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Furniture Care Guide

Furnishing your home with quality furniture is a major investment. Caring for and preserving your fine furniture is not as difficult as it may seem. You'll find information here on repair techniques and suggestions on how to do some home repairs. Proper care of your fine furniture will give you years of enjoyment.

. Wood Furniture Care

. Leather Furniture Care

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. Mattress Care

. Upholstery & Fabric Care

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. Care for Casegoods (PDF)

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. Caring for Marble, Granite, Slate & Stone (PDF)

Wood Furniture Care: Quality wood furnishings are an investment that you expect to last a life time. To maintain its natural beauty and protect your investment, wood furniture needs the right care.   Wood furniture is coated with a plasticized film that's referred to as finish. Besides enriching the grain and adding luster to solid wood furniture, the finish seals and protects the wood from moisture, dirt and regular use. These finishes are diverse and vary from simple nitrocellulose lacquers to more complex polyester resins. All modern wood furniture finishes are long lasting and provide the protection your furniture needs. Wood expands and contracts with the variations in temperature and humidity. Expect each piece of solid wood furniture to react differently depending on the type or species of wood used. Laminated woods and veneers are more stable than solid wood planks. Use and Care There are some simple things you can do to protect your fine furniture during everyday use. Following some of these tips can extend the life of the finish and the furniture itself. Tablecloths, runners and table pads are available and provide the most protection during regular and heavy use of your dining table. Hot pads should always be used when placing warm serving dishes on a tabletop. Very hot items such as a sauce pan or baking dish should never be placed on a tabletop, even with a hot pad. Placemats will help to protect the finish from dishes and silverware, and coasters will help protect your furniture from moisture. Tablecloths and table pads provide the most protection from UV (ultra-violet) light, which causes the finish to fade and deteriorate and may even bleach the wood. Always use a protective pad when writing with a ballpoint pen on the furniture surface. Placing your furniture away from windows or blocking direct sunlight will help to protect your furniture from the damaging UV rays. Tinting your windows is another consideration and sometimes even recommended to help protect fine furniture from UV damage. Felt will protect your tabletops from scratches when used on the bottom of lamps, vases and other accessories. Always lift items from a tabletop, avoid sliding items across a table top as this can abrade and scratch the finish and in extreme cases, the wood surface below. When enjoying the warm glow from a candle, be sure to place a candle stand or tray underneath the candle to collect any melted wax that may drip or run down the candle. Never place burning candles on a finished wood surface. As the candle burns down and the wax melts, it can generate and transfer enough heat to damage the finish and wooden surface. Avoid using household solvent-based products such as fingernail polish and polish removers around an unprotected finished surface. In case of spills, blot the spill immediately, do not wipe as this will spread the spill and may cause further damage. If the surface has not been damaged, clean and polish the tabletop. If the finish has been damaged, call a professional for an evaluation. You'll find them listed in the Yellow pages under Antique Repair or Furniture Repair and Refinishing, and it's not uncommon for them to give free estimates. Cleaning and Polishing Cleaning your wood furniture regularly will help in maintaining the value your fine furnishings. Dusting and cleaning removes the build up of grease, lint and dust that can get ground into or soften the finish. Cleaning your furniture should be done with a soft lint free cotton cloth dampened with water or furniture polish following the pattern of the grain. Cleaning your furniture with a dry rag can cause scratches to the finish. Use a light touch and rotate your cleaning cloth frequently. Follow by using a quality furniture polish to protect the cleaned surface per the manufacturers instructions. Furniture dealers will gladly make recommendations on which products are best to protect your investment.

