… my kids don’t need any of more fear of Mommy’s rath… our home is to live in… I can live easier with hidden dirt on a grey slip cover mush easier than grime on a white one! Sorry your washing machine messed with you!!
Ditto! And the washing machine is totally fine now. Had a great repair guy fix it. He said it would last longer with the repair than a brand new set would!
Yay!! no ads….thank you so much!! I have given up following a couple of my blogs…got tired of peeking at them thru ads!!
Enjoy your blog!!!
To be fair, I had ads for years. Money has to be made somehow. (Sadly mortgages don’t pay themselves!) We’re just moving to a different business model. đŸ™‚ I’m glad you enjoy our blog – we’re glad you’re here!
I’m with you, Shannon! Most houses with white furniture have no one living in them, or, at least, using the white rooms.
We moved into a house over 20 years ago, when my youngest were 4, 2, and 1, that had an absolutely hideous charcoal carpet in the family room. It was the ugliest thing you have ever seen – BUT my kids could pour red Kool Ade on it, and nothing showed! I didn’t care what they did to that carpet – they couldn’t possibly make it any uglier!
Gray is good – white is for pictures!
Lol. Well, it doesn’t have to be hideous to hide normal wear and tear though!
Thanks for being honest! I love the gray, too. I was able to find a casual looking leather sofa half price about 3 years ago, so we bought two. We love them and look good in our casual home. We have 4 pretty much grown kids and 1 large dog so white just wouldn’t work and I don’t want to be washing slipcovers all the time either! Your room looks amazing!
Thank you. And just because there are slip covers, doesn’t mean they have to come off!
And are they difficult to put on? I struggled with a chair slipcover once for a long time and never could figure out how the heck it went on even with the little notice that said “Top”!
It’s definitely a work out to put the slipcovers on, yes. Frankly I could use it though! Ha!
I knew it! Thank you for confirming my suspicions! If I ever get slipcovers, they will be dark.
Awesome!
Geez! A lot of comments! Allow me to add mine. First, I have had too much life experience to own white slipcovers. I went from kids to grandkids. Nope, not even going to go there with white. Pretty in pictures, not in real life – and that really is real life talking! Next, the grey looks so much better in your space. The pillows and other elements show up so much better. Last but sure not least, I LOVE NO ADS!!!!!!!! Your fellow bloggers might take notice of the responses about this issue. I have unsubscribed from at least a dozen on my favorites because of this very reason. Keep up the great work?
Of course! Comments are always welcome! Thank you. I’m glad you’re enjoying our blog! And again to be fair – the costs associated with running a blog (and all the projects that inevitably go with it) need to be paid for somehow. We’re just switching to more of a products and services model for AKA Design. đŸ™‚
I realize this is a blog post regarding white slip covers, so let me first say that I am completely on board with you. Living in the country surrounded by a walnut orchard, dust and, let’s face it, more weeds than landscaping these days, there is just no way I would even entertain a white sofa. I do LOVE the gray, though.
That being said, can I also take a quick second to say THANK YOU so much for removing all the ads? I have stopped blog surfing for the most part because there is an ad on top of every.single.picture, not to mention the fact that the blogs I love also turn gray and stall until the pop-up loads, asking me to subscribe (which, of course, I already have). It is just so completely frustrating. There has to be a better way. Again, thank you so much?
Oh yes – all that “country” would certainly show up on white!!! Goodness!
And you are welcome. đŸ™‚ It’s a very tricky thing running a blog. Projects cost money. The site costs money. Etcetera, etcetera. The pop up subscription things are SUPPOSED to recognize that you’re already a subscriber. At least that’s how we set them up in the past. But somehow they always seemed to get messed up and pop up regardless. So we removed those – even though they did help our business grow because they WORK to earn subscribers. It just wasn’t worth it for all the frustration it caused though. As for the in-image ads – they earn decent money. Which is super hard to turn down. But again very frustrating as a user. And for someone who worked for years to improve her photography! đŸ˜‰ So there are other ways to generate income (you know, cause my kids like to eat!): create products and/or services for our readers that they will love and that they need. (Like our upcoming online decorating course.)
