Protect that beautiful room you’ve worked so hard to create.
You’ve made a significant investment in time, money and emotion to create your room. A few simple steps will reward you with longer life and greater joy from your room.
UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE
1) Vacuum your furniture!
We suggest routine light vacuuming and frequent pillow rotation to help extend the life of the fabric and enhance the overall appearance.
Weird, huh? But really you should vacuum your furniture weekly. Dust and dirt are surprisingly hard on fabric – so you need to get it off there. (While you’re at it, get those crumbs under the cushions and down in the crevices).
2) Flip the cushions (and even the furniture)
Change is your friend here. Flip cushions regularly and even rotate them on the piece where possible. This will distribute the wear and compression over the entire piece and extend the life and looks of your furniture.
Flip back and seat cushions.
3) Rearrange your room
I know… you already have the best arrangement. However, rearrangement will encourage use and wear of different pieces in different ways. Besides, a little change can be refreshing!
4) Consider arm caps
These little protective covers can really keep skin oils and dirt off the most exposed and used areas of upholstered furniture. (You can always remove them when you’re entertaining and replace them later).
Do the new Performance Fabrics change furniture care?
When you choose these wonderful new products, they will certainly change your experience with your furniture. They will offer longer life, more stain resistance, easier cleaning and better color hold. That said… you should still follow every tip mentioned above! Don’t give up the advantage that performance fabrics offer by letting dust and oil accumulate. Read more about performance fabrics here.
More info on spot-cleaning uphostery
LEATHER
1) Dust leather furniture weekly.
Like fabric furniture, leather should be cleaned weekly, but with a slightly moist soft cloth rather than your vacuum. Again choose sheepswool, white cotton or microfiber.
2) Other care depends on your leather’s finish.
Leather finishes range from totally unfinished to light oils or waxes to heavily finished products. You must know what type of finish is on your leather before applying any product to it! Please contact your store or the manufacture to find out recommended care.
3) Denim bleed
Don’t pick white or light fabric or leather where dark Jeans are going to be worn.
Bleed-proof dye is available, but it is not used on jeans. It’s part of what we love about jeans. Jeans are designed to bleed. But it presents you with problems for your furniture. And if dye gets into the fabric fibers of your furniture or into the surface of your leather, it probably will never come out.
The worst problems of denim bleed will occur where fabric or leather is white or very light and where the jeans are very dark and unwashed. Please make your choices accordingly.
WOOD FURNITURE
1) Keep your wood furniture away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
Before wood furniture is built, the wood is dried down to a uniform level of moisture. However, it’s moisture level after construction remains surprisingly high. And you don’t want it to dry further.
Direct sun is your enemy
It deserves repeating. Sunlight damages everything: fabric and leather dyes fade. Some wood finishes darken, others fade lighter. And all wood fades. You must make every effort to protect your furnishings from direct sunlight.
2) Dust frequently.
Use a lambswool or white cotton or a microfiber cloth. Slightly dampen the cloth and wipe in the direction of the grain. This should cover 95% of your cleaning needs!
What about wax or polish?
Polish or wax can add an additional layer of protection. And you may love the appearance. However, few modern furniture finishes require it. This places it in the personal preference space. If you love the look it gives you, be sure to apply it sparingly. Manufacturer recommendations should be followed of course.
SOMETIMES THE BEST INSURANCE IS… INSURANCE
1) Consider purchasing a bit of protection.
Your furniture and decor are a sizable investment. BY DESIGN offers MFS protection plans. These plans are essentially an insurance policy to protect you against many of the problems that might crop up. Accidental stains and accidental damage. One plan covers everything on an order. It is a great way to add peace-of-mind to your life.
MFS has saved the day for a number of BY DESIGN clients.
