Extending the Life of Your Couchby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 14 Sep 2009 12:45 PM Making something last longer is a sure way to save in the long run. Just think about the money you can save if your couch (or sofa) looks as good ten years later, as it did on the day you bought it. I used to know a neighbor who got tired of her furniture usually within two years of purchasing it. She always wanted something different, and couldn't stand it when her couch didn't look brand new any more. Her husband insisted that she always sell the previous couch before she could purchase a new one, so there she would be about every other year, with her couch on the lawn at her yard sale. She usually got about $200 for her "old couch," that she purchased for $1,000 or more just two or so years before. We have owned three couches during our marriage. The first was a hand me down couch that was older than me. We replaced this with a couch that I had owned for ten years. When that couch reached the age of almost 14 years old, we gave away that couch (It reclined, and unfortunately was getting dangerous with our young kids). We bought a new couch that was a floor sample. That is the couch that we still have. It is now about give years old and still looks new. Here are some of my tips for keeping a couch looking great. Rotate the cushions and pillows. This is probably the biggest tip to help prevent a couch from sagging and looking old or getting worn spots. Once a week, rotate and flip the cushions to even out the wear. You can take this one step more by actually moving the couch or moving yourself. Have you ever noticed that one armrest on some couches will look more the worse for wear? Sit your bottom on the other end, or move the furniture around so you are more likely to use the other side more often. Keep it clean. Vacuum your couch regularly, and don;t forget the back. Dust can wear down the fibers in your couch. Consider slipcovers. They can be washed frequently to keep everything fresh, removing both stains and smells. Related Articles: Using Blankets to Block Drafts Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
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