Anyway, all that to say, I’m glad you like the change. đŸ™‚
Shannon, I am so glad to hear this ! I so love the white sofas and sectionals everyone has ! Such a beautiful look, but I kept going back and forth weighing the pros and cons, and I just couldn’t see where washing those slipcovers could be that much fun. As much as I tried to trick myself into believing it would be great, I couldn’t do it. Not with 2 dogs and 3 cats. Opted for something in a gray, without slip covers. I’m so glad I did. I know it would drive me nuts trying to keep white clean and free of dog hair. When my grandkids come, they like to eat at the coffee table, and that would mean sitting on the white couch ! Oh no ! Besides that, I figured I’d be different. Seems like everyone has the same furniture. I gotta be me I guess !
It was no fun at all!!! You be you!
Shannon, I agree with you completely ! I could never see how white slipcovers would work if furniture was used as much as mine. We have a dog and a black cat that live in our house. Just imagine black cat hairs done doggy paw prints on white slipcovers. I love your grey slip covers! They get my vote!!?
We’re loving the grey so much more too!
This is the funniest post I have ever read. I am constantly saying I want that white sofa. Everyone says I am crazy there is no way it’s easy to keep clean like they claim. I have had one friend tell me she loves hers but it’s a constant battle with kids and pet hair. Finally a stranger tells the truth! I have the blue denim slip cover from Rooms to Go the Cindy Crawford set. I wanted the off white but when I got there my gut told me to go with the blue and I have regretted it every since. Maybe my gut feeling was right. I still love the white look but not sure I will go there since I have 2 honest opinions now. I do love the gray cover and I always love your post but this has been my favorite! HONESTY!
Well, thank you! đŸ™‚ And our “guts” are rarely wrong!
Love your honesty!
Thanks!
Phew! You know, I’ve always loved the look of white slip covered sofas but I did suspect they would be high maintenance. Thanks for saving me a lot of trouble. đŸ˜€ xx
Happy to help! đŸ˜‰
Yes! Every time someone claims white is so easy because “bleach!”, I mentally call foul. I can count on one hand the amount of stain removing bleach miracles I have witnessed in my home… Haha! I love the look of your new covers and glad everyone is more at ease now! đŸ™‚
Thanks, Samantha!
Love it. I am with you. So funny
Thanks!
I am one of those who have white slipcovers and yes I love them! I am a total DIY person. I took an upholstery class and learned how to make my own slipcovers which makes it easier to take off and put on because I put the Zippers in the places I wanted them to be. I also chose a fabric that would wash and clean easily. I do have a large dog that is not allowed on the furniture but he does lay up against the couch. Yes, he does get dog hairs in the sofa but they easily come out with a lint roller. I do have to say that my kids are all grown but I do have a grand kids that visit often and we haven’t had a problem yet as they are not allowed to eat in the living room. I think it depends on what stage of life you are in. I don’t think i would have had white slipcovers when my kids were small. I do love your grey ones and they look very nice in your room. I did take the slipcovers to the laundromat and used the giant washers they have before we purchased our big washer and dryer. White slipcovers are not for everyone but I have to say I LOVE MINE!
Yeah, we’re DIYers too, but slip covers were beyond our schedule right now! Lol. I’m so glad you’re enjoying yours!
You have no idea how glad I am to see this post! In my heart I KNOW white is not for our family… We have a black dog, a gray cat, two kids, and a mom who is challenged in the area of housekeeping. But the pictures! And the stories! I was going to talk myself into buying them anyway… But I like the gray better too!!
Always to with your gut!
Yes, I fell victim to the white slipcover craze. I bought my sofa from Ethan Allen, and the slipcovers are dry clean only, but I wash them and hang dry them as well. I do have non shedding dogs, but they leave footprints and who knows what on the couch. I am going to make my own WASHABLE and DRYABLE slip covers this winter. I basically keep my couch covered with blankets, so in other words, slipcovers for the slipcovers. NExt couch will be leather!
Oh dear! I know several people who use blankets too.
