Giving your sofa a quick hoover once a week will help remove any collected crumbs. Remember to take all your cushions off. Run the vacuum over all the cushions to lift off any surface dirt and dust using an attachment with a soft brush to avoid damaging the fabric. Keep your hoover on a low suction setting.

Look out for those new black jeans on your light or brightly-coloured sofa. There’s a chance that the dye might transfer onto the upholstery.

Avoid the washing machine. Most fabrics aren’t designed to be washed and giving the covers a spin at a low temperature could even affect how fire retardant they are. The fabric could shrink also due to colours seeping into the fabric.