How to Protect and Care for Your Furniture

Regular care and maintenance for all types of furniture is important. It helps to guard against premature wear, set-in stains and unpleasant odors. With this in mind, let’s review the best ways to clean some of the most common types of furniture materials:

• Wood: Get a soft cloth and first try a gentle cleaning solution. Soak the cloth in the solution, then wring it out well—a saturated cloth can cause problems with wood. After wiping the wood furniture, use a different clean cloth to dry it.
• Fabric: To clean fabric on furniture, first vacuum it to remove dirt and dust. Check the care label for the best type of cleaning agent to use, then test a small, hidden spot before cleaning the entire piece. If there is no care label, try a bit of gentle cleaner in a hidden spot.
• Leather: Use a vacuum or microfiber cloth to remove dust from leather before cleaning. Get an approved leather furniture cleaner, or mix equal parts water and vinegar and wipe down the leather with a damp cloth. Dry with a different clean cloth.

The following furniture care tips can help keep your sofas, tables, bookshelves and more looking like new, no matter the material they’re made from.

Read the care label

Most new furniture comes with a care label attached to the bottom or back of the piece. Read it carefully—this important information should not be ignored, especially since you probably want your furniture to stay looking new for years to come. If your furniture doesn’t have a label, look online for instructions for proper care.

Block from sunlight

Do what you can to keep your furniture out of the sun. Consider moving furniture away from direct sunlight—such as under windows and skylights—to avoid fading over time. If exposure to the sun is inevitable, schedule regular times to rotate or move the pieces throughout the year. For leather furniture, use a leather conditioner to slow down the cracking process. You can also install solar window film to combat harmful UV rays.

Rotate pieces

You might not notice your tendency to sit in the same spot on the couch, or in the same chair or recliner every day. Ultimately, regular usage will speed up wear and tear on these cushions in particular. For this reason, rotate your cushions from time to time. This will help them maintain their form instead of flattening down. Another thing you can do is sit in a different spot every so often. Vacuum cushions weekly to slow down the signs of aging. And while we’re on the subject of rotating, don’t forget to rotate mattresses twice a year!

Protect surfaces

As for tabletops, they go through a lot of wear and tear. The good news is that there are a number of ways to protect these surfaces. Use coasters to prevent water rings from drinking glasses. Use a tablecloth and placemats or even a glass covering to protect tabletops from stains. Dust and polish regularly.

Yamada Furniture in Hilo, HI takes furniture care very seriously. Call us to get in touch with a furniture specialist today!

Categorised in: Furniture Care

This post was written by Writer