If You See a Heart With Horns Hanging On a Car, Here’s What It Means

Whether you’re a member of an automotive modification community or just happen to live near people in the scene, there’s a good chance you’ll stumble across odd accessories from time to time. Some of them are obviously purely decorative, like lights, while others, like custom spoilers, do ostensibly have a practical benefit as well. But recently, someone on Reddit came across an automotive accessory that they just couldn’t figure out. Fortunately, there were plenty of people on hand to explain exactly what the accessory was. And more importantly, what it wasn’t.

In their post, Reddit user Vee4Victory shared an image of a black strap attached to the front of a car. The bottom of the strap features what appears to be a black metal heart with horns. In their post, they said it reminded them of pointy key chains (they most likely meant the style sold as self-defense tools). But they couldn’t figure out why one would be on a car.

The Reddit community was quick to answer. First and foremost, many respondents had a warning. Despite the fact that this strap looks like it could be a tow point, it absolutely is not. Trying to use this strap while towing will be an expensive headache. But once they cleared up what the strap wasn’t, Reddit focused on what it actually was. According to the community, these straps are called tsurikawa.

What Is Tsurikawa?

Tsurikawa is part of the Japanese Domestic Market car culture. Originally, these straps hung in train cars to give passengers something to hold onto while the train was in motion. JDM Tsurikawa explains that the name “describes objects, usually suspended, that help standing passengers to keep their balance while the vehicle is in motion.” Its name comes from the words “tsuri,” meaning “hang,” and “kawa,” meaning “leather,” the material these straps were originally made of.

The first tsurikawa were likely stolen from trains, but today there’s an entire market around purchasing them. Like many subcultures, they were a symbol of rebellion against the status quo and a pushback against established norms. JDM Performance defines it as “a mix of rebellion against conventional norms and a passion for automotive style, particularly in the JDM community.”

Source

• The Tsurikawa Story, JDM Tsurikawa.
• Tsurikawa Meaning: Discover the Significance of Tsurikawa in JDM Car Culture, JDM Performance, 2025.

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How to Turn a Single Sheet of Plywood Into a Stunning Floor Lamp

Make a leg template

Use the drawing below to draw and cut out a leg template. This can be made from cardboard or any other random scrap sheet lying around your shop. You’ll need a substrate at least 10 x 56-1/2 inches to fit the leg on there, but a little bigger is better.

Divide the 4×8 sheet

Using the table saw:

• Cross-cut your 1/2-inch thick 4×8 plywood sheet at 56-1/2 inches. Take the 39-3/8 x 48-inch drop piece and set it aside.
• Rip the 56-1/2-in.-long piece down the center so you’re left with two 23-15/16 x 56-1/2-in. pieces.

Glue up the leg panel

• Apply a generous amount of wood glue to one of the 23-15/16 x 56-1/2-in. pieces. Use scrap wood as a spreader to ensure even coverage across the entire surface.
• Place the second dry piece on top of the glued 23-15/16 x 56-1/2-in. piece to create a single 1-in.-thick panel. Ensure the edges are flush with one another.
• Use clamps and 3/4-in. 23-gauge headless pin nails to secure the two pieces together. Drive pin nails along all four sides and throughout the center, using your leg template to make sure pins aren’t in the way of your approximate cut lines.
• Wipe away any glue squeeze out along the edges with a damp cloth.

Cut the Legs

• Once the glued-up one-inch panel has had some time to dry, use your leg template to trace out three legs on the panel.
• Before cutting, drive pin nails inside the traced outlines of each leg and around the small notches.
• Use a track saw to cut the straight sides of each leg and a jigsaw for the smaller detail cuts, including the 9/16-in. notches.
• Round over the edges with a wood router and 1/4-in. round-over bit. Rotate and flip the pieces until all the edges of the three legs are smooth.

