We all know that despite our best efforts, crisp white furniture can be a pretty risky choice with children and pets. No matter your furniture choice, these household tyrants put your couches and living room chairs in daily peril. Help protect your furniture with the following recommendations:

Children

You can try to protect your living room furniture by giving your kids a separate playroom for all of their painting and drawing needs. If you can keep the paint, crayons, and pens far away from your furniture, you may be safe. If your child decides to use your nice couch as a canvas, a professional upholstery cleaning service can help. Discourage your kids from eating and drinking on the couch, especially if your snack time includes grape juice.

Cats

Cats like to claw and scratch at your furniture, leaving unsightly rips and tears in the fabric. You can hire professionals to repair the damage, but ideally you’ll want your cats have other options. A scratching post can help satiate your cat’s instinct to claw at objects. In the unfortunate event that your cat urinates on your furniture, an upholstery cleaning service can help deodorize and sanitize the material. Your cat may love to rest on the couch, but pesky cat hair everywhere can be quite annoying. Blankets will keep cat hair off your cushions and have the added bonus of refreshing the look of your room.

Dogs

Some dogs have a habit of chewing furniture. You can prevent this by wearing down their energy with nice long walks. Give your dog chew dogs to keep them occupied and reduce their urge to gnaw on your furniture. If your dog still can’t resist, you can rub a small amount of pet-safe cayenne pepper or anti-chewing spray on your upholstery. They will quickly be dissuaded. Dogs can also track in dirt and muck from inside and get it all over your nice upholstery. Protect your furniture with blankets, which can easily be washed to keep your furniture clean and sanitary.

Slobs & Klutzes

If you live with someone who is a little messy when they eat or drink, they are as much a risk to your furniture as children and pets. You can apply an upholstery protector like Scotchgard to keep your furniture safe from spills and stains. In the case that a red wine stain proves too tough for a DIY fix, professional upholstery cleaners can return your furniture to its original crisp state.

Households can be pretty threatening habitats for furniture when kids, pets, and messy people are involved. These tips should help protect your furniture and keep it looking fresh for years.