Furniture Care

Caring For Your Upholstered Furniture
Just like a fine article of clothing, upholstered furniture needs proper cleaning and care on a regular basis.  For maximum comfort and long-term enjoyment, follow these tips:

• Frequent vacuuming.  Upholstered furniture should be vacuumed once a month to remove the dust and dirt which damage fabric fibers and cause premature wear.

• Clean spills immediately.  Spills and accidents can permanently stain upholstery fabrics.  Even a water spill can cause permanent damage to some fabrics if not cleaned up immediately.  Be care to follow the recommended cleaning procedures described on the the label beneath your cushions.  These cleaning instructions, however, are not valid if you purchased an additional fabric protection package.  Follow the instructions provided with your fabric protection package.

• If possible, fluff pillows and rotate cushions.  Upholstered furniture is made to be soft and conform to the user’s body with use.  Often it will not return to its original shape after use unless the cushions and back pillows are plumped by hand.  Be sure to hand fluff pillows and cushions to maintain their shape.  Cushions should be rotated once a week to distribute normal wear to both sides of the cushion.  This becomes more necessary as the upholstered furniture ages through repeated use.

• Avoid excessive exposure to natural light.  Exposure to natural light can cause fiber degeneration and color-fade.  Care should be taken to limit the amount of sunlight on any piece of furniture.

• A note on leather care:  Different leathers have different care characteristics.  Refer to care label under seat cushions for proper care instructions of the leather you have purchased.

Furniture manufacturers have a system of cleaning ‘codes’ that they label each piece with.  Knowing these codes can help you to determine if a piece is actually fit for your home and the kind and amount of use you intend to put it through.  Below are a list of the most common furniture care codes:

• W:  The code “W” means that your furniture should be able to be cleaned with water.  Avoid over wetting.
• S:  The code “S” means that a furniture cleaning solvent can be used on your piece of furniture.  Test for color fastness, use sparingly.
• WS:  The code “WS” means that both water and solvent can be used to clean your furniture.
• X:  This code means that you should not apply water or solvents to this particular piece of furniture, and instead should clean it using a soft brush.   Fabric should be professionally cleaned only.

Furniture can be an expensive item, and you can permanently damage it if you use the wrong cleaning materials.  If you are not sure about how to clean your furniture, or the codes are not available, it may be best to call a professional cleaner.  Fabric is generally pre-treated.  However, over time this protection will wear off.

Caring For Your Wood Furniture
After purchasing a beautiful piece of furniture, make sure proper care is taken in maintaining its beauty.  Careful attention to use, care, and handling can preserve valued home furnishings for future generations.  Three causes of preventable damage are environmental conditions, poor handling, and improper use and care.

Environmental Conditions
Exposure to poor environmental conditions is the first major cause of preventable damage.  The environment under which a piece of furniture is placed has a direct effect on its life.  No matter the age of the furniture, it will always react to its surroundings.  It is important to recognize there is not a perfect environment for anything, only conditions that contribute to preservation or destruction.  Such conditions are light and humidity.

Energy from light is directly responsible for damage to furniture surfaces in the form of discoloration.  Light damage occurs over a period of time and is irreversible.  The extent of damage is proportionate to the intensity and the time of exposure.  It is important to note all furniture will experience some level of light damage during its lifetime, but it can be minimized with a few simple actions.

Although the optimal place for furniture is a dark, oxygen-free, and people-free environment, this is not a realistic situation for furniture that is designed to use.  Furniture that is not in use is best kept in dark or low light areas.  Damage to surfaces can be minimized utilizing window coverings in bright areas while furniture is in use.  Fluorescent bulbs and ultraviolet rays are among the most damaging light frequencies, and exposure to direct sunlight fades wood finishes and yellows painted finishes.

Position your furniture away from any direct sunlight and away from any fans or air ducts.  The constant airflow can dry out and crack your furniture over time.   As a general rule, make sure all furniture is at least 3 feet away from air ducts.

The number one enemy of furniture is great changes in relative humidity.  Long after the tree is cut, wood continues to absorb and exude moisture as humidity rises and falls.  Moisture causes the wood to expand and contract unequally along grain directions.

