The complete pet friendly sofa guide [4 Tips To Live By]

Our furry friends are the perfect companions to snuggle with on the sofa – but how do you find the perfect sofa to match the needs of your pets? At Oswald & Pablo, we are pet orientated. Did you know that our brand name comes from our two dogs, you guessed it – Oswald & Pablo. 

Our pet-friendly sofa care guide will advise you on the best fabric choice for pooches, how to get rid of moulting hairs and how to avoid the dreaded muddy paw stains. So dive in, paws first, to our pet-friendly sofa guide. 

Contents 

• Pet Odours – How to remove pet odours from your sofa 
• Pet Hairs – How to remove pet hair from your sofa
• Claw Marks – How to avoid scratch marks on your sofa 
• Muddy Paws – How to clean mud from your sofa 

How to remove pet odours from your sofa

We all know that dogs and cats roll in things they shouldn’t. Unless you spray your dog regularly with Jimmy Chew, Poochie or even Tommy HillDigger – it is likely that your dog smells from time to time. 

Since we’re around our pooches a lot, homeowners often go nose blind to the smell of their pets. These pet odours can transfer and linger on your sofa, so how do you make sure your sofa stays smelling fresh? 

• Regularly vacuuming your sofa will help to keep your pet odours at bay. Make sure that you use the vacuum extensions and vacuum the hard to reach areas of your sofa. Removing any cushions on the sofa will help you pick up as much hair and dirt as possible. 
• Spray the surface of your sofa with a pet-specific odour eliminator from your local supermarket. These sprays are specially formulated to eliminate pet odours from the material of your sofa and not just mask them with a pretty scent. 
• Applying baking soda to the surface can be a great way to eliminate pet smells from your Chesterfield. This is a natural odour remover and is a simple and effective solution. Simply shake baking soda over the fabric before going to bed and leave it overnight. Vacuum the excess in the morning, and you should have a sofa that smells a lot nicer. 

How to remove pet hairs from sofa

Dog and cat hairs manage to get everywhere, but one of the places that they love to gather is on the sofa. There are a few methods of getting rid of pet hairs from your sofa, and we will walk you through some of our favourites. 

• Lint roller – Designed to get rid of fluff and lint from clothes, a lint roller is a great domestic tool for getting rid of pet hairs from your fabric sofa. Make sure that you use your lint roller daily to keep on top of the hairs, as it will become more difficult once there is a build-up. 
• Wet cloth + vacuum – Grab a clean cloth and add some water to make it damp. You can then run this across the area with excess hair to gather the hair into a pile. If you find that the hair isn’t coming up, dampen the cloth and gather the hair again. 
• Rubber – Wear some rubber gloves and wipe the area of the sofa that has accumulated pet hairs. This should help you pull together the short and long hairs into a pile. 

How to avoid claw marks on your sofa

Your pet’s claws can be sharp, which can cause you some problems if you have a leather Chesterfield sofa. Cats can actively scratch the sofa, and dogs can clip the leather when lounging. Don’t worry though, there are ways around this. 

One of the most effective ways to avoid claw marks on your sofa is to cover the area with a blanket. If you have a cat who has already scratched an area of your sofa, you should tightly cover the area with a blanket. Spray the affected area with a citrus-scented spray. Cats naturally dislike citrus scents, so they will actively avoid the area. 

How to clean mud stains from your sofa 

At Oswald & Pablo, we craft our sofas with a range of materials, so we’re going to break down how to get mud stains out of each fabric type. 

How to get mud stains out of leather

Leather is the easiest fabric to get mud from. Simply wait for the mud to dry and then brush away any mud that has dried with a soft cloth. From here, if the mud is still present, dip a soft cloth into some water until it is damp. 

You don’t want the cloth to be drenched and dripping, so if you need to squeeze the excess water to ensure it isn’t too wet, make sure you do this over a bowl. Wipe the surface of the sofa with a damp cloth until the mud is removed. 

How to get mud stains out of fabric

Our fabric and leather mix Chesterfield sofa range looks homely and charming, but not with muddy paw stains across it. So, how do you get rid of the stains? 

1. Let the mud dry. There’s no point trying to clean wet mud; it can just make the problem even worse. 
2. Once the mud is dry, vacuum any excess dirt from the stain. This should lift any loose debris. 
3. Mix together soap and cool water. Using a clean soft cloth, soak up the solution. 
4. Head to the mud stain and blot the area. 
5. Repeat this step until the mud stain has lifted. 

Pet friendly sofa tips

We have gathered some general tips and tricks for pet owners to consider to get the most out of their sofa and to protect the longevity of their furniture piece. 

• Use sofa covers – Adding a sofa cover can help protect your furniture from claw marks, excess pet hairs and even muddy paws. 
• If you don’t want to hide your beautiful sofa, you could consider a throw or blanket to cover the area that your pet sits on. 
• Buy your pet a dedicated bed for your living room. Giving your pet their own space to sleep and relax will encourage them to spend their time on their own bed as opposed to your sofa. If you are looking to transition your pet from the sofa to their own bed, you should make them sit on the blanket on the sofa and then slowly transition and lay the blanket across the bed. 
• Keep your pet well-groomed – If your pet is groomed and brushed regularly, there will be less hair for them to shed. Make sure that you keep their claws neatly clipped, as this will mean scratches on sofa fabrics will be minimal. 

Our pooches Oswald & Pablo love our sofas, and we know you will too. Check out the full range of Chesterfield sofas available within our range. We also have a range of Chesterfield armchairs that are perfect for solo sitting, and you will even find stand out centrepieces within our Patchwork Chesterfield sofa range. 

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