Is one of your pet peeves having your dog or cat ruin your furniture with its claws and unwanted stains? In many homes, pets have a tendency to take over, but there are ways to minimize damage and wear to your furniture by choosing stain-resistant upholstery, and scratch-resistant furniture finishes. Because pets are part of your family, you want them to feel comfortable at home, just like the people who occupy your pet’s space. In addition to durable, easy-care fabrics like Sunbrella, microfiber and ultrasuede, leather is a more luxurious but equally sensible option for pet-friendly furniture. When choosing furniture, you should also consider non-wooden legs – such as metal or acrylic – so they’ll have less chance of being chewed up. If rugs are part of your décor, microfiber and flat weave styles are more durable, less resistant to pulls and tears, and they’re easier to clean than luxury fibers like wool or silk. And, if pets truly rule your roost, you should probably avoid carpeting because it won’t be able to withstand claws, stains, and odors.

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Easy Care || In general, performance-style fabrics are better to use when you have pets, and easiest to clean, including synthetics such as microfiber, ultrasuede, and acrylic. Tightly woven fabrics are good choices, too, including canvas and denim. Also, consider choosing fabrics in darker colors – they hide stains much better than lighter hues. The same is true of patterns – they won’t usually show stains as much as solids. Another helpful tip, depending on the fabric, is to add a protectant like Scotchgard so there’s less chance of dealing with non-removable stains.

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Sunbrella & Slipcovers || Though it’s often associated with outdoor furniture, Sunbrella acrylic fabric is equally comfortable and attractive indoors. It’s soft, fade- and stain-resistant, as well as being easy to clean, so it’s an excellent choice if you have pets, or kids, for that matter. Likewise, slipcovers are a wise option because they’re often removable, and they can be machine washed or even switched out if needed.

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Leather || Since sofas and chairs are often their favorite places to lounge, leather is a good pet-friendly choice because it doesn’t attract pet hair, it’s highly durable, easy to clean, and a few surface scratches will just add to the piece’s rich patina as time goes on. And, because it’s not loomed or woven, leather won’t trap odors the way other fabrics and surfaces will.