apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I recently purchased a new vacuum for this exact purpose, my mutt loves the couch and it was getting hard to keep the hair at bay. It's a Hoover (from my local home depot) that has a special dog hair attachment. Basically a 4 inch wide beater bar that attaches to the hose. It really gets every scrap of hair! It doesn't deep clean obviously, but it keeps things under control.

Gorgeous sofa - Too bad the OP let it go to the dogs...

A good professional steamcleaner will be able to ensure that the fabric won't be ruined - and as Maggie stated, a weekly vacuuming as well as training the dog to stay off the sofa is the best way to maintain your beautiful piece of furniture.

Just rinse the dog, non ? Don't labs like the water?

"We have this fabulous Chesterfield sofa which *are* Labrador thinks is fabulous..."

Editor?

Would you consider making a throw for your dog to lie on made of similarly colored velvet? That way the couch will still look nice, but you can wash the throw. If you're not comfortable sewing, you can bring some fabric to a seamstress.

gee did i just walk into the grammar blog? when did everyone become so snotty about grammar?

great couch- good luck.

What an adorable image. I'd be a total pushover if I had a dog. Wait, no, I believe in dog training...

We're just snooty in general. BTW, you should capitalize your sentences and there should be a comma following the colloquialism "gee." Actually, it would be best not to use colloquialisms at all since some of your audience may not understand juvenile American slang.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Somebody stop me before I snoot again.... ~:o)

i'm with arza.

C'mon -- if you hold yourself out as a writer, then it befits you to have a basic grasp of grammar. By that, I mean knowing the difference between "our" and "are", between "its" and "it's".

Sheesh. It's hardly rocket science, people.

I'm so annoyed by the bitchiness.

I think that couch is gorgeous.

I've had several pieces steam-cleaned, and a reputable upholstery steamer should know how to do it. When I called in mine, they specifically asked what my pieces were covered in. Make sure your cleaner asks.

Good luck!

I'm with arza & JoJenks-- bad grammar is too prevalent nowadays. It's not snotty to insist a blog be written properly.

No, it's not snotty to insist a blog be written properly, it's really more petty. And I'm not sure accidentally switching "are" for "our"--a dumb but common enough mistake-- constitutes the height of impropriety, but I'm glad to know that some of my fellow AT-ers are so easily scandalized. I'll be sure not to pull an its/it's mix-up and make someone go postal.

In real news, I love the sofa, and am anxious to hear how others spot clean their velvet upholstery.

Hello. Original poster here. I do know the difference between "are" and "our". Unfortunately I experienced a brain stutter in a very public forum.

THANK YOU to the individuals who offered constructive advice.

Our dog, Olive, came to us as a street dog at an older age with very little training. Keeping her fed, bathed, exercised and loved is our first priority. Strict training is lower on the list of our life priorities. Everyone has a different priority list. What would the suggestions have been had I submitted a photo of a child sleeping on the sofa?

I have no idea about cleaning, but I love the orange and the dog.

what a great photo----I could never say no to that dog on the sofa!!! I use the extra cloth put on the sofa for my cat to sleep on---also on the back of the sofa where she sits all day and looks out the window. She seems to really like when I put down a thin rug or cloth for her. She really seems to gravitate to it for some reason.

The comment wasn't aimed at original posters who have a brain stutter.

Number one -- that's fair enough. I'm an original poster and I have brain stutters, too.

Number two -- original posters don't hold themselves out as writers. The comment was meant for those "on staff" at AT who *do*.

Love your sofa, by the way. Both the model and the colour. I hope you get the advice you're looking for.

It's sure interesting to watch people go apopleptic when AT's writing standards are discussed. But hey, I can always use an extra smile in my day.

BTW, you should never start a sentence with an abbreviation, and you should always spell out first use "since [because] some of your audience may not understand."

Anyway . . .

I have no advice for the couch owners, but the photo put a big smile on my face!

the sofa is lovely. and what's even more so is that you let your precious dog be comfy on it. it shows he is very loved. i couldn't imagine not being able to snuggle with mine on the sofa. it's one of lifes simple pleasures. livingrooms are meant to be lived in, by us and those we love..even our pets. i usually just keep a throw over it that you can tuck in to secure it. it can easily be pulled to the side when company comes and be thrown into the washer as needed.

i'm allergic to dogs.

LOVE the picture, made my day. Get a nice throw that'll match the sofa that your gorgeous pooch can lay on.

The AT writer didn't make the mistake, so that's out of line to hold the person asking the question to the same standards.

Too bad there aren't any answers to the question. That's the dog's couch now, it looks like.

My dog likes to hang out on my furniture too. i'm not sure about cleaning upolstery so i just keep a sheet on top for her to lay on. like dm, i just remove the sheets for company.

oy, on the grammar tangent? yeesh. I'm a writer/editor and it's great to see language pushed around a bit, honest. a break for the virgo heart. Anyway, the sofa: great pic. yes yes. steam clean. then: get a really durable moving blanket, wash the heck out of it, and leave it on most of the time. I live with 8 dogs. upholstery suffers. the dogs, though, they're happy.

are those flor tiles on your floor? that's of course, another perennial question. best of luck with that great sofa.

