Generally the “winterizing” of your home does not include readying the inside of your home. It definitely doesn’t come to mind that somehow the snow, slush, and ice could damage your sofas and loveseats, but it’s true. The elements rarely ever stay outside. If you walk out in the snow, then stomp in wearing your boots, it’s very likely you’ve also just tracked in snow, ice melt, and any number of things hidden in the deep snow drifts. These, especially the ice melt, can cause damage to your furniture.

So how do you protect your sofa sets from Old Man Winter? Well, the first thing you can do is make sure you take off your shoes, coat, and other winter accessories immediately upon entering the house. If you take off the layers that were affected by the elements by the door, you are less likely to bring them further into your home. If you wear big bulky jeans outside and they are also soggy with ice melt, do not sit on the sofa. This is not actually salt and will stain everything from leather to corduroy to fabric and will take an awful lot of scrubbing to get out. Better if Jack Frost stays outside!