Furniture Care Tips

Below, we have listed a few recommendations to keep your home furnishings looking fresh and new for a long time. These are to be used as a general guide for the use, care and enjoyment of your home furnishings. These helpful furniture tips are based on many years of experience. However, as with any process, exceptions do exist. We will not be responsible for any failed applications or excessive usages of the recommendations contained herein. Naturally, common sense should prevail in the use and care of your fine home furnishings. We hope you find this helpful.

 

IN GENERAL:

KEEP ALL FURNITURE OUT OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT. The sun's rays can bleach wood finishes and sometimes cause the wood to crack or split. The sun can also fade upholstery and sometimes cause the fibers to deteriorate.

KEEP ALL FURNITURE AWAY FROM HEAT VENTS and other dry heat areas. All wood has an optimum moisture content. Dry heat can cause the wood to lose this moisture and the lumber can split.

KEEP YOUR PETS AWAY from your furniture. Scratches on the wood caused by pets are difficult to remove and pets can cause excessive pilling of the fabric on upholstered furniture.

AVOID DIRECT CONTACT WITH MOISTURE, HEAT OR HEAVY OBJECTS. For obvious reasons, moisture can permanently stain wood and fabric, heat can cause the wood to dry out and heavy objects can damage your furniture.

CLEAN UP SPILLS IMMEDIATELY using a blotting action rather than a rubbing motion.

DO NOT WRITE DIRECTLY ON WOOD SURFACES. Using a pen on a wood surface has the same pressure and effect as using a nail. Use a protective pad.

DO NOT PUT HOT THINGS ON YOUR WOOD FURNITURE. If you would not hold it in your hand – don’t put it on the furniture!

AVOID FREQUENT POLISHING. Too much polish can harm the finish. If frequent polishing persists, the actual wood finish can lift and do permanent damage to the piece of furniture. If your furniture does not have a catalyzed lacquer finish, then you should polish your furniture no more than two to three times per year. If your furniture does have a catalyzed lacquer finish, no polishing is necessary. All other times, use a soft lint free cloth to dust, weekly.

BEDROOMS & BEDDING:

DO NOT USE THE HANDLES TO MOVE BEDDING. These handles are merely to assist you in shifting the mattress. The handles on many sets are not warranted against tearing. The new, one sided, no flip mattresses are terrific! You need not rotate or flip these.

DO NOT MOVE YOUR BED WITHOUT DISASSEMBLING. If your bed has a headboard, footboard and side rails, you must first remove the side rails from the headboard and footboard - even if you are only moving it a few inches. Failure to do so can cause serious damage to your bed. This is not covered by any warranty.

DINING SETS:

STORE TABLE LEAVES IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION: If your table leaves are not self-storing in the table, store them flat under a bed or a sofa. Storing them upright can cause the leaves to warp or bow.

AVOID CONTACT WITH VINYL PLACEMATS, TABLE CLOTHS: Direct contact with vinyl, leather, etc. on most wood finishes causes a chemical reaction that can be harmful to the finish. A custom table pad or soft cotton placemats are recommended.

AVOID EXCESSIVE POLISH. Many of the newer 'catalyzed' wood finishes do not require polish and actually repel the furniture polish. Most of these new finishes are resistant to alcohol, nail polish remover and even bleach! In this case, mild soap and water is recommended for cleaning followed by thorough drying with a fluffy towel. If your dining set does not have a 'catalyzed finish', polish sparingly. Excessive polish causes wax build-up, is hard to remove and in some cases will cause damage to the wood finish. Most wood finishes only require polishing twice each year. Dust weekly in between polishing. If your table has a laminate top, do not polish. Use mild soapy water on the laminated top and dry thoroughly.

CHAIRS HAVE FOUR LEGS for a reason. Avoid rocking back on dining chairs. This will loosen the glue joints and possible cause severe structural damage to the chair and possible bodily injury.