Long-term exposure to humidity above 60% will cause wood to swell resulting in furniture components distorting from internal stresses.  Likewise, long-term exposure to humidity below 20% will cause wood components to warp and split.  Pressure from the wood constantly changing may cause furniture parts to no longer fit closely together.  Keep the humidity in your house around 40% at all times.

Humidity that rises above 70% facilitates the growth of mold and mildew.  Molds and mildews living on the surface of wood may cause stains to appear.  Avoidance of furniture placement in damp areas or high humidity will eliminate mold and mildew growth.

Because the wood is changing constantly, damages may occur to the finishes.  Some finishes are not as flexible over time and may become brittle with the occurrence of many humidity changes.

Humidity can be controlled in the living environment.  Keeping a normal steady temperature in your house will decrease the chances of damage from humidity.  In areas where there are large swings in humidity, balance can be achieved by humidifying the house in the winter and de-humidifying in the summer.

Use and Care
Special care should always be taken when cleaning furniture or moving it from one area to another.  Mistreatment is the second major cause of preventable damage.  A basic understanding of your furniture will help you care for it for a lifetime.

Dust frequently.  Use a quality furniture polish such as Guardsman’s Furniture Polish.  Polish approximately once a month.  Use a soft, lint-free, absorbent cloth for cleaning and polishing.  Polishes contain detergents, emulsifiers and mineral oil.  The detergents clean dirt from the furniture, the emulsifiers give it body to clean and last longer and the mineral oil is left behind as a barrier for dirt and moisture that could harm finishes.  There’s no grit to harm the finish, no wax to build up and no silicone to raise the sheen and act as a barrier for touch-up and refinishing.

Avoid wax polishes.  Regular use of wax polishes may result in the build-up of wax film on the surface of the furniture.  This build-up may then pick up dirt, smoke and other pollutants in the air, which may result in smudges and streaks.

Avoid silicone polishes.  Silicone oil is an ingredient used by many furniture polish makers to create a high degree of shine.  Silicone seeps into even the most lacquered finishes, making it difficult to remove.  Most furniture manufacturers recommend using polishes that do not contain silicone.

Finish damage is a very common problem.  Placing hot items, such as coffee mugs or dinner plates on a piece of furniture can soften and harm the finish.  Condensation from cold objects or liquid spills will cause the finish to “bubble” and leave a milky-white discoloration.  Never use fingernail polish remover over a wood finish because if it makes contact with the finish it will eat through it much like a paint or varnish remover, exposing the wood underneath and demanding that the surface be refinished to repair the damage.  This damage can be eliminated by the use of coasters, trivets, and common sense.

Always use a protective pad beneath lamps or accessories, and on writing surfaces.  Rotate accessories on furniture so they do not sit in the same spot all of the time.  Lift and place objects, do not drag them across the furniture surface. Do not place rubber or vinyl products on the surface as discoloration and/or staining may occur as a result.

Handling
Moving furniture can be harmful to its construction if not done properly and with careful planning.  Some tips to follow:

• Remove all contents stored in the piece of furniture such as TVs, dishes, audio equipment, etc.  Contents increase the weight of the furniture and may cause scratches and dents on the surface as they shift during the relocation.
• Inspect the piece of furniture to assess where the strongest points exist and support it in these areas when moving the furniture.  Avoid lifting tables by the tops or legs, as this may cause the components to separate. Tables can be lifted at the apron, as this is generally a strong point.
• Make sure the destination path is cleared to avoid gouges, scratches and dents.
• It is best to wrap the piece of furniture in a soft blanket to avoid possible damage.  If you are storing the furniture, wrap it in soft padding and make sure environmental conditions are optimum.
• Never slide your furniture along the floor.  Use a dolly if you are unable to lift the piece to avoid breaking joints, chipping molding, chipping feet, and breaking legs.  Exercising a little extra care will help you avoid damage to your furniture and your floors.
• Never roll furniture with casters on unprotected hardwood or vinyl flooring.