How to Pet & Kid Proof Your Home

We know having kids and having pets are one of the greatest sources of love and joy in our lives. However, we also know they’re one of the greatest causes of messes in our homes. But it doesn’t have to mean giving up your style! We’ve created a list of tips and tricks for you, so you can still enjoy your white couches! Yes, we are firm believers that you can totally have pets and kids with white couches.

For our first tip, we highly suggest choosing furniture in your home with performance fabrics such as Crypton. Performance fabrics are made to be highly durable and easily cleaned. This means you can go ahead and commit to light colored fabrics for your chairs and couches without the worry of permanent staining! Our favorite stores to choose pieces in performance fabrics are Pottery Barn, West Elm, Arhaus and Crate and Barrel. Bonus- all offer free fabric swatches online.

If stains do happen, our go to cleaning product is Folex! Folex will remove even the messiest stains from carpets and upholstery, making it a great multi-use product, and it’s completely safe to use around our pets and kids. Next, we also recommend scotch guarding your chairs and couches once a year for additional protection against stain. Also, for your more expensive pieces, consider getting a slipcover made of performance fabric. Having a slipcover on your couches and chairs serves to protect the piece underneath, and as it’s a slipcover, it can be removed and easily washed in the washing machine if needed! Here are some of our favorite slipcovered sofas:

We are firm believers in high-quality rugs and the durability & beauty these bring to a space. But let’s be honest, you might not want to spend all that money on something that your kids & pets might destroy! If you are really wanting a complete kid and pet friendly rug option, you can opt for a printed rug from brands like Ruggable! Ruggable is an amazing brand that offers rugs in a huge variety of sizes and prints- and best of all, they’re machine washable! A few of our favorites from Ruggable:

Lastly, when it comes to choosing accent pieces such as throw blankets and pillows, we recommend selecting materials that aren’t woven. Our furry friend’s nails and children’s curiosity are woven fabrics' worst enemy. Within moments of your pet and child on the throw or pillow, it will be completely ruined from the catching and pulling on the threads. Instead, choose materials with high thread count to avoid exposed or visible threads, or select plush faux furs and plush microfibers. Our top picks for pet and kid friendly throw blankets:

You can find sources to my designs and home decor favorites linked directly above on my LIKEtoKNOW.it page.

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