The argument about whether the dog is allowed on the sofa is usually lost before it properly starts. What actually helps is a layer between the animal and the upholstery, one that takes the hair, the muddy paws and the occasional accident, and that goes into the machine at the point it stops being pleasant to look at.

Two layers do the work. A quilted soft-touch top that a pet will genuinely settle on, and a leak-proof backing underneath that stops liquid reaching the cushions. The quilting matters more than it sounds: a plain sheet slides off and rucks up, while a quilted throw has enough body to stay where it was laid under a dog turning circles before lying down. Five sizes run from an armchair-width piece up to something long enough for a three-seater.

• Quilted soft-touch upper surface
• Leak-proof backing to protect what is underneath
• Sizes: 75x180, 130x200, 170x200, 200x200 and 200x260 cm
• Four colours: dark grey, light grey, brown and khaki
• Machine washable
• Covers beds, sofas and armchairs

On sizing: measure the seat and the drop you want covered rather than buying by the name of the furniture, because a two-seater with deep cushions can swallow more fabric than a narrow three-seater. Worth saying plainly that waterproof-backed means liquid will not pass through the fabric. It does not mean a puddle stays put, so anything that runs to the edge still finds the sofa.

Who it's for: Owners who let their pets up on the furniture and would far rather wash a throw than shampoo a sofa.