Refreshing My Older IKEA Furniture

Just because we did not spend a fortune on our  IKEA furniture, doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do our best to keep it fresh and clean! Most of the larger IKEA items that are in our home were purchased more than five years ago, at extremely low budget times (so they were all the least of the least expensive). They have moved with us from one side of the country to the other, and back; and they all have been heavily used on a daily basis. They’ve been holding up pretty well, but they certainly need some care and refreshing!

So, if you happen to have any of these IKEA pieces (or similar ones) maybe it’s also a good time to give yours a little love, too.

1.  Sofa

The EKTORP is one of the most popular IKEA sofas.  We originally purchased ours in a khaki color and  I replaced the slipcovers a couple of years later with white ones.  Every so and then, I wash the slipcovers and that was all that was needed to revive the sofa for a while. But over time, the back pillows got badly deformed and no re-fluffing was bringing them back to their original shape.

So with a couple of bags of polyester fill,

the sofa looks like new again!

To fill the cushions, I first removed the slipcover, then ripped a small part of the cushion’s side seam (about 2-3 inches, just big enough for my hand to go through) and inserted the polyester fill, tucking it in mostly in the center so that the cushion does not lose its even and smooth exterior. I then stitched back the ripped seam. I also double washed the cushions – even triple washed the dirtiest ones – and I treated the spots with a stain remover and added bleach in the washing (although the latter should not be used, according to the manufacturer’s care instructions). I let them air dry because I’ve found out that the stains disappear more easily if I don’t use the dryer. Last, I ironed (yes, ironed – it makes a distinctive difference) all the slipcovers.

2. Swivel Chair

When we bought the Rickard swivel chair, it was surely one of the least expensive desk chairs on the market.  It’s been holding fine but the fabric got discolored from the sun and it has gradually turned into a faded grey.

I easily replaced both the seat and the back fabric with a new one.

The new fabric is actually a sham that I have not used in a while. The replacement process was extremely easy as the chair’s plastic parts easily pop off (and back on).  The new fabric is thick and rigid and purposely a little dark to hold for a couple of more years. I used the old fabric as a pattern. I sewed a quick stitch without caring about it being neat, as it wouldn’t show, and I inserted a cord to keep the fabric tight, just as it was originally fabricated.

3. Desk

If you happen to have the LINNMON desktop – or any similar working surface –  you might already have found out that wiping it clean with a damp cloth and mild soap might not always do the trick, especially if little hands cannot contain their drawings to paper.

My secret weapon is a powder cleanser – any brand will do.  Sprinkle some cleaning powder on the rough side of a wet heavy duty sponge and scrub directly onto the surface. Repeat for heavy spots. Remove by wiping several times with a wet cellulose sponge cloth.

The result is impeccable and I promise that this is not the product of photoshop!

Even if you don’t have any IKEA furniture in your home, or even if you do but not the same exact pieces, maybe this post will give you some ideas on how to refresh your own older furniture!