No one will ever convince me that white is easy. I’ve always used throws on my lounge (sofa) Which both suits our casual lifestyle and makes my life easier. I have a few. A couple of times a week I whip one off replace it with another and just throw the grubby one in the wash. Admittedly the actual cover of my lounge, after 6 kids, as many grandkids and 2 dogs, is getting a bit worse for wear. Since I don’t want to re-upholster it yet, I may put a slip cover over it, but it definitely won’t be white.
Good plan!
Thanks for the honest assessment. My house is not conducive to white anything. 3 kids, 3 cats and a 125lb mastiff.
Uh yeah, no white!
I love my grey Ektorp furniture!!!
The black covers and white werw washable…grey says dryclean only!! I love changing them…a red sofa for the holidays!!!
đŸ™‚
Yes….we need details on where you buy things!!!! #butimcanadian #crappystores
I’m working on putting my fav spots “on paper” for all of you!!!
Oh Shannon! Hilarious and would be oh so true of me if I tried them just like you did. And you know what, the grey looks awesome!
Thank you, Joanne!
I usually switch from gray to white in the spring, but after a month of white covers, I put my gray back on. High maintenance city! I keep throws on it for my little dog and it still showed little black hairs everywhere. I only have the Ectorp sofa not the sectional and it is a 2 day process to wash air dry put back on. On the bright side it is a very comfy sofa and I get a workout changing covers!
High maintenance is the right term for it!!!
I agree with you! I just have the ektorp couch and washing the slip covers is a huge pain in the booty! I don’t know why so many bloggers clain that it is no big deal! The gray looks great!
“Pain in the booty!” Haha. Love it. So true! Thanks, Lisa.
Thank you for this valuable info. I have been pondering making slipcovers for a bedroom loveseat and was considering white. I think I will learn from your experience and save my family and dogs from my wrath. The grey looks very nice! I always enjoy your blog.
Oh yes! If you’re going to make your own, choose a good fabric!!!
I wasn’t able to read all the comments, so I apologize if someone already asked this. Where did you get your pillows? I love that they all have a darker gray/faded black print rather than a stark black print. They go so nicely with your gray slipcover (which I hoping will be my next slipcover purchase).
The pillow covers on our couch are from an etsy shop. The feather inserts are from Ikea! You can find the covers here: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/porterlanehome
Are your pillows the natural color or the white?
Thanks!
The pillows from Porter Lane Home (the throw pillows)? They are the natural color.
Thank you for sharing the truth. You just saved me lots and lots of money. I have looked at white slipcovers and longed for white slipcovers, but we live in my ur living room. When the grandchild is here you have to say at least once, ‘Don’t walk on the couch.’ When my husband gets off the tractor and is full of dust, the couch is where he pulls his boots off. It would have made me crazy. Thank you for saving my family.
Yay for saved money!
I am a ‘newbie’ and found you thru Pinterest, but LOVE it already. You sound like my kind of lady…fun and REAL!!
I do love white, but I agree with you and your readers, the gray is much better. I love gray, it works with sooo many colors. I am in the process of painting our new home, so far–2 rooms are light gray and the kitchen is blue/gray with cobalt accents—have lots of blue bottles.
And I appreciate how you personally answer all of your commenters. Great job! I look forward to being around for a long time.
Aw thanks! Glad to have you join our little community!
Thanks for your honest take on the white slipcovers! I was afraid I was going to fall victim to the white slipcover trend I was seeing everywhere! It was too good to be true that even with kids, bloggers everywhere were raving about white slipcovers. Glad you pulled me back to reality! Honestly, the gray ones look so much better!
Some people can make them work and I truly wish I could. But alas, white slipcovers were not meant to be for me!
Shannon, I to felt it would be to much work even though everyone claimed they weren’t bad at all. I to have the gray and mine has gotten so fuzzy looking. I am curious to see if yours will get fuzzy. Did the white ones get fuzzy?
So far it’s been fine. We’ve had just the tiniest bit of piling. But a razor should take that right off. Have you tried that?