Build the connectors

• Retrieve the 39-3/8-in. x 48-in. plywood section set aside earlier. Use a 6-in. hole saw to cut the 5-3/4-in. bottom connector disc and a 4 1/4 inch hole saw to cut the 4-in. top connector disc. Sand the outside edges with 220-grit sandpaper until smooth.
• On the bottom of both connector discs, mark three lines at 120-degree intervals from the center as a visual center point for each leg.  Mark 1/2-in. offsets on both sides of these lines to create the outlines for the small triangular leg guides to attach to the top connector and the larger triangular leg guides on the bottom connector.
• Cut the small and large triangular guides from one-inch-thick scraps from the legs using a miter saw.
• Align the triangular guides with your marks. Secure them to the circular bases using 23-gauge pin nails and wood glue.
• For the top and bottom connectors, drill a slightly larger 3/8-in. hole for the electrical cable to slide through.

Assemble the legs

Slide the notch in the legs into the spaces between the triangular guides on the bottom connector. The notch on each leg should seat snugly against the bottom connector. Repeat for the top connector, ensuring the outside face of each leg is flush with the outside edge of the top connector circle. Glue and pin nail the triangular guides directly into the legs from the sides, then drive nails through the top/bottom of the connector discs into the leg ends for maximum stability.

Machine the lamp shade components

• Use a table saw to cut two, 15 x 15 inch squares and 28 1 x 10-in. strips out of the remaining 1/2-in. plywood.
• On one of the 15-in. x 15-in. squares, lay out and cut 4 x 4-inch squares in all four corners of the piece using a jigsaw. Inset the squares one inch in from the outside edges of the 15 x 15-inch squares. Drill a 3/8-in. hole centered on the piece, too, to accommodate the threaded pipe of the light fixture. This will be the bottom of your lamp shade.
• To make the top of the lamp shade, take the second 15-in. x 15-in. square and mark an internal square, inset 1 in. from all edges. Cut it with the miter saw, stopping short of the corners, then finish the cuts with a jigsaw.
• Sand all the lamp shade pieces smooth to 220-grit.
• Round over all the edges on the slats and top and bottom lamp shade using a router and 1/4-in. round-over bit.

Assemble the lamp shade

• Draw a 45-degree diagonal line from corner to corner on the 15 x 15 inch bottom piece of your lamp shade, with the 4 inch squares cut in the corners.
• Center your first two slats centered on a 45-degree diagonal line in opposite corners.
• Use wood glue and 23-gauge pin nails to attach them to the bottom of your lamp shade.
• Install the slats one by one around the circumference of the lamp shade’s bottom. Space them two inches apart from center-to-center, maintaining the 45-degree diagonal angle from the edge›.
• Once you have a handful of slats attached to the bottom of the lamp shade in opposite corners, attach the 15 x 15 in. lamp shade top to the top of the slats, keeping the same 45-degree angle and 2-in. spacing between each.
• Work around the shade, maintaining uniform spacing and angle until all the slats are secured to the top and bottom lamp shade squares.

Poly the project

• Apply wood filler to any deep pin nail holes. Wipe away the excess filler with a damp shop rag.
• Some might call it overkill, but on every project I build that incorporates any electrical, I always add a fire-retardant additive to the finish for peace of mind. This project was no different. Mix the manufacturer’s recommended ratio into a water-based polyurethane and apply two coats to all plywood components. Lightly sand with 220-grit sandpaper between each coat.

Final Assembly

• Apply CA glue to the coupler and insert it into the center hole on top of the base. Allow to dry completely.
• To mount the lamp shade, thread the threaded pipe from the lamp kit through the center hole of the lamp shade’s bottom and top connectors. Use the included nuts and washers on each end to secure it tight.
• Secure the lamp shade to the base by driving four, one-inch screws through the inside of the lamp shade’s bottom into the top connector disc at the top of the legs. Use a countersink drill bit to ensure the screws are flush with the surface.

Electrical Installation & Testing

Not all floor lamp wiring kits are identical, so follow your kit’s instructions, though most will be something like this:

• Secure the electrical neck to the top side of the threaded pipe inside the lamp shade.
• Snake the electrical cord from the bottom connector up through the top of the lamp base and out the electrical neck.
• Following the kit’s schematic, connect the wires to the socket/switch assembly.
• Gently pull the slack out of the cord to seat the socket/switch firmly into the neck.
• Attach the insulation sleeve and the socket shell.
• To test, insert a light bulb and plug the lamp into an outlet. If it illuminates, you are finished! If it fails to light up, double-check all your wire connections

FAQ

What is the distance a light bulb needs to be from the lamp shade?

