How can I avoid buying a new sofa?

ullojohn

Hi folks, first-time poster so apologies if this is not the appropriate forum. I'm hoping for some advice because I'm pretty clueless when it comes to simple stuff like this!

I have a fairly cheap IKEA sofa, which came cheap from Gumtree and is in great condition. However, it's the sort which is all one piece and you have a removable cover that you can wash and replace. When you put the cover back on, you have to jam parts of the cover back into the tiny gaps between the seat and the armrests.

Without fail, every day this works its way out of the gaps. Is this a design fault, or am I missing some piece of equipment that keeps the cover fixed in place? There are some very light plastic tubes which can be wedged into the little gaps but I can't imagine they'd ever have enough strength to keep the cover in place.

This is driving us crazy, but I can't afford to buy a new sofa just because I can't work out what the problem is with this one.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

tiff

Is it still on the Ikea website, do you know the name of it so someone who has one might be able to help?

underworld

You could try hand sewing a length of fabric tape to each corner of the loose cover at the corner where the back meets the arm and also another length on the sofa itself. It will be easier if you use a circular needle.

If you tie these together when you put the cover back on it should hold it in place.

Oldernotwiser

Do you think the cover's shrunk? If so, could you make a bigger one?

cookie220985

just a thought, but why dont you just buy a cheap throw to slat over it till its been used a while, or till u can afford a new sofa? My sofas 10yeas old off freecycle and im a mum of 3, the sofa was used in a home of 7kids b4 me, now ive put planks of wood underneath the big seat cushions to make that bit last and have also put a thick throw over it so its easier to wash clean and replace, and makes the sofa last longer too.

Seakay

I had foam tubes which you wedged down the back of sofas or chairs to hold covers in place and they worked really well, so I don't think that the lightness of the plastic tubes would be a problem, especially if they have been designed for that task.

You could try phoning IKEA customer services, I have always found them to be very helpful.
Use the Say No To 0870 site to find a local number
http://www.saynoto0870.com/companysearch.php

beverleyhills

Did you have problems with it before you removed the cover fot the first time?
If you have washed it the material may have shrunk.
Suspect it is the design, looks nice until you use it.
If you can afford it, you could try Pllumbs to see whether you could get a replacement cover of a different design that would fit.

Alison_Funnell

Our sofa has removable covers and came with rods that are 'shoved' in the creases where you shove the material and help the covers stay in place. So maybe try something like that.

Butterfly_Brain

roll up newspaper and use instead of the plastic tubes or try making your own replacement cover.

msb5262

Try gluing some strips of velcro to the frame, then stitching the other half of the velcro onto the matching bit of the cover. Might keep you sane until you sort it long-term!
HTH
MsB

valk_scot

Try the tubes? Sounds like that's what they're for and if they don't work, you've not lost anything but five minutes of your time, no?