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A Guide to Good Furniture Care
By Holly Linington
During my long career in the furniture business I've often been
asked, "What is the proper way to care for my fabric?" After all,
you've purchased your dream furniture piece but you're terrified to
use it out of fear of damaging it. But you don't have to live in
fear! After extensive research and testing I have found the
following guidelines and suggestions to be helpful.
Upholstered Furniture
Because of the wide variety of fabrics and fiber combinations, there
is no guarantee that these methods will be completely successful and
I recommend that a professional upholstery cleaner be contacted in
particular cases. However, these simple solutions will keep your new
upholstery crisp and clean for years!
• Vacuum at least once a week to remove grit that can cause
abrasion, and be sure to dust vacuum the top surfaces as often as
possible. Professional cleaning is the best way to make a slightly
soiled sofa look new again, but weekly vacuuming will make
professional cleaning a less frequent event. (Never brush any
fabric with a stiff fiber or metal brush, since they're destructive
to the fibers. Instead, use your vacuum attachments like the
upholstery brush or the attachment for dusting draperies and
furniture. The latter brush has longer bristles and is less abrasive
to your upholstery fabric. It may be your best option if your
fabric deserves a softer brushing.)
• Reverse the cushions each week after vacuuming.
Rearrange the furniture occasionally to ensure even wear of the cushions
and other areas.
Cushions and pillows filled with down or similar cushioning material
should be hand-fluffed and reversed regularly to retain their
original softness and resiliency.
• Protect fabrics from the sun. Fabrics should not be placed
in direct sunlight because the ultraviolet light will cause the
fibers to degenerate and colors to fade. Occasionally dyes can fade
from impurities in the air as well, but protection from the sun is a
good way to prevent premature loss of color.
• Keep pets off the furniture. Pet urine and pet body oil
can be difficult to remove.
• Use proper care with structural weave fabrics (where the
design is created by the weave) to protect against snags. These
fabrics may be cleaned by sprinkling dry powder cleaner over the
fabric, spreading it uniformly and letting it stand for the
recommended period before vacuuming with gentle suction.
(However, I do recommend professional cleaning with stains on a woven
fabric.)
• Caution those wearing clothing with transferable dyes, such
as blue jeans, that the dye could transfer onto light-colored
furniture.
Fabric Cleaning Guide
Today's new fabric treatments improve the chances of your fabric's
survival. Fabric protection products are usually applied by the
retail store for an additional cost. Most of the various brands work
the same way by causing spills and soil to sit on the surface of the
fiber instead of migrating to the fiber's interior.
Today's fiber protection products are free of ozone damaging
chemicals, and most are hypoallergenic and invisible to the eye.
Some even provide additional UV protection from color fading caused
by intense light. One of the greatest benefits of fabric protection
products is that they come with specific written warranties that
provide peace of mind.
Whether your new upholstery has been fabric protected or not, you
should follow the same basic guidelines in cleaning liquid spills or
surface soil that can't be brushed off (such as newspaper ink).
Fabric Cleaning Codes
Before attempting to clean a spill or spot on your furniture, you
should identify the fabric and the correct cleaning method
recommended by the manufacturer. This information is represented by
a cleaning code (W, S, WS, or X) often found under a cushion, on the
bottom of the furniture or on the manufacturer's tag. If you cannot
find this information, contact your salesperson at the furniture
store where the item was purchased.
W – Spot clean only with water-based shampoo or foam upholstery
cleaner.
S – Spot clean only with water-free cleaning solvent. Do not
overwet. DO NOT USE WATER.
WS – Spot clean with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild
detergent, or a mild dry cleaning solvent. Do not overwet.
X – Clean only by vacuuming or light brushing with a non-metallic
brush. DO NOT USE WATER OR DRY CLEANING SOLVENTS. Do not use a foam or liquid cleaner of any type.
Never apply cleaning solutions to visible areas of your upholstery
fabric without first testing on areas that are not visible. It is
important to pretest for color loss and fabric compatibility.
Cleaning Instructions
As a general rule, when a spill occurs, it is important to clean the
fabric immediately. The longer a spot remains, the harder it is to
remove. It may even become permanent.
Blot, don't rub. If the spill is still "fresh", use a clean, dry and
very absorbent 100% cotton cloth. Should you have to use paper
towels to blot out spills, be sure the paper towel (or cloth) is
white, as colors in the towel may, when applied to a wet surface,
fade onto the upholstery. Color from one fabric can rub off onto
another fabric, even when dry -- a process known in the industry
as "crocking".
If blotting with a dry cloth doesn't quite finish the job and you
have cleaning directions from the furniture manufacturer, follow
those. If none are available, use the instructions provided here.
I hope this information has been insightful. Use these tools when
necessary, but most importantly, enjoy your upholstered piece --
it was meant to be used!
About the Author
Holly Linington is a designer and the owner of Planet Sofa
http://www.planetsofa.com . For over 15 years Planet Sofa has been
providing customers with stylish, high quality furniture at
affordable prices. They are committed to offering pieces that
combine aesthetics and utility with ergonomics and comfort, and
their products are available on the web.
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