How to Wash IKEA Slipcovers
One of the questions I get asked all the time is how to care for and how to wash IKEA Slipcovers. I’ve had slipcovers for almost twenty years now and I’ve washed quite a few and learned a trick or two in that time.
Let me start off by asking you to read the care instructions for your particular slipcover on the IKEA site. Different colours and patterns of the IKEA slipcovers are made from various fabrics and various mixes of fabrics and require different care.
My sofa is from the Ektorp series and has the ” Vittaryd White” Slipcover.
Care instructions from IKEA:
Machine wash, warm, normal cycle.
To be washed separately.
Do not bleach.
Do not tumble dry.
Iron, high.
Dry clean any solvent except trichloroethylene.
Machine wash, warm, normal cycle.
To be washed separately.
Do not bleach.
Do not tumble dry.
Iron medium temperature, max 300°F/150°C.
Iron on reverse side.
Dry clean any solvent except trichloroethylene.
- I Always start by removing the main cover first and get that in the machine. While thats washing I’ll start wrestling with the seat cushions. I like the main cover to be the first piece on after the wash. (I start this process in the evening so that the covers have time to dry overnight.)
- Remove the seat covers. This is not an easy feat and the whole darn process is like doing a workout to tell you the truth. But like all workouts, worth the effort when you’re done!
- After I remove the covers, I always do up the zippers before washing. It just helps to prevent them from getting caught up and becoming damaged.
- Next, I will do spot treatments if needed. I use the same detergent I use to wash the covers as I do to spot treat. I knew that chocolate fell somewhere!
- If you’ve read the IKEA instructions they say not to use bleach and I very rarely do. I find it’s very rough on fabric. Usually I place the recommended amount of detergent and oxi-clean in my front loader first and then add the slipcovers. I wash it in a normal wash cycle but add an extra rinse to make sure they’re as white as can be.
- This is where I’ve added my own spin to how to wash Ikea slipcovers. (This step is contrary to the IKEA instructions and you do so at your own risk!) After the covers are washed, I remove them from the washer and give them a good shake. Then I will put them in the dryer for 2-5 minutes! I put them on timed dry and check after 2 minutes. I’m basically letting the covers barely come to a warm. This works every time to relax the fabric. I do not leave them in any longer than that even if the dryer doesn’t feel warm. Any longer than that and you run the risk of your covers shrinking! Which they will and you will not be able to fit them back onto your furniture!
- I quickly take them out, shake them again and race them upstairs. If its the cushion covers, I’ll lay them smoothly over the kitchen chairs while I put them on one at a time. If it’s the main cover, I get that sucker on asap and begin my smoothing process.
- Lastly, I put the cushion covers back on and begin to smooth and stretch them out with my hands. This helps get out the wrinkles. It’s kinda like ironing with your hands!
This is before I do my “hand ironing”, notice the bottom of the slipcover:
My hand ironing thingy:
This is the after, notice the bottom wrinkles are almost gone:
Now that the covers are all on and smoothed out I place the cushions all around so that they stay smooth and they can dry evenly all around. It’s a bit of a mess and that’s why I do it in the evening. By the morning everything is dry and has stayed wrinkle free! Simply put the cushions back together and your good for another few months!
I hope this tutorial on how to wash Ikea slipcovers has been helpful to you! There’s nothing like having clean and great looking slipcovers every few months.
Blessings,
Kim
It sounds like a lot of work but it’s worth it because it looks so crisp and clean in the end. I love how you styled your sofa by the way.
http://sugarcoatedbears.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much! It definitely is worth it! 🙂
Yay! I’m glad you mentioned not using bleach. I’ve found a few people who do so and I want to stop them! It disintegrates the stitching so they fall apart. I must say though, I never use warm, only cold water to wash, and I use my soak feature on my front loader. I also put them in the dryer to tumble but on air fluff..no heat. I’ve had my set for 10 years and going strong! I bought the dark grey covers for the Ektorp down in the ASIs section as I wanted to see if I could wash them instead of the recommended dry clean..I find they wash just as easily as the white covers, so Yay!
Thank you for your tips! You’re obviously doing something right if they’v lasted 10 years! 🙂
thanks, just what i needed to know – going to try it now on the sofa in the photo! Especially the putting them on damp bit. My ektorp says just don’t wash….not paying attention to that.
Thank you SO much! This worked perfectly, and the couple minutes in the dryer makes a huge difference!
