Recommendation for Keeping Couch Clean

I'm an interior designer & have worked for several furniture companies over the years. At this point, most furniture companies DON'T put Scotchguard on their fabrics because there was a class action law suit back in the late 1990's against Scotch Guard because people that had been exposed to Scotch Guard chemicals still had them in their blood 20 years later. There is ongoing research to determine if it is a carcinogen as a part of the settlement. I was told by a pediatric nurse to never expose a baby to anything that has been Scotch Guarded. There are other products available that are teflon based - however if the fabric wasn't treated in the mill it is much less effective and it STINKS up your house when you spray it.
I would get a washable slipcover until baby is out of the spit-up phase and have your sofas professionally cleaned whenever you get your carpets cleaned to keep them fresh and remove dust mites, etc.
In the future - the next time you buy any new furniture - purchase the extended warranty offered by the store and you will usually get 5 years of stain coverage and often the items will be treated professionally in the warehouse before delivery to your home, depending on the company.
Good furniture makers like Thomasville, Ethan Allen, Bassett offer this type of extended warranty.

Hi J.,
Has your new couch been delivered yet? If not, call the furniture store back and ask to have them stain treat the couch (probably around $70 tacked onto to your total purchase price). If the couch hasn't already been shipped from the warehouse, they should be able to do this for you. We just bought a new sofa last night and paid $69 for the stain treatment. It's non-toxic. We had the same treatment on our current/old sofa and it helped a great deal (we have two cats known to vomit on the furniture or carpet on occasion). I wouldn't use the store bought spray on types. I don't think they're as safe. If you need a store bought (have already had your couch delivered or it's too late to have it treated before delivery), then call Elliott's Natural Foods or Whole Foods and ask if they sell any safe, non-toxic stain repellant for fabric (other places might, too, but those two jump to my mind first).
Enjoy your new couch and beautiful little girl!
M.

I know a lot of people recommend Scotchguard, but I think it's kind of toxic. What has worked for us is keeping a blanket thrown over the couch and changing it often. Just plan on washing a blanket every day, every other day, once a week- whatever works for you. Buy some that look pretty with your couch and you won't mind seeing them there.

Another thing- our son is five, and we don't allow anything sticky in the family room. He can have crackers or water there, apple slices, things like that, but no peanut butter, popsicles or things that stick and stain. He drinks from a sports bottle if he wants a drink in there. Otherwise he sits at the table.

Also we only use washable crayons, which stay in the kitchen. He has washable markers which he is allowed to use if I am sitting at the table with him. This might sound a bit strict, but our couch is eight years old and looks new.

If all else fails and your couch starts to smell like baby spit up, remember that you can just have it cleaned. You're right to want to take good care of it.

We have had the same couch for 6 years with no stains and I swear it is the result of the Scotch Guard. Our son was a spit up monster and everything cleaned right up easily. Have a great day :)

I can recommend a great cleaner. It's Basic H2 by Shaklee. It even can get rid of cat urine smell. Visit my Mamasource Shaklee site for a 10% discount on your first order.

B.

I have asthma, so I don't use the scotch guard type stuff. Perhaps a slipcover (or two or three) might be a good option. I don't know where you bought your couch or who the manufacturer is, but maybe you can contact them and get a slipcover in the same or close to the same pattern as your couch. Or, find a slipcover (or two or three) in the same color scheme. That way, if your daughter spits up or some else spills on it, you can take it off and wash it, while you put the other one on the couch protecting it. Slipcovers might last longer than some scotch guard products and you won't be spending all your time spot treating, cleaning, airing out the house, and waiting for things to dry. Plus, I don't know if there are any scotch guard type products out there that don't have a strong chemical/cleanser smell to them that might not be good for your daughter. I hope this helps.

When we bought our fabric couch, we had the furniture store Scotchguard it, and it was totally worth it!! I would definitely recommend Scotchguard, and you can buy a can at the store and do it yourself. I've had three babies spit up on the couch a lot, and the stuff comes off with a damp rag and doesn't leave a mark. It didn't help much with the crayon or the ink, but that's a different story.

I have a spitter, too. I use a slip-cover on my couch. You can throw it in the wash whenever you need to and then cease using it once your child outgrows spitting up.

We keep our couches covered until company comes over. Might want to try it.

Hello J. I saw on Rachel Ray a few weeks back about a segment about a family wanting to protect their furniture because their boys have made a mess. A company in LA sells this wonderful spray product that does not wipe off like other scotchgards when it gets wet or dirty. You spray it all on your couch. It is called FAB PRO, 1-800-480-4880 is their phone #. Or look at www.fab-pro.net. I am in the process of buying it myself. Because my 3 year old is always spilling liquids on the coach. Good luck.

I would NOT treat a couch with stain guard - there are a lot of concerns about the long-term safety of exposure to those chemicals, including Scotch Guard and Teflon! Especially with an infant.

I would get a slip cover that you can use for family and take off when company comes over. We did this for years when we had mastiffs and it worked really well. Easy to wash, too. We used ones from this company, but I'm sure there are other ones out there. http://www.surefit.net/index.cfm