Furniture care should be paramount to all homeowners, as everyone owns a piece of furniture that is both functional and special to them. It may be a sofa or couch, a large dining table, a vintage bookshelf, or even a makeup vanity that you loved at first sight. Whatever that furniture is, you would want to keep it in excellent condition for years to come. As we all know, the use and passage of time always takes its toll on our furniture, even if its quality is the best on the market.
Proper furniture care and cleaning are important parts of preserving the pieces for years of beauty and use, and the reward for your effort will be a home filled with beautiful furniture that looks and feels as good as the day you got it. Also, there are simple hacks that can help you keep them in good shape to last you for years.
So how do you clean any piece of furniture and keep it looking new and shiny? Let’s find out!
Six (6) Quick & Easy-care Tips For All Furniture
Prevent your furniture from looking old, worn-out, or damaged by following these six general furniture care tips.
1. Always Read the Care Label
If your furniture came with a care label, read it! This info is very important because it is specific to the piece you purchased. While your furniture may currently appear to be brand new, you must learn how to properly maintain it if you want to keep it that way. If your furniture does not have a label, ask the seller for any specific care instructions.
2. Clean Your Furniture
This one is pretty straightforward. You must clean your furniture if you want it to appear clean. We recommend that you follow any cleaning instructions you were given, to extend the lifespan of your furniture.
3. Avoid Sun Exposure
As with any product, prolonged exposure of furniture to direct sunlight will harm it. Keep your furniture out of the sun, especially directly under windows to avoid fading over time. Regularly conditioning leather furniture will slow down the process of cracking. You can also add a window film if you want to block the sun’s harmful rays.
4. Protect Surfaces ( Avoid placing hot objects on your furniture)
Pots, pans, Irons, and mugs can melt finishes away in a few seconds. Therefore, make sure you shield your furniture from any heat source. Placemats and coasters are quite helpful when it comes to protecting your furniture from heat.
5. Keep Pets Off Your Furniture
Yes, we all want to cuddle with our furry friend on the couch on a lazy day. However, that isn’t the best for your furniture. Pets can potentially damage our furnishings especially if the material is upholstered. You can get a routine upholstery cleaning regularly if you're a pet lover.
6. Invest in furniture covers.
Furniture covers are lifesavers, as they offer the best possible protection for your furniture. These covers can help increase the longevity of your furniture. By protecting it from spills, stains, dirt, dust, and sun damage, you'll be able to keep your furniture looking new for years to come.
Want more easy furniture care tips? Learn more here 'Furniture Cleaning & Care Tips'.
Tips to Maintain Wooden Furniture
Dusting: The best way to keep your furniture in good shape is to dust it every day. Set aside 10 minutes a day to dust your wooden furniture, with deeper cleaning to be done on weekends. This prevents the accumulation of dust, which looks a lot more prominent on dark, wooden pieces.
Clean with a damp cloth: Use a soft damp cloth and always start with a mild cleaning agent (only move to a stronger one if needed). Use a damp cloth for cleaning and a different clean cloth to dry.
Make Polishing a Hobby: Cleaning your furniture frequently often leads to wear and tear, therefore it is highly advisable to polish your furniture from time to time. Polishing or waxing your wooden furniture can help enhance its appearance, making it appear shiny and new.
Usage of coasters and placemats: As earlier stated, to avoid glass stains, try making use of coasters as much as possible. This reduces the clean-up after every use, which can get quite tedious and frustrating.
Avoid Direct sunlight: Direct contact with sunlight or heat can affect the finish of a wooden product. Avoid keeping the item in direct sunlight, or drape it with a throw for the hottest parts of the day.
Tips to Maintain Fabric/Leather Upholstery
Always protect the fabric: Fabrics/Leather are very prone to stains, so you should pay close attention to spills regularly. If you end up spilling something, be sure to blot the spills immediately with a soft, lightly damp cloth. Never rub the spill as this will push the liquid into the upholstery, increasing the likelihood of staining.
Make Use of Slipcovers: If you want to give the upholstery extra protection, a slipcover is a good option. The slipcover will protect the actual couch from any dirt and dust, and can also act as stain-resistant.
Use a vacuum cleaner: This tool helps prevent dirt and dust build-up that will give the furniture a dirty or old appearance. If used effectively on upholstery, it sucks in any particles, such as dust, unwanted food specks, and more. You can use a vacuum on your upholstered furniture every week to give it a general cleaning.
Tips to Clean Glass Furniture
Wipe glass daily: Therefore, glass furniture needs to be thoroughly wiped down on a day-to-day basis to keep its shine. If any stains come in contact with the table, make sure to clean it immediately as such stains could leave marks on it.
Microfiber or chamois cloth for cleaning glass: Using a regular towel or tissue can leave several particles or paper residue on the glass. Instead, go for microfiber or chamois cloth, which is specifically made for such purposes. Microfiber cloth can remove lint and fiber, while chamois cloth will not leave behind any residual material!
Glass cleaner: These glass cleaners can get rid of smudges, fingerprints, streaks, and more to restore shine to your glass surface. Using soap, or any other cleaning agents can degrade the quality of the glass, making it look unattractive.
Long-term Furniture Care
While the aforementioned techniques are to be followed frequently, there are still cases where you may need professional help to keep your furniture in good condition. Consider hiring a professional furniture cleaner once a month or once in two months if you don't think you can do a great job at cleaning blots, spills, or more.
FAQs on Furniture Care
1. How do you keep wooden furniture shiny?
To preserve the quality of wood, you need to give it a good polish once or twice a year. To make your furniture polish, take a quarter cup of vegetable or olive oil and mix it with a similar quantity of white vinegar. Moisten a microfiber cloth with the mixture and polish the wood to a shine.
2. How can I prolong the life of my furniture?
- Upon Seeing Any Furniture Damage, Fix It right away.
- Make A Habit of Keeping It Clean.
- Use placemats when you eat.
- Heat and direct sunlight should be avoided.
- Dust with the appropriate cotton cloth.
- Deep cleaning should be done frequently.
3. How long does wood furniture last?
Typically, solid wood furniture lasts an average of 10 to 15 years before it begins to fade or crack due to wear and tear. However, there's a difference between regular wood furniture and heirloom-quality wood furniture. Heirloom-quality handmade wood furniture should last more than a lifetime.
4. How do you care for outdoor furniture?
Brush off dirt and debris regularly, and rinse as needed. Wipe spills and stains immediately with a wet cloth and a mild soap solution, because certain liquids, such as sunscreen, may cause discoloration.
5 . How often should you clean your furniture?
At a minimum, you should get your furniture professionally cleaned 1-2 times a year. This will help keep the accumulation of dirt and dust under control and leave your home and air quality much cleaner. Also, If you have pets or children, we recommend cleaning your upholstery every 3-4 months.
There You Go!
By following these furniture protection/care tips, you can make sure your furniture looks and stays brand new, while also prolonging the life of the products! We hope you found these tips helpful. If you also need any more help or have any questions on how to care for your furniture, contact our support team! We'd be happy to help you.
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