ikea ektorp covers; should i risk washing them?

[Monkeyandanimal]

I know this has been discussed before, but i wanted to know specifically if anyone had tried washing the dark green covers, as they are made of a loose weave fabric (that traps food like a dream; PITA). They say dry clean only but that is expensive, plus there is no parking outside the dry cleaners and i have two preschoolers and at 7 months pregnant don't fancy dragging kids and bulky covers from car park, down high st to cleaners! However, as the covers cost more than the sofa itself, and were an extravagance we really couldn't afford, but indulged in anyway, i don't want to wreck them. Any success stories washing these particular forest green covers?

I've got a beige ektorp now and have washed it loads of times and it is fine. I had a green one before and washed that loads too. I think the green one did fade but only gradually over loads of washes after I'd had it for years. Both said dry clean only. Neither of them shrunk at all. I wash at 30 degrees with a gentle spin.

Not green but I have successfully washed red and a navy/white pattern from ikea. I'd give it a go. Wash one cushion cover alone on a 30 degree wash and see how it goes. Don't tumble it. Worst case, you could replace covers with the cheap neutrals which wash very well.

Even if you love these green covers, they aren't much use if they won't wash and cause you problems.

Not green but I have successfully washed red and a navy/white pattern from ikea. I'd give it a go. Wash one cushion cover alone on a 30 degree wash and see how it goes. Don't tumble it. Worst case, you could replace covers with the cheap neutrals which wash very well.

Even if you love these green covers, they aren't much use if they won't wash and cause you problems.

My Multiyork sofa has dry clean only covers. A guest spilt coffee on one of the cushions so I got it dry cleaned it didn't make a difference, i still had a massive coffee stain. So deciding I had nothing to lose I washed it on the handwash programme and it came up fine. Since then I've washed all the 'dry clean only' covers several times. Always at 30degrees and a low spin, I then a low spin again and hang up to dry.
Being MultiYork covers replacement costs a small fortune so I'm very careful with them, I would treat the Ikea ones in a similar fashion. Try a cushion first. Oh I also add a colour catcher just in case but that's mainly because mine are pale cream.

ok, thanks everyone, i'm gonna do it! we don't have extra cushions in that fabric, except the main ones that make up the sofa itself...i'll try on the smallest, loosest one and keep fingers crossed. Also, idespair you are right, no good if they can't be washed, with all the LOs doing terrible things to them.....but i do love them so (the covers and the children).

Washed the cushion covers and then the outer cover separately (couldn't fit everything into the machine in one go). Then went out and bought a large fleece throw that fits on top of the whole sofa. Much easier to wash the throw iykwim.