With the 4th of July barely behind us, we’ve just about entered the glorious midsummer season. Lazy nights drinking lemonade on the porch, fun-filled evenings barbecuing with friends on Fridays after work, exciting week-long vacations to exotic destinations – summertime is often the most relaxing and enjoyable part of the year.
Of course, summer also means the kids are done with classes and enjoying a well-deserved break from school, which frequently adds up to more than a few consequences for your painfully perfected home décor.
Even if your kids are the most responsible ones on the planet, always remembering to clean up after themselves and never forgetting to use a coaster on the expensive vintage coffee table in the living room, summertime fun in the sun isn’t exactly on the list of things your home furniture collection loves the most. Between long days at the beach, hands-on games of soccer and baseball, and plenty of afternoons spent sweating it out with the rest of the neighborhood kids, your children are probably bringing a whole lot of sand, moisture and grime into some of your home’s most delicate places.
The team at The RoomPlace furniture store nearest you is here with a handful of tips that will make sure your home furniture survives a battle with your own little hooligans without so much as a scratch.
Prevent the natural elements from entering your home in the first place by instructing your kids to remove any soiled clothing before entering the house – especially shoes. Long day at the beach? If there are no public showers where the little ones can rinse off before heading home, at least request that they dry out in the sun before coming in – that way they can brush off most of the sharp grains of sand that have an uncanny talent for embedding themselves into every surface of your house during the long months of summer.
Divert the attention from your plusher furniture by asking the kids to take their lemonade or ice cream breaks in the kitchen rather than lounging around on the living room furniture. Wooden stools and chairs are more durable than the expensive leather sofa or recliner in your living room, and besides, it’s a great way to keep them outside and away from the television set.
Protect your fancier furniture with slipcovers as a last ditch resort. No need to follow grandma’s lead with noisy and unsightly plastic; simply invest in a couple of cheap cotton slipcovers for your more expensive items to protect them from not only dirt and sand, but also greasy sunscreen.
Of course, if worse comes to worst, you can always stop by your local Chicago furniture store to replace that soiled leather sofa. We’re here for you, parents.