The distance is based on the wattage of the light bulb you plan to use. If you are planning to use 40-60-watt incandescent light bulbs, one to two inches between the bulb and the lamp shade is fine. If you plan to use higher wattage bulbs, the distance increases by another inch or two. LED lights don’t produce a lot of heat so one to two inches in between is plenty.

What is the best fire-retardant paint additive?

Flamecheck M-111 PS and RDR Flame Stop III are both great products and are considered class A fire retardants. I used RDR Flame Stop III for this project because it is approved for use with latex-based paints and can be added to clear water-based polyurethane coatings.

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How to Store Your Snowblower the Right Way So It’s Ready Next Winter

Drain the fuel or add stabilizer

If there’s only one thing you do to your snowblower before putting it away for the year, make it this step. Either drain the fuel by running the machine until it dies, or add fuel stabilizer to prevent any remaining gas from degrading.

Gas will begin to break down after about a month of sitting, creating residue and solids that can damage the engine, clog the carburetor and make starts more difficult. The stabilizer will keep it usable for up to two years.

Use Sta-bil or a similar product and add enough for your fuel tank capacity. Run the snowblower for a few minutes to distribute the treated fuel through the engine and carburetor. Ideally the gas tank is full if you choose this method, to reduce moisture issues.

Perform an oil change

It’s best to store a snowblower with fresh oil. Run it for a few minutes to warm up the oil, then turn it off and disconnect the spark plug wire. Locate the drain plug and loosen it with a wrench. Have a pan ready to catch the oil, and lean the machine toward it to help facilitate drainage. Once it’s drained, replace the drain plug, carefully pour 5W-30 oil into the machine, and check the level with the provided dipstick. Replace the spark plug wire and run the engine for a few minutes to distribute the clean oil throughout the engine. Dispose of used oil in accordance with local laws and ordinances.

Replace any worn or damaged parts

Visually inspect drive and auger belts. Look for frays, tears, burns or slack and replace if needed. Manually rotate the auger blade to ensure it moves freely, and remove any debris that may have accumulated over the season. Inspect shear pins and replace any that are broken or missing.

Lubricate any moving parts

“You’ll want to add a lubricant to any of the moving parts to keep those protected,” Steve Corcoran from Lawn Love says. These include the auger shaft, drive gears, cables and wheels. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to grease the auger shaft to keep it turning smoothly. Apply grease to wheel axles and the gear box, then apply spray lubricant to cables. This prevents rust, corrosion and parts seizing up while in storage.

Remove the spark plug

While it’s not necessary to replace the spark plug each season, you should at least remove and inspect it. Each snowblower is different, so consult the owner’s manual for the spark plug location on your particular machine. Once it’s located, pull away the spark plug wire and remove the spark plug with a deep-well socket wrench. Look for signs of a bad spark plug, such as charring or visible damage, and replace it if needed.

While it is removed, add a bit of fogging oil to the cylinder head while pulling the starter rope to prevent rust and corrosion while in storage. Replace the spark plug and wire when finished.

Adjust scraper blade and skid shoes

Set the skid shoes to the appropriate height for your driveway to keep the auger blade from scraping the surface. This is especially important if you have a gravel or pea-stove driveway. Inspect the scraper blade for damage, and replace if necessary. Check that it’s at an optimal level to remove snow without scraping the driveway, which could cause damage.

Clean the exterior

While snowblowers don’t do the dirty, dusty work of a lawn mower, it’s still important to give them a thorough cleaning before off-season storage. Snowblowers can collect sand, leaves and debris, as well as salt, which can accelerate paint breakdown and rust. “To clean it before storing it, start by using a brush or cloth to completely wipe it down and remove all debris buildup,” Corcoran says. “Then, use soap and water to clean it, and allow that to fully dry.” Finally, spray any exposed metal parts with engine storage spray to protect against corrosion and rust.

Store properly

“Storing a snowblower for the offseason is similar to storing your lawn mower,” Corcoran says. “Store it in either your garage or shed, and make sure it always stays upright and is properly covered.”