When it comes to the couch, just do what you can to keep it tidy. You have the right attitude in that your main priority is keeping your dog happy and healthy.

At the end of the day, it is just stuff. One's energy is best spent enjoying the people and critters around them.

Original poster here again. You guys are awesome. Very kind comments since my last post.

To answer janamartin's question, yes, those are Flor tiles. They are great if you have dogs. The now notorious Lab in the picture became sick one day and vomited on one of the Flor tiles. We were able to remove the one tile, gave it a good washing, a sit in the sun and put it back in the same spot. We can highly recommend the Flor tiles if you have dogs, kids or accident prone guests. They are easy to remove and wash.

@firstfriday If your child rolls on the grass and poops outside, I'd wonder why the kid is on the sofa, as well.

It's highly unlikely that the sofa's covered in silk velvet. Linen and cotton velvets are more usual for upholstery materials.

If you don't want to train the dog, then make a slip cover or get the dog a throw that's washable. Steam clean the sofa and then cover it.

Or I could make a slipcover for my dog :)

Marvelous couch, marvelous Olive the Lab and marvelous firstfriday for rescuing the old girl.

I have a passel of senior rescues in my home and a lenient attitude about where they like to lie down. I keep upholstery fairly fur free and clean just by swiping with a damp cloth every couple of days. Every now and then, a foam cleaner. I do bathe my dogs a lot and that is probably the main reason my furniture has not gotten grungy.

A throw is a great defense too.

Kiss Olive's noggin for me.

That picture is super cute! I have the same problem with my doggie...I basically have this rubber mitten groomer that I use to pick up the hair. I just put it on and use it like i was grooming the dog. It doesn't get everything, but it does help me keep it under control to some degree.

Gorgeous couch and adorable dog! I try to keep a blanket on the sofa to sort of protect it from dog drool/hair. I also vacuum time to time with one of the attachments that came with my dyson animal vacuum.

Why is it people so often ignore the question? The question is not "how do I solve my dog getting on the couch", rather it is "how do I deal with cleaning in this situation". I see this repeatedly in this site. Someone says "how do I design around my beloved couch" and inevitably half the responses say "throw it out".

If someone wanted design advice about a problem which completely ignored the parameters of the problem, they probably would have just read a magazine.

The question is: How do we clean this sofa?
I say utilize a strong vacuum (watch the beater bars, sometimes they can crush velvet), a rubber sponge for between vacuum lint cleanings, and the occasional services of a professional steamer.

Love the dog and the couch. So adorable! I wouldn't have the heart to move him either. I have a vintage orange velvet chair that one of my cats has claimed as his throne and has since been covered in his fur... the only thing I've found to make an difference is to cover the seat portion with a throw or peice of similiarly colored fabirc. I also vaccuum and brush the heck out of it and make sure to get in all the little cracks and crevices. When guests come over the throw dissapears of course!

ok grammar nazis: am i totally insane, because i do not find a problem with the first sentence. "We have this fabulous Chesterfield sofa which our labrador thinks is fabulous as well."
The lab belongs to the "we," therefore it would be incorrect if it said, "are labrador" because that doesn't make sense! am i crazy? because i don't see your point at all!
(i also dont love the grammar pettiness, btw)
HOWEVER,
i ADORe that dog, love that sofa, and it's wonderful to see a puppy so loved. Good luck with the cleaning-- i'm sure if in the future you vacuum it on a weekly basis it will be easy to keep clean.

Well I love the picture of this old man, and think he looks darling! Gorgeous couch too!

As for getting the scent out- i have found that a product called Natures Miracle has the absolute best stuff for addressing scent for either cats or dogs. I have both, and have had dogs all my life. I have tried everything, and they are the only ones whose products actually work. Most of it deals not with body oils, but with other messes, but I am sure they will have a spray you can put on your couch that will work. They are avail in Petsco and Petsmart- and they are not cheap but they are worth it.

Also if you need to use the other products- you must follow the directions exactly.

Good luck and I'm so glad this doggie is well taken care of!

I love how all these people are commenting on grammatical errors and claim to be writers and editors yet none of them can seem to use a capital letter when starting a sentence. Anyway, it's a gorgeous couch. I wish my dog was that mellow.

Oh Pixie, please! If you loved animals they are like part of the family and that's their dog so they can do what they damn well please. UGH

"ok grammar nazis: am i totally insane, because i do not find a problem with the first sentence. "We have this fabulous Chesterfield sofa which our labrador thinks is fabulous as well." The lab belongs to the "we," therefore it would be incorrect if it said, "are labrador" because that doesn't make sense! am i crazy? because i don't see your point at all!"

It has since been edited by AT, thankfully. The original poster wrote "are" in place of "our". I called out AT - really, anyone getting paid to post should have revised that error for clarity before publishing.


By the way, the dog is beautiful. I have a dog too, who stains our sofa. Regular vacuuming, spot cleaning when necessary, and a blanket for the dog to rest on go a long way. Cotton velvet is easy enough to clean. From the photo, I'd guess that is silk velvet, which I'm not sure about. Have you asked an upholsterer or dry cleaner what they would recommend?