THANK YOU!!! Haha, look at all these comments! I’m so happy you said this because I’ve been thinking it for YEARS! I refuse to buy white slip covers and now I know I made the right decision, lol. Thanks again đŸ™‚
Lol. Yeah, it seems to have stirred up a great conversation. I love it!
I bought an Ektorp set 2 years ago and wanted the white slip covers but couldn’t commit so I got the light beige/khaki color which I really like. I even bought an extra set so that when one set is in the wash, the others will be in use. Well, 2 years later and I haven’t washed them yet and the extra set is still in the boxes. I can’t believe how well they spot-clean! Now, granted, we’re empty nesters, but we have a dog and 4 toddler grandchildren who are over a lot! Love your gray set- maybe I’ll get those next- and your pillows are awesome!
P.S. Wow- no ads!!!!!
You think just like me! A huge part of the reason we bought the Ektorp was so that we could have back up slipcovers!
You’re the first honest blogger I’ve “met”.. I have the white slip covers & sometimes question why I EVER thought it would work. They are a TON of work! Thanks for being “real”?
Thank you – and I’m sorry you’re struggling too!
Preach! I am baffled by the white slipcovers trend for practical, everyday use. I have the Ektorp sofa and chair and bought the khaki slips at purchase four years ago. We’ve washed the seat cushions and backs a few times – and wrestling those suckers back on is a workout – but they’ve held up well. I LOVE the gray slips you have and dream of the day when we can lounge in blissful ignorance of the black dog/cat hair and related paw prints that adorn our current slips. đŸ™‚
Lol. Well I could always use the workout. But I agree, the white was so stressful!
Thank you for writing this. I KNEW IT !! I have two beige couches covered with throws ,sheepskins , you can hardly see the stupid couches under them all and they still get dirty. The covers don’t come of these so it’s tough. I want to get a couch with slipcovers next time and it wont be white. I love the look of the white but it would not be good for my health or anyone’s safety if I got them . x
Lol. Too funny!
Totally agree! Although we have no pets we do have two boys – white slip covers would be destroyed! We have the exact same grey slipcover from Ikea and love it!
Awesome!
Yeah, I actually bought a whitish couch without slipcovers a few months ago! I die a little every time someone sits on it.
What a way to put it! But YES!
I have a white french provincial sofa I bought second hand (probably cost less than Ikea slip covers without the sofa and it came with 2 chairs) . I keep a drop cloth on it, which I wash frequently, like every time one of my dogs sits on it or looks at it. I can’t imagine if it were slip covered.. I too bow to anyone who keeps white furniture clean.
I know, right. I know friends who do the same (put blankets on it and then remove them when people come over). But with three kids and a dog and myself home everyday all day for work and homeschool, that’s just not practical for us.
I gotta agree with you. After a few years the novelty of white slip covers has worn off. They do get grubby. They do take forever to wash and dry. And they do show all the dust and pet hairs. I’d love a grey set, if they weren’t so expensive! One day. đŸ˜‰ Love your honesty. xx Julie
Do you have an Ikea couch? We actually bought our grey set on sale for $185! So not too bad compared to other slipcovers or a new couch!
Yep. We have the two and three seater Ektorp. Here in Australia, the grey
two seat cover is $299 and the three seat cover is $329. So not cheap at
all!
Ack! I’m sorry!
I keep my white slip covered sectional covered all the time unless I’m taking pictures, because I do think white furniture with pretty pillows looks good on film. But in reality … I keep it covered. All the time. It’s such a pain to wash the white slip covers (I actually break into a sweat trying to put all the white covers back on). Love your new gray slip cover!
Thanks, Jennifer. I know a lot of people do that, which works for them. But since the kids and I are here all day everyday (work and homeschool) that wouldn’t work here. Thus the change to grey.
I absolutely love this post because it’s so true!! I have the white slipcovers and they’re horrible. I absolutely love the look of them but every aspect you talked about is exactly how it is in my home too lol. Yours look beautiful now, it definitely makes me think about changing the colour of mine!
Yup. The white was pretty tricky!
