When you have a couch that has a few minor cosmetic or functional flaws, there are ways you can salvage this item of furniture. With the right tool and materials, many of these cosmetic and functional flaws can be fixed. You can repair rips and tears, remove unsightly odors and replace loss of cushioning by using a combination of repair skills along with a little creativity. You can also safely remove spots and pet hair while keeping the fabric or upholstery intact. By using the right tools and materials, you can learn how to properly recover a sofa.

1. Use a sofa slipcover to recover a sofa that has a few spots on it that are hard to remove.

When your sofa has plenty of cushioning and is in otherwise good working condition, you can get a few more years of use out of it by using a sofa slipcover.

2. Wash the cushions.

When your couch cushions have a few minor stains on them, throw these in the wash machine and use a soft hand washing soap to remove stains. You can also wash the seat covers by hand and allow them to air dry. You can also use a specialized furniture stain remover and spot clean the sofa when there are a few stains on the cushions.

3. Hide water stains on the top of the couch with an afghan.

These decorative furniture shawls add embellishment to a couch and hide unsightly water stains.

4. Remove unsightly odors by using a light fabric freshener like “Febreeze”.

Spray this on areas on the couch where these odors originate and allow the freshener to neutralize the odors.

5. Remove pet hair.

You can use a large lint roller to salvage a couch that has different types of pet hair on it. You can also use your vacuum to remove pet hair.

6. Repair rips and tears.

You can use a furniture patching kit to patch up minor rips and tears in fabric, upholstery and leather.

7. Add extra padding to sofa cushions that have lost most of their support.

You can buy extra cotton padding at a craft store or home-furnishing store. Use the zipper on the side of each cushion to open the cushion and insert the cushion inside of it.

8. Repair broken pegs.

When your couch has a broken peg or leg, it often leans to the side or it is unstable. Replace the broken peg or make a new peg and paint it the same color as the other pegs. This will help to balance the couch and make it sturdy.