One of the most common questions we’re asked is how to take care if your furniture to ensure it lasts. Just like the rest of your home, your furniture needs to be taken care of and cleaned.
Our biggest tip is to get rid of the pets and children! Haha, we’re only joking. We love them and know daily wear and tear can be caused so follow our tips to caring for your furniture.
Firstly, we have our four simple tips that help keep your furniture lasting its longest:
1. Always read the care label, if one is provided. Care instruction vary for all materials and the care label will highlight the most important rules for you to keep the piece looking great!
2. Avoid sun exposure. Yes, we know this sounds hard. We all love natural light in our houses but sadly it is the most damaging cause to our furniture. Direct sunlight can cause fading over time, leading us to replace pieces more often than needed. Use blinds on a tilt or a net curtain to keep the sun rays away from your furniture if you cannot avoid the sun.
3. Keep away from heat! Do not put your furniture near a heat source like an open fire or radiator. We also advise not to keep some furniture in conservatories, especially in summer. Heat can cause damage to all furniture types. If you can’t avoid a radiator, turn it down so minimal heat is created.
4. Rotate and flip! This goes for most furniture pieces. We don’t like to admit it, but we’re all creatures of habit. We love to sit in that one perfect spot on the sofa, lay on the same side of the bed and cuddling the same cushions. So we always advice to rotate and flip! This goes for couch cushions, pillows and mattresses (if possible). This can also help your furniture that is exposed to sunlight, rotate if you can to remove pieces from direct sunlight.
These 4 points are the main care instructions we tell our customers each day. However, if you want to be a furniture care expert like ourselves then read our more in depth care instructions for different furniture and material types below!
Taking Care of your Wood Furniture
Sadly, like we stated above, our friend the sun is one of the largest causes of damage to our beautiful wood furniture. It is hard keeping it out of direct sunlight but it is so worth it! The same applies to any heat source, turn it off or keep your furniture away.
Regular dusting will help you avoid a build up of dirt. Using a cotton cloth and wood furniture polish, it’s easy for keep the annoying dirt away.
Take care of the top of your furniture. It sounds simple, but it is one of the most commonly missed care routines in homes. By using placemats, coasters, table cloths and heat proof matts, helps protect our surfaces from spills, chips and heat.
Never use all-purpose cleaners, especially ones with anti-bacterial or bleach in! This can cause damage to the beautiful wood finish. Use a damp cloth with a small amount of mild soap to wipe carefully over the top. Wipe clean and dry if needed. Simple!
Taking Care of your Fabric Furniture
A simple cleaning solution to you upholstered furniture is brushing or hoovering gently to remove dust or built-up dirt. Ensure you use a bristle or upholstery attachment on your hoover for this.
And again, the most common causes of damage to fabric is a close by heat source and our beloved sun. Keep them away, cover or rotate often.
Ensure when sitting on your couch or moving your upholstered furniture that you have no sharp items in your pockets or on your clothing that can tear your beautiful fabric.
And lastly, for some this is the hardest thing….keeping our snuggly fluffy pets off our furniture. We all love a cuddle with our pets, but putting a blanket down first is a great way of keeping them from causing any damaged, like scratch marks or stains.
If you have a spillage on your fabric, always dab. Rubbing will only spread the liquid, causing it to leave a larger stain. Then read the care label or instructions that came with the furniture piece. If you can’t find this, do a spot check in a hidden area using a mild soap and damp cloth. Other upholstery cleaners are available from the supermarkets, however always read the label to ensure it’s right for your fabric!
Taking Care of your Faux Leather Furniture
Taking Care of your Leather Furniture
So What Do We Hate?
-Sunlight and heat, probably our two most loved things. Frustrating, we know! Cover up, keep away or rotate regularly.
-Harsh cleaners! Use a damp cloth to wipe over furniture. Sometimes we need a small amount of mild soap or correct cleaners for the product. Keep your bleach and anti-bacterial away, even though we’ve learnt to bulk buy the stuff over the last two years!
-Being creatures of habit. We hate to admit it but we are! So, flip those couch cushions and mattress when you can!
So What Have We Learn't?
It’s easier to prevent damage than reverse the damage that has been done!
Sounds simple right? But it does take effort to keep your furniture looking great, but when you love it, it’s worth it!
Flip and rotate when you can.
Keep out of the sun and away from the heat.
Cover up your couches before letting little ones with their melty icecreams or pets with their muddy paws jump on your beautiful cushions.
Treat your materials with the correct polish, conditions or cleaners.
We know this isn’t the most exciting read, but its important that you know how to care for your beautiful furniture.
AND NOW YOU'RE THE FURNITURE EXPERT! You'll be as happy as Jonah Hill with these tips!
If you have any tips then please get involved! Share you tips and ideas with us and let us know if you have any questions!
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