LEATHER FURNITURE:

Place your furniture a minimum of 2 feet from any heat source. Keep leather furniture away from direct sunlight. Avoid any sharp objects near your leather furniture. For spills; blot immediately with a clean, absorbent, soft cloth. Due to different tanning techniques, there is not one general rule for cleaning leather. Each type of leather has its own cleaning method. Please consult a professional before attempting to clean your leather furniture.

UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE:

WEEKLY VACUUMING or light brushing helps remove overall soil and prevents the imbedding of dirt or grime between fibers which can increase abrasion and wear.

WEEKLY ROTATION OF CUSHIONS will help keep their shape and increase wearability. You may find that the welting (cording) is becoming uneven. This is caused by several factors. Someone may be sitting on the front edge of the seat cushion and this causes the seat cushion to shift. This will also cause the seat core to mash down in the front resulting in a misshaped, flattened cushion. Sometimes, merely sliding back & forth across the seat will cause the welting to shift. Weekly rotation of the cushions, reshifting of the welting and proper seating use will resolve this problem and allow even distribution of wear over a longer period of time. This maintenance is necessary for proper wearability. Some loss of resiliency may occur. This loss should not be confused with normal softening that will occur in all foam and cushioning material due to normal usage.

AVOID DIRECT SUNLIGHT. The sun's ultra-violet rays can be harmful to fabric. It can cause fabric degeneration and fade colors. Occasionally, dyes can fade from impurities in the air.

CAUTION THOSE PEOPLE wearing clothing with transferable dyes, such as blue jeans, etc. that the dye could easily transfer onto light colored upholstery.

WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO NOT USE ARM COVERS. Many upholstery manufacturers ship protective arm caps with their upholstered furniture. Some of these fabrics have abrasive backs and can cause excessive pilling. In addition, if these arm caps are used, the fabric on the arms of the piece will not wear, soil and fade like the rest of the piece. When the arm covers are removed, the fabric underneath will be a different color than the rest of the piece.

KEEP PETS OFF. Pet urine and pet body oil is difficult to remove. Pets can also cause excessive pilling of the fabric.

FABRIC PILLING is a characteristic of many upholstered fabrics that results in excess fiber coming off the surface of the material. This release of excess fiber results in small  "balls" or "pills" of fiber forming on the surface of the cover. This condition is not warranted by fabric mills because it is not seen to be a defect. It is simply excess material being released. This is similar to the fuzzing experienced with new carpet or the pilling of a new sweater. Some fabrics "pill" more than others. The concern on the part of most consumers is that the fabric is disintegrating and will ultimately leave a "bald" area on the fabric.  This is not the case. As with carpets and sweaters, the pilling will persist until the excess fiber is gone. It will then cease. The best treatment, while the pilling persists, is to "shave" the excess fabric with a sweater shaver to remove the pills and to restore the look of the fabric. This process is to be repeated as needed. The pilling of the surface will begin to diminish and ultimately will stop.

CLEANING OF YOUR UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE. For overall soil, most furniture manufacturers recommend a reputable professional upholstery cleaning company. Upholstered fabrics are not warranted against wear, improper use (including cleaning), pilling or fading. For "spot cleaning" always pre-test the cleaning agent on an inconspicuous portion of the fabric first. You must also check the Cleanability Rating of your fabric to tell you the best cleaning agent to use for that particular fabric.

Spot clean using foam only from a water-based cleaning agent such as a mild detergent or non-solvent upholstery shampoo product. Apply foam with a soft brush in a circular motion. Do not overwet. Vacuum when dry.

Spot clean using a mild water-free solvent or dry cleaning product. Do not use water. Clean only in a well ventilated room and avoid any product containing Carbon Tetrachloride or other toxic materials.

Spot clean with a mild solvent, upholstery shampoo or foam from a mild detergent. When using a solvent or dry cleaning product, follow instructions carefully and clean only in a well ventilated room. Avoid any product which contains Carbon Tetrachloride or other toxic materials.

Clean this fabric only by vacuuming or light brushing. Do not use water or dry cleaning solvents. Consult a professional dry cleaner.