We’ve all been there. A long day at work, aching feet, and a deep yearning to be comforted. So we head home and crash on the sofa. Turn on Netflix and dial up a pizza. And that couch is so comfy….why bother moving? Well here’s why!
1. STAINS!
Having food or drink on your sofa is a Sword of Damocles over your colour coordination. I wish you the very best of luck if you like curries or wine.
Yes, you could do your best to clean up the stains with water / vodka / vinegar / steam / the trusty baking soda routine or even the heavy duty stuff like Wine Away.
But I, being a lazy soul, would simply opt for a stain and water resistant slipcover.
2. Pests.
No, we’re not talking about your kid coming over to grab some food, or Fido demanding a snack. Ants and cockroaches are the first pests to show up in search of dropped crumbs and other flavorful offerings.
By eating on your sofa, you’re basically laying out the welcome mat for these disgusting friends. Pretend that there’s a large photo of a cockroach just above this paragraph if you want.
3. Germs!
Let’s face it, with a soft fabric surface your sofa is probably not going to be wiped down with the same regularity and care as your kitchen counter.
And that does add up! Your sofa is FILTHY and is one of the dirtiest places in your house with 12x the amount of germs as your loo. Or as this TV host found out, 5x the hospital hazardous amount.
Even if you aren’t resting your food on the cushions directly, you’re still at risk of picking some up from idle hands.
Best way around it? Regular deep cleaning, twice a year or more.
4. It’s bad for the waist.
A study by John Hopkins University has identified that you’re way less likely to identify how much food you’re eating, if you eat while watching TV. Make it a regular habit, and you’ll soon find yourself with pants that don’t fit and a strange lack of energy. It’s a self-fulfilling cycle as the less energy you have, the more tired you’ll be at the end of the day, and the more likely to have a TV dinner.
Solution? Make it a habit to eat at the dining table and put away all devices. Focusing on what you eat really does improve the experience with the side effect of making you mindful about sinful food.
Hopefully this has made you more mindful of the dangers of couch eating. Like my grandmother always said, “when the wind changes, you’ll be stuck doing that for life”. I’m not sure what she was on about, but perhaps you won’t end up like this poor lass, who snacks on sofas. Literally.