About the Expert

• Steve Corcoran is CEO at Lawn Love, an online platform connecting homeowners with local lawn care professionals.

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If Your Car Battery Keeps Dying, Here’s How to Find Out Why

Like tires and brakes, car batteries also wear down over time and require replacement. But what if you have a newer battery that’s losing its charge? It could be defective, or it could be getting drained by a malfunctioning or improperly wired element of the vehicle. Fixing this issue is crucial to avoid frustrating jump starts or being stranded with a car that won’t start. Ahead, learn how to figure out what’s draining your car battery — and how to fix it — with car expert Justin Dugan of American Muscle.

Signs Your Car Battery Is Being Drained

The main sign that your battery is draining rather than dying is “a car that has difficulty starting after sitting for a relatively short period of time, although the battery appeared to be functioning well prior to this,” Dugan says. For example, if you park your car on Friday and need to jump-start it on Monday, then again a few days later, this is a pattern that indicates a draining battery, which can have several causes.

While you may also notice dimmer-than-normal interior lights and a slow engine crank, these signs alone do not indicate a drained battery. It’s a battery that keeps dying and needs repeated jump-starts, likely paired with these signs that point to a drained battery. “Repeated dead-battery failures are typically indicative of either a problem with the vehicle’s charging system or the wiring configuration, and not solely due to a weak battery,” Dugan says.

Common Causes of a Draining Car Battery

Accidental

Leaving headlights, interior lights or the radio on while the engine is off is a common cause of a drained car battery. A simple jump start should solve the problem.

Parasitic draws

A more complex cause is parasitic draw, where an element of the car continues to draw power from the battery even when the engine is off. “The actual cause of battery drain is not necessarily the battery itself, but rather a component that has failed within the car and is continuing to draw power, or an accessory that was wired continuously to the battery instead of being tied into a keyed ignition circuit,” Dugan says.

Accessories like dash cams, sound systems and custom lighting can lead to drain if connected directly to the battery. Alternatively, a faulty ignition switch, door sensor or relays can fail to disconnect electrical components from the battery when the ignition turns off.

Alternator issues

A faulty alternator will fail to charge the battery while driving, leading to repeated jump starts. Also, failing alternator diodes can lead to alternator backfeed, where electricity flows backward from the battery, also causing drain.

How To Diagnose What’s Draining the Battery

Parasitic draws

“The diagnostic process is primarily about being systematic and deliberate in eliminating potential sources of the drain, versus making random guesses,” Dugan says. “Eliminate all the obvious expected draws, such as clock memory or courtesy lights, and then systematically go through the remainder of the system.”

Use a multimeter to identify the circuit draining your battery, then focus on the components in that circuit.

• Turn the car off and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes with the doors closed and lights off.
• Remove the negative charge cable from the battery.
• With your multimeter set to DC, connect the black multimeter lead to the battery’s negative charge cable and the red multimeter lead to the negative post on the battery.
• With the multimeter in place, remove fuses one at a time until the amp reading drops, indicating the source of the drain.

“This will give you information regarding whether you are dealing with a defective component, an alternator backfeed or a device that has been improperly wired to a wrong source of power,” Dugan says.

Alternator

If you did not find any sources of parasitic draws, consider alternator issues next. Signs to look for include:

• A screeching or grinding sound occurs when the engine is running.
• Flickering headlights or multiple electrical issues, like slow power windows or malfunctioning power door locks.
• Over 100,000 miles on your vehicle, which could indicate the alternator is nearing the end of its life.

Fixes for Common Battery Drain Problems

How to fix battery-drain issues depends on the cause. For parasitic draws, replace any malfunctioning aftermarket parts and re-wire any accessories connected directly to battery power. “Remove the component from the constant battery source and provide it with a proper keyed ignition or accessory circuit so that it no longer drains the battery when the vehicle is parked,” Dugan says.

Replace a defective alternator if this is deemed the source of battery drain.

FAQ

How long should a car battery last?

Car batteries can last three to seven years, depending on your driving habits and climate.

Can short drives drain a car battery?

Yes, frequent, short drives can drain a car battery and shorten its life span.

About the Experts

• Justin Dugan is a car expert and brand ambassador at American Muscle, an aftermarket parts provider for performance vehicles.

