Sofa so good

The average sofa will last eight years - and witness nearly 300 arguments, over 1,300 cuddles and endure more than 1,600 spillages, according to new figures from esure home insurance.

The most comfortable chair in the house will also seat up to 782 visitors and play host to 391 lads' nights and 293 girly nights in.

During this time, it will also be a bed for up to 489 visitors and be slept on by one member of the household for 293 nights following a heated domestic spat.

In addition, couples who own a sofa will use it to kiss each other 12 times a month and cuddle up 14 times a month - that's 1,174 kisses and 1,369 cuddles over the average sofa's lifetime!

The research of 3,000 homeowners also revealed that the average child will lose approximately four toys a month down the back of the sofa and three socks or other random items of clothing. Furthermore, the average sofa will hide £58.20 worth of loose change in its lifetime - equivalent to 60p per month.

Unfortunately for the sofa and its upholstery, spillages are common in most households - the average sofa has wine spilt on it fortnightly and tea or coffee three times a week which isn't surprising as the sofa is home to its residents for an average of four hours a day.

In addition, children will drop food and drink on the sofa three times a fortnight or 72 times a year, and even their parents will spill some of their dinner on the sofa six times a month.

That's a staggering total of 1,663 spillages over the sofa's lifetime - and yet 87 per cent of respondents wouldn't consider getting their sofa cleaned or re-covered.

The poll also showed the average sofa also puts up with children jumping up and down on it 587 times during its lifetime.

It seats residents for 13 TV dinners a month and homeowners snuggle up on the sofa for 1,271 soap operas and 782 films over the average sofa's lifetime.

Mike Pickard, Head of home insurance at esure, said: "If the nation's sofas could speak they would certainly have a lot of tales to tell. Being central to family life and home entertaining, it's not surprising that the average sofa needs to be hardwearing to handle the daily wear and tear of playful kids, TV dinners and doubling up as a piece of bedroom furniture.

"With the staggering number of food and drink spillages the average sofa has to endure over its lifetime and the sheer volume of visitors, it's crucial for homeowners to have accidental damage cover in case a disaster strikes that writes-off the best seat in the house."