How To Properly Care For Furniture

							Title:
How To Properly Care For Furniture

Word Count:
536

Summary:
Most of us spend a good amount of m
oney on our furniture, so it makes
sense to care for it in a way that
will ensure it lasts a long time an
d looks new for years to come.

Upholstery Care

Maintaining clean and beautiful uph
olstery may seem tricky, but there
are things you can do on a regular
basis that don’t take up a lot of t
ime and will keep all your fabrics
in good condition. First of all, ma
ke sure you fluff and rotate seat c
ushions on a daily basis so that th
ey wear...


Keywords:
Properly,Care,Furniture,Accent Furni
shings
Article Body:
Most of us spend a good amount of m
oney on our furniture, so it makes
sense to care for it in a way that
will ensure it lasts a long time an
d looks new for years to come.

Upholstery Care

Maintaining clean and beautiful uph
olstery may seem tricky, but there
are things you can do on a regular
basis that don’t take up a lot of t
ime and will keep all your fabrics
in good condition. First of all, ma
ke sure you fluff and rotate seat c
ushions on a daily basis so that th
ey wear evenly. Also remember to va
cuum upholstered furniture with an
upholstery brush as often as you can.

To get rid of ugly stains, you’ll h
ave to do some spot cleaning, altho
ugh it’s always a good idea to stay
 away from chemical cleaners contai
ning toxic materials, such as carbo
n tetrachloride. Instead, use mild
cleaning products like a water-free
 upholstery solvent or a dry cleani
ng product, and stick to tried-and-
true cleaners you know how to use s
o you avoid damaging the furniture.
 But no matter what cleaner you end
 up using, always spot test it befo
re applying to the affected area. S
imply turn over an unexposed sectio
n of the fabric (the bottom of a ch
air, for example) to ensure the pro
duct doesn’t permanently ruin the m
aterial.

For badly soiled upholstery (wine s
tains), you might want to call in t
he experts. The same goes for light
-colored furniture and high-end pie
ces. Some other tips: don’t wash mo
vable pieces, such as cushion cover
s, as extra washing may cause the c
olor to fade. Keep dark fabrics, an
d silk, out of direct sunlight to a
void fading as well.

If you really want to make your lif
e easy, purchase furniture with bui
lt-in Teflon protection to guard ag
ainst spills. On this type of fabri
c, instead of soaking into the mate
rial, liquid beads up and can be wi
ped away on contact with a damp clo
th. If you buy traditional fabric f
urniture, consider Scotch Guarding
to help your pieces withstand stains.
Wood Furniture

Dust wood pieces using a soft, slig
htly damp cloth run under lukewarm
water. Dry the surface after wiping
 to avoid bubbling, which can lead
to cracking down the road.

To maintain the wood’s lustrous bea
uty, wax or polish it once a year,
but avoid chemical products. A mild
 product such as Murphy’s Oil Soap
is safe to use, but stay away from
silicone-based cleaners. Although w
ood polish is usually a good thing,
 make sure to use wax polishes that
 are vegetable-based – paraffin and
 beeswax also work well. Apply usin
g a soft cloth with the grain of th
e wood, and then buff. Never use wi
ndow cleaners on wooden furniture,
as most of them contain ammonia, wh
ich can damage the finish.

If you want to get rid of unsightly
 nicks and scratches, a wax scratch
 remover stick should do the trick,
 or you can use a color-matching fu
rniture polish. Dents can be hidden
 using specialized wood cleaners th
at raise the wood grain.

Finally, place wood furniture away
from direct sunlight and heating ve
nts, to avoid discoloration of the
wood.

If you follow these simple tips, yo
ur furniture will continue to look
beautiful throughout the years.