Related

• Do You Know What That Little Button on Your Seat Belt Is For?
• What Those Lines on Your Backup Camera Really Tell You
• Here’s What The Small Panel On Your Car’s Front Bumper Is For

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2026’s Biggest Retail Closings — And the Surprising Brands Still Growing

When it comes to keeping an eye on the economy, you’re most likely focused on where you can get your basics for the best price. But another good metric to look at is which retailers are opening new stores versus which ones are closing stores. Coresight Research (via CNBC) recently announced its list of retailers with the most new openings and closings, so we broke down the numbers for you.

Which Retailers Have the Most New Openings?

Per CNBC, the top ten retailers opening new stores span a variety of sectors. The spread varies from budget stores to specialty candle stores. It’s not limited by retailer size either; the largest retailer has over 20,000 stores open at the moment, while the smallest one on this top ten list currently has just 64 stores open. The complete top ten list is as follows:

Store	Stores Open	Stores Opening
Dollar General	20,901	483
Aldi	2,624	168
Tractor Supply	2,364	100
Barnes & Noble	667	60
Target	1,995	43
Dollar Tree	9,269	33
Casey’s	2,921	27
7-Eleven	12,912	21
Pop Mart	64	20
Yankee Candle	223	20

Which Retailers Have the Most New Closings?

Much like the openings, the closings span industries and chain sizes. Perhaps most jarring is the Amazon Fresh closures; the company seems to be shutting down every single Amazon Fresh location it has.

Store	Stores Open	Stores Closing
Gamestop	2,100	467
Francesca’s	457	402
Walgreens	7,960	350
American Signature	122	94
Carter’s	808	61
7-Eleven	12,912	57
Amazon Fresh	57	57
Kroger	2,694	40
Dollar General	20,901	34
Torrid	560	20

How Does This Compare to 2025?

These numbers do differ from the top retailers’ openings and closings for 2025. Closings overall are trending down compared to last year, while openings have stayed roughly on par.

The openings for 2025 include:

• Dollar General: 611 stores
• Dollar Tree: 442 stores
• Alimentation Couche-Tard (Cirkle K): 342 stores
• Aldi: 225 stores
• 7-Eleven: 198 stores
• Five Below: 146 stores
• Casey’s: 145 stores
• Burlington: 141 stores
• Ace Hardware: 132 stores
• The TJX family (e.g. TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, etc): 93 stores

Meanwhile, the closures for 2025 include:

• Rite Aid: 1,292 stores
• Joann’s: 815 stores
• Party City: 738 stores
• Big Lots: 682 stores
• Gamestop: 671 stores
• Claire’s: 485 stores
• Walgreens: 479 stores
• 7-Eleven: 426 stores
• Forever 21: 375 stores
• CVS: 271 stores

Source

Here are the retailers with the most store openings and closures planned for 2026, CNBC, February 2026.

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Walmart’s Price Tags Are Going Digital — Could It Lead to Surge Pricing?

By the end of 2026, Walmart is aiming to roll out digital price labels across most of its 4,600 stores. Many experts see this as a positive step, though it does raise a few concerns.

“These small electronic displays allow stores to update their prices wirelessly, in a couple of seconds,” says attorney Martin Gasparian. “The thing to be wary of is that it can lead to surge pricing. Many consumers are already thinking this is what is going to happen, given the state of the world and the inflation, not to mention other economic pressures.”

Here’s what to know about the pros and cons of Walmart’s new digital labels, plus other tips for finding the best deals.

What Are Digital Price Labels?

Digital price labels, aka digital shelf labels or DSLs, are small electronic displays that replace paper price tags on store shelves. Because they are connected wirelessly to a central system, they eliminate the need for employees to manually swap paper slips to update prices.

“Retailers like them because they reduce the messy gap between what the shelf says and what the checkout charges, especially during sales,” says retail software expert Gordon Cummins. “They also cut hours of repetitive labor and associated costs, which is why you are seeing more big chains move in this direction.”

How Do Walmart’s New Digital Labels Work?

Walmart’s DSLs work the same way as they do in other stores. They display prices, and sometimes promotional details and scannable QR and NFC codes.