Leather Furniture Leather furniture is one of the most elegant types of furniture that you can own. Leather is pleasant to have in any style of home, and will bring a new light to any room it is placed in. Leather is also a type of material that is easily maintained. Caring for your furniture is easily overlooked, but in order to hold the value of your leather, you should follow a few simple tasks in order to keep your leather looking, feeling, and even smelling new. You should also know of the different styles of leather finishes before you purchase your leather furniture. Aniline Leather Aniline leather is natural looking and will feature more noticeable marks, barbed wire scars, scratches, brands and wrinkles. The uniqueness of this leather will work for you if you are looking for a piece of furniture that is distinctive when looking at other furniture. Aniline leather should be cleaned with a soft cloth and vacuumed with a soft brush extension. You should also rub the leather down with a cleaning solution to preserve the quality of the leather. Aniline Plus Leather Pigmented or aniline-plus leather is another form of leather that is treated to ensure that there will be a smoother color and fewer scratches, marks and branding. This leather has also been treated to help the resistance of stains. Unlike Aniline leather, this is the most common form of leather you will find in department stores and furniture stores. You can also clean this form of leather in the same manner you would the Aniline leather; simply dust with a soft cloth and vacuum with a soft brush extension. Nubuck Leather Nubuck leather has been buffed to feel like velvet or suede. This is a form of leather that will have more noticeable range marks, and is more likely to stain and fade than the two other forms of leather. Using a product such as Leather Master Nubuck cleaner and protection which will help the leather resist natural body oils, liquid spills, perspiration and maintain the velvet/suede texture. This form of leather is harder to keep clean than the other two forms of leather due to the texture not being smooth like Pigmented and Aniline leather. No cleaning will remove every stain, fading or wear. However, you will be able to maintain your leather furniture longer by removing spills immediately, dusting regularly and using care and cleaning products designed for leather furniture.

Mattress Care It's important to follow mattress care instructions from the maker of your mattress as products vary greatly. However in general it's important to know about the following: * Proper installation Make sure your new mattress and foundation are properly installed in your home. Improper installation can damage your new sleep set. If you choose to transport and install on your own, ask the store personnel to give you some tips to help you avoid problems. * Use a protective pad. A good quality, washable mattress pad (and one for the foundation, too, if you like) is a must to keep your set fresh and free from stains. * Let it breathe. If you detect a slight "new product" odor, leave the mattress and foundation uncovered and well ventilated for a few hours. A breath of fresh air should do the trick! * Give it good support. Use a sturdy bed frame. If it's a queen or king size set, make sure your frame has the adequate center support that will prevent bowing or breakage. * Don't dry clean. The chemicals in dry cleaning agents/spot removers may be harmful to the fabric or underlying materials. Vacuuming is the only recommended cleaning method. But if you're determined to tackle a stain, use mild soap with cold water and apply lightly. Do not ever soak a mattress or foundation. * Don't remove the tag. Contrary to popular belief, it's not illegal to remove the law tag, but the information on the label will serve as a means of identification should you have a warranty claim. * It's not a trampoline. Don't let the kids jump on your sleep set. Their rough-housing could do damage to the interior construction, as well as to themselves! * No boards, please. Never put a board between the mattress and foundation. It may enhance the sense of support for a while, but it will only make the problem worse over time. When any bed in your home has reached the "board stage", get rid of it.

How to Flip Your Mattress

Upholstrey & Fabric Care When you know how to clean and care for your upholstered furniture it will retain the look that made you fall in love with it in the first place. With proper cleaning, care, and maintenance, it is possible to have all your upholstery looking its best for a long time. It pays to be consistent, and it's not hard to do. Choose the Right Fabric When you choose the right fabric for the right place you make your upholstery maintenance task easier. Always make sure that you choose fabric that is appropriate for your lifestyle and the upholstered furniture piece. For example, synthetic fibers are a better choice for upholstered furniture that sits in areas of heavy usage. Protect Fabric The best form of fabric protection is prompt attention to spills. A lot of work is done for you when the upholstery fabric undergoes the finishing process at the factory. It is usually treated with soil and/or water repellents and some form of mildew inhibitors may also be used. Additional fabric protectors may be applied to your upholstered furniture in the store or at home. While this helps with maintenance and care by keeping spills from being absorbed into the upholstery fibers right away, it is not a substitute for prompt cleaning of a soiled piece. Don't let it give you a false sense of security. Always clean up any spills or stains in a timely manner, and follow manufacturers' instructions for proper care methods. Turn the Cushions You can extend your upholstered furniture's life by periodically turning over the loose cushions. This easy maintenance method allows for an even distribution of wear and tear and your cushions won't develop indentations right away. Caring for cushions by fluffing them after you've cleaned also helps keep them in shape. Change the cushions around from one part to the other in addition to turning them over. Some seats get more usage than others, so changing cushions around will ensure even usage. Vacuum Vacuum your upholstered furniture weekly for general cleaning and to remove surface soil. This also prevents dirt from becoming embedded into the fibers. You can also use a brush to gently whisk the dirt away. Make sure to always use a soft bristled brush so that you don't snag the fabric. Spot Clean While regular care does a lot for your upholstered furniture's maintenance, accidents will happen. Blot any spills immediately with a clean folded towel: never rub, but blot gently. Sometimes this is enough to get rid of the stain completely, especially if the fabric has been pre-treated with a fabric protector.

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