I am going through the exact same scenario. I bought some lovely white slip covers after reading tons of blogs and researching for months. Now 3
Months into it, I have found that my slipcovers that are supposed to be “stain resistant” and “easy to clean” are not exactly that…so I’ve been contacting the manufacture to get a replacement and I am thinking a dark gray as well đŸ™‚
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Ugh. I hear you.
Are the gray slip covers as soft/similar feeling to the white?! I noticed the fabric is a different blend so I’m nervous about ordering it without testing it out first! Thanks đŸ™‚
They’re not exactly the same. But the grey is comfortable. You just aren’t supposed to wash it – dry clean only. Can you pop into an Ikea to have a look at all the fabrics?
I totally agreed. I bought the white slip cover after reading all the reviews on how it is easy to clean and manage even with kids and dogs. I felt like such a failure. We even scotch guarded it like crazy and within a week I lost my mind. I’m going back for the Gray ones today. Thank you for posting this. I’m glad someone else’s family is not as perfect like mine. Here’s to making Gray the new white đŸ˜‰
Ugh, right?! I know. I was so disappointed! BUT we do LOVE the grey one – I hope you do too!
Washed mine following all directions,spray and wash ,pre soak, then wash,turned yellow everywhere i pretreated ugg,now going to get gray one
Oh no! I’m so sorry! That’s terrible!
Hi. I never had white covers…. wanted to try…just never got to it… yet. However I have had same ektorp couch with grey covers for the past two years. The fabric has some polyester in it, so it feels hards and scratchy. However I have successfully washed my cover at 40C numerous times and put them on wet to stretch them and they always came put like new. So absolutely no need for dry cleaners and all the chemicals. The color is very practical , even though my five kids so eat on the couch when I don’t see them….lol. any and all stains came right off with stain remover and 30 min wash at 40C. Hope this helps. irena
This post made me laugh out loud! I”m *almost* ready to bite the bullet on 2 ektorp sofa’s so I’ve been scouring pinterest for ideas and reviews. The “Not to mention that everyone was terrified to get the couch dirty for fear of mommy’s wrath.”…my life right now! So now that you have grey covers (which is what I plan to buy), do you love it?
We love the grey slipcovers. So much better!
You wash the slipcovers on cold, you then put them on the couch damp. They are dry by morning. Voila
Cold water didn’t clean the white fabric. And for me and my family it was just way too much work and stress. I know that some people are just fine with it!
Hello!! I’ve read several
Reviews that the ektorp are awkwardly shallow seating. I’m. 5’8 and my husband 5’10. We are average size width. What are your thoughts?? I don’t reslly like sinking into furniture but do want to feel like it’s meant for adults. Thanks SO much đŸ™‚
Hello! Well, I’m only 5’1″ and Dean is only 5’8″, so I’m not sure we can accurately speak to the height thing. We find our Ektorp to be very comfortable – but almost always sit with our feet up on the coffee table or I sit curled up and not straight exactly. Maybe try going into the nearest Ikea store to you and sit on a few?
Maybe it’s the quality of the IKEA slipcovers…I have a Craftmaster slipcover sectional in white – and we LIVE in our furniture. Not to mention I have 3 very large dogs and we rescue (usually 6 dogs minimum are always in my house). Zero issues with hair. I wash the slipcovers once a month in 4 loads – it’s a 2 piece sectional (2 sofas). Cushion casings from each sofa as 1 load each and the cover from each sofa as another load each. Cold water gentle cycle with clear ALL mixed with Glamorous Wash in Diva (HIGHLY recommend). Then I tumble dry low until very very slightly damp. Never have issues with shrinking or them not coming clean. I absolutely love my white slipcover sectional. Of all the furniture I’ve owned, it’s actually been the easiest to keep clean in my opinion.
Maybe. I’m glad you found some that work for you!
Hi! You’ve made your room beautiful, while still being cozy. I just got the grey Ektorp and I’m trying to make a little casual area for my kids to watch tv and play. What is paint color on your walls?
Hi there, Lindsay. Thank you so much for your kind words! The paint color is this room was Sherwin Williams Analytical Gray and is the same color as we used at our current house in our master bedroom!