“The less obvious part is operational,” says Cummins. “Walmart has said the labels can light up to help associates find what needs stocking, and guide picking for online orders, which is really about speed and accuracy behind the scenes for employees.”

The Pros of Walmart’s Digital Labels

For customers, the biggest advantage of digital labels is reducing frustration from price mismatches between shelves and checkout registers. They also display deals more quickly.

“From our data at Decodo, 53% of Walmart’s price changes in 2025 were markdowns,” says dynamic pricing expert Gabriele Vitke. “DSLs mean those deals hit the shelf immediately, instead of sitting in a queue.”

For stores, DSLs also eliminate time spent on replacing paper tags. “The old process is painfully slow,” says Vitke. “For example, a large store could take two days to replace paper tags for special sales events. Multiply that across tens of thousands of products, with weekly rollbacks and markdowns, and you’re burning huge amounts of labor on a task that technology can handle with just a few clicks.”

Potential Cons of Walmart’s Digital Labels

One concern with all digital labels is surge pricing, aka dynamic pricing. That’s when businesses change prices based on demand. For example, they might raise prices during high-traffic holidays, or even on sunscreen on a sunny day.

Walmart, specifically, has stated that it won’t use DSLs for dynamic pricing. Consumer psychologist and professor Ross Steinman believes that promise will hold true. “While there are legitimate concerns about surge pricing, I believe Walmart will be reluctant to use such a strategy, as it risks alienating key target markets and could negatively affect brand equity in the long term,” he says.

Vitke agrees. “The trust gap is the biggest risk,” she says. “Our data shows that roughly half of all price changes [at Walmart] are actually decreases, but if you ask shoppers, most assume dynamic pricing only means one thing: higher prices when stores think they can get away with it.”

Another risk of digital price labels is that they can quickly amplify data errors, such as incorrect sizes and promotions, across a store or even a region, says online retailer James Lei. “There is also a customer experience risk if stores overuse flashing cues or visual indicators, creating clutter that makes shelf edges harder to read,” he says.

How to Get the Best Prices

Shop on Mondays, says Vitke. “Our data shows grocery prices tend to be higher on Saturdays and drop on Mondays and Wednesdays, particularly at Walmart and Kroger,” she says. Also, “Frozen foods and dairy have the highest price volatility, with deep drop rates of around 35%.”

Also, if an item has an unusually good price, snap a quick photo of the shelf label before you walk away, says Cummins.

FAQ

Will digital price labels lead to surge pricing at Walmart?

The company has publicly stated that it will not, and most of the experts we talked with believed that they will honor that claim. “Retailers are constrained by brand trust, competitive expectations and pricing and disclosure rules, plus the practical reality that shoppers react strongly to perceived volatility in essentials,” says Lei.

How will digital labels impact jobs at Walmart?

Some people are concerned that DSLs could result in workforce reduction. Again, many of the experts we talked to say that’s unlikely, as employee hours once devoted to swapping tags will be transferred into other tasks, such as helping customers, stocking shelves, fulfilling shipping and delivery and replacing batteries in DSLs.

Walmart, specifically, has positioned DSLs as a way to make associates’ jobs easier and store execution cleaner, not as a headcount cut, says Cummins.

However, “The honest answer is that this type of automation typically does lead to fewer hours needed for certain tasks over time,” says Vitke. “It may not mean immediate layoffs, but it could mean fewer positions are filled as workforce needs naturally shift.

Can digital shelf labels track customer behavior?

Not as they’re currently configured. Walmart has stated its DSLs will run on a closed loop, meaning they’re only used to update prices and track stock. But, your shopping habits are likely still being tracked through apps, loyalty accounts, point-of-sale data and, with some retailers, cameras and Wi-Fi signals, says Cummins. “The bigger privacy conversation is about the broader data ecosystem, not the shelf tag,” he says.