Oh I’m so happy! Thanks for letting me know, glad it worked for you! 🙂
I am considering getting an ektorp loveseat with a farlov sofa but wasn’t sure if the 2 different whites were close enough to look good in the same room. Yours look great together. Is there any difference other than the material?
Hi Lisa, the farlov covers have a much different texture and are a lot more yellow than the ektorp. I have to say because my living room is so small and the furniture so close together you can notice the difference. Having said that, after the farlov covers’ first wash (I wash them with a bit of oxiclean) they come out more white and I find the two fabrics look better together now. When you’re at Ikea, take swatches of both fabrics and see what they look like together. Hope this helps! 🙂
Good to know. Thanks so much! I don’t have an ikea near me but maybe I can order swatches. My furniture will be further apart so I bet it would be fine. Thanks again for your reply!
We just bought ours a few months ago. They do wash up great but I am running into trouble bc very time I see a stain I feel like I have to wash it right away so the stain doesn’t set in. I’m finding myself washing these all the time. Thoughts? Do you spot treat? Or let the stain set and wait until the next time you wash them?
I use Scotchgard spray on all surfaces people would “touch” This really helps with small stains
I haven’t tried that yet, thanks for the tip!
Am I understanding that you put the wet covers back on the pillows to dry? It never gets a moldy smell? And the icy is strong enough to take out the stains ?
Is that a cat bed on one of your pics? Where’d you find it? Sometimes my cats throw up on my sofa. That’s my biggest issue with them getting dirty.
Hi Diana, Yes I put the damp covers on and smooth them out on the pillow. I stand them up to dry and flip them over in the middle of drying. No they never get a moldy smell because they dry standing up with the air circulating around and when I do them at night they’re dry in the morning.
Hi! I have long admired your beautiful living room! I was about to purchase a FARLOV armchair to go with the EKTORP couch but am hesitant because the whites seem so off. Do you think it will mellow out after a wash? They will be next to one another like yours. In photographs, yours seem like a perfect match!
Hi and thank you! I have a very small space so the farlov is close to the ektorp and you could tell a difference in the shades. The farlov is a little more yellow than the ektorp. However, after I washed the farlov covers, the yellow seemed to dim down. I find that they look a lot better together now. I’m not sure if it was due to the oxi clean or what but there’s a noticeable difference. 🙂
Thanks for confirming. It looks beautiful in your space. I’ll check it out in store!
Hi Kim,
Thank you so much for this review! I’m currently considering buying the Ektorp sofa…just drooled at IKEA yesterday. Can you please share where you bought all your throw pillows? Your living room is gorgeous!
Cheers,
Renée
Thank you! The large blue velvet pillows are from IKEA. The blue square pillow is from Dannielle Oakey Shop and the blue lumbar is from Homesense. 🙂
How bout the white throws? And are they down-filled? I stare at your living room at work when I get stressed and it de-stresses me ☺️
I know I’m late to the game but I’m wondering if you have any tips for cleaning the cushion inserts themselves? I try to clean my covers every three months but sometimes things happen (like toddler puke) and it soaks through the covers onto the cushion.
I’m considering busting out my carpet cleaner and using it with the covers on, but not sure how good of an idea that is.
Hi Kim
Do you know if it’s possible to wash the padded under covers that are on the cushions? I have a stocksund sofa, the cover washes really well, but would like to wash the cushion under covers too. Thanks
Hi Bibi! I’ve never owned a stocksund so I couldn’t give advice on washing the cushion under covers. Sorry!
What is your opinion? Can I wash the covers in a machine with an agitator in the middle?
Thank you.
Hi! I can’t see why not. The only issue may be whether or not the large sofa cover will fit. Other than that it should be fine.😀
Hi Kim. Any tips on how to get a red wine stain out of one of these white covers? Thanks!
Goodness, just seeing this now! So sorry for the delay..I’ve only had a red wine spill once and we dabbed at the with a tide pen! I’m not sure if that’s the official best way to remove wine stains but it worked!
Thank you for the article-how big is your washing machine drum? I want to know whether the 2 seater and the 3 seater will fit into mine before I start peeling it off.
Thank you
Hi! I’m not sure of the size..it’s a front loader. With my 3 seater, I usually put the base slipcover in one load and the cushion/seat covers in another load. You may wish to split the cushion/seat covers into two loads depending on the size of your machine. I would do the same for your 2 seater. Hope this helps!