About the Experts

• Ross Steinman, PhD, is a consumer psychologist and award-winning professor at Widener University. His primary teaching interest is in the intersection of psychology and business.
• Gordon Cummins is CEO of Cudio, a company that helps retailers deploy, customize and optimize their software systems.
• Gabriele Vitke is the product marketing team lead and a dynamic pricing expert at Decodo, a data access and web intelligence platform. She leads the research behind the annual Dynamic Pricing Index, which tracks over 1.5 million data points across more than 120 eCommerce platforms worldwide.
• James Lei is chief operating officer at the online retailer ooShirts, and has experience with SaaS, cloud infrastructure, AI, digital transformation, e-commerce trends and online shopping technology and strategies.
• Martin Gasparian is an attorney and business expert at Maison Law Modesto, and has worked for various major corporations.

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Everything to Know to Keep a White Sofa Looking Brand New

Use a Fabric Protectant

Marisol Rivera, a cleaning expert and professional organizer at Sparkly Maid Austin, notes that applying a fabric protectant is crucial to keep white sofas white. That said, you need to ensure you use the correct fabric protectant depending on the type of sofa you’re maintaining.

“A quality fabric protector creates an invisible barrier on the fibers that causes liquids to bead on the surface instead of soaking in immediately,” says Rivera. “For fabric sofas, I use Scotchgard Fabric and Upholstery Protector, [and] for leather, I use a dedicated leather protectant cream.”

She advises evenly spraying and ensuring a complete dry at least twice a year for optimal protection.

Don’t Rub Spills

If you spill anything on your white sofa (which will likely happen even if you do your best to avoid it), knowing how to clean it properly (and within the first 30 seconds or so after spilling) is essential.

Rivera explains that you should never rub spills. Instead, you should blot them. “Grab a clean white cloth, press it straight down onto the spill, and lift,” she notes. “Rubbing pushes the liquid deeper into the fibers and spreads the stain outward, turning a small spot into a large discolored area.” She also suggests keeping your cleaning cloths white to prevent any accidental color transfers.

Regularly Rotate and Flip Cushions

As you would with a bed, Rivera notes that you need to regularly rotate and flip cushions to keep white sofas white. “Rotating your cushions spreads the wear evenly so that no single cushion develops yellowing, pilling, or permanent indentations faster than the rest,” she explains. “This also ensures even sun fading if your sofa is near a window, since UV exposure gradually changes the tone of white fabric over time.”

Deep Clean Every Few Months

Deep cleaning every few months has a significant impact on keeping white sofas white. “For fabric sofas, mix a small amount of mild dish soap or a gentle upholstery cleaner with warm water, dampen a white microfiber cloth with the solution, and wipe down the entire sofa section by section,” says Rivera. If any cushion covers are removable, she recommends washing those as well. You want to ensure that any oils, sweat, and dirt that may end up on your sofa are removed.

That said, the correct cleaning products depend on whether you’re cleaning a fabric or leather sofa. If you’re tending to a white fabric sofa, she recommends a mild dish soap, and if you’re caring for a white leather sofa, she recommends a specialty leather cleaner

Vacuum Your Sofa Weekly

Rivera notes that vacuuming should be part of your weekly sofa cleaning and maintenance routine to keep your white sofa white. “Use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum once a week and get into every seam, crevice, and gap between the cushions,” says Rivera. Don’t forget to vacuum the frame underneath the sofa cushions, too. If you don’t do this, you risk dirt seeping into your white sofa, making it harder to remove.

Mind Your Feet

Your shoes and/or feet can bring unnecessary dirt and even footprints onto your sofa. While it might be tempting to skip taking off your shoes and/or changing into a clean pair of socks before making your way onto your white sofa, it is important (and worth it) to put in the extra effort. If you don’t do this, Olivia Parks, owner and lead organizer of Professional Organizers Baton Rouge, notes that you can generally expect the typical areas where feet would rest to become discolored–and nobody wants that.

Avoid Using Bleach

While this might seem counterintuitive, Rivera advises against using bleach on white sofas. “Bleach, even diluted, can weaken and yellow fabric fibers over time,” says Rivera. Parks adds that the best thing you can do when cleaning is to use chemicals specifically designed for upholstery or the type of material the sofa you want to protect is made of.

About the Experts

• Marisol Rivera is a cleaning expert and professional organizer at Sparkly Maid Austin.
• Olivia Parks is the owner and lead organizer of Professional Organizers Baton Rouge.

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