A Guide to Good Furniture Care

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!

Holly Linington

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Caring For Upholstery Fabrics

You’ve bought your first furniture set and now you need to take care of it. Having a sofa is great and definitely adds to the beauty and atmosphere of your home, but you also need to know how to clean it and take care of it properly, otherwise you will have a grungy, tattered piece of furniture squatting in the middle of your living room before long. There are several simple steps that you can easily follow to make sure that your beautiful, comfortable couch will look great and last long enough for everyone to enjoy.

Basically, you just have to remember two general rules for cleaning upholstery. Since loose dirt and stains are the most common factors for soiling your furniture, learning how to deal with them will save you a lot of time and money later in the future. Cleaning up loose dirt can easily be done by vacuuming or just brushing away the dirt. You have to do this as soon as possible, though, before the dirt gets embedded in the fabric. As for cleaning up stains and spills, you can use a dry cloth to soak up and wipe away the liquid.

The best way to clean up your upholstery, however, is to first learn the cleaning codes. Each and every fabric has its own specialized cleaning method, so make sure you know about them. Look for the cleaning codes on one of the attached tags on your furniture, as they will tell you how to properly clean your upholstery. If you can’t find the code, try cleaning a little spot in an inconspicuous area of the furniture to test for compatibility. There are four cleaning codes that are currently used by upholstery manufacturers. I will tell you about them, as well as the recommended procedures related to each code.

W – Vacuuming and light dusting are recommended. Use only water-based cleaning agents or foam from mild detergents or non-solvent upholstery shampoo. Apply the cleaning agent in a circular motion, using a soft cloth or brush.

S – You can also vacuum or dust lightly. Use water-free cleaning solvents or dry-cleaning solutions for spot cleaning. Be sure to avoid using products with carbon tetrachloride. Use a soft cloth and clean the upholstery in a well-ventilated area. Getting the services of a professional cleaner is also recommended.

WS – This is quite easy, since you can practically use any of the recommended methods above. If using a solvent or dry-cleaning product, be sure to do it in a well-ventilated area. Avoid products with carbon tetrachloride.

X – Clean your furniture by vacuuming and light dusting ONLY. Avoid using liquid cleaning agents of any kind. Using water-based cleaners or solvents may cause shrinking and/or damage the surface appearance of the upholstery.

Try to clean your upholstery at least every month. If you have a futon, try to flip the cushions over at least once a month, and wash the covers at the same time as well. When you use liquid cleaning agents or foam, you can remove the excess foam with a spatula or even a piece of cardboard. And remember to keep the material as dry as possible during cleaning; this will help keep the fabric from shrinking.

By: Syahrul Azlan Idris

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Upholstery Fabric with Color and Fashion

When you shop for drapery and upholstery fabric you must consider two important criteria: form and function. What do you want it to look like and how will it be used? The right Upholstery fabric may not be the right choice for durability, stain resistance, etc. If you have small children, you might suggest a color that will not show dirt easily.

Buying upholstery fabrics for your new piece of furniture is a not always easy. When shopping for fabrics, you will find an overwhelming array of different patterns, textures, fabric weights, and fiber contents to choose from. You should be aware of its durability, clean ability, and resistance to soil and fading.

Here are a few common used Upholstery fabrics; Linen is best suited for formal living rooms or adult areas. Cotton natural fiber provides good resistance to wear, fading, and pilling. Wool offers good resistance to pilling, fading, wrinkling, and soil. Vinyl is easy-care and less expensive than leather, vinyl’s are ideal for busy family living and dining rooms.

Silk is delicate fabric, and is suitable for adult areas, such as formal living rooms. It must be professionally cleaned if soiled. Acrylic synthetic fiber was developed as imitation wool. It resists wear, wrinkling, soiling, and fading.

Nylon is usually blended with other fibers to make it one of the strongest upholstery fabrics. Polyester is blended with other fibers to add wrinkle resistance, eliminate crushing of napped fabrics, and reduce fading.

By Roger King

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Fabric Upholstered Club Chairs

Fabric upholstered club chairs are becoming the preferred choice of many for furnishing their homes rather than with the traditional leather versions. Many seem to have this notion that a club chair is constructed with the use of black leather and is an overstuffed, bulky chair like those found in the prestigious smoky gentlemen’s clubs somewhere in the 19th century. Or that it has to be in some shabby condition hidden away in some old dusty corner that nobody hardly sees let alone uses.

But club chairs have come along way over the years and apart from the many leather grades, colors and designs available fabric upholstered club chairs are becoming increasingly favored and incorporated into many homes and offices. The beauty of fabric upholstered club chairs is the infinite choices of colors, variety in fabrics and stunning patterns you can choose from so that you can ensure a complete match with the existing color theme and style in your home.

A good way to make a solid choice in a fabric upholstered club chair is to consider what effect you want your room to have. If it is a certain style you are after, for example a Traditional Style then you might want to explore the elegance of the Harvest Leaf Fabric Upholstered Club Chair. With the lovely carved details in the frame it will add a sophisticated touch to your home.

Or perhaps you are more interested in a modern look in which case the Macintosh Fabric Upholstered Club Chair with its delightful pattern will add a wonderful dimension to your office or living room or any other room of your home you wish to furnish.

You might prefer your fabric upholstered club chair to be in one neutral tone which can complement the existing colors in your space. In these instances an upholstered club chair like The Carleigh Fabric Club Chair is a wonderful choice. And with the large variety of colors available it will be so simple to select the one that would perfectly match your home. Remember to always ask for a free swatch sample so that you are certain the selected color matches the rest of the furniture and color theme.

Explore the different possibilities made available to you and carefully plan in advance by measuring your space and ensuring that your new fabric upholstered club chair has plenty of room in which to sit. Otherwise you run the risk of giving an overcrowded feel which will counterbalance the restful and serene atmosphere you are hoping to achieve.

Like with any furniture, regardless of the upholstery, protecting your new fabric upholstered club chair is necessary and actually quite simple. Frequent dusting and vacuuming will ensure that dust particles do not set in the fabric which then make it easier to absorb oils from skin and other fabrics thus minimizing the durability of the fabric. With the use of fabric protection cleaners you can protect the fibers of your fabric club chair to ensure that liquids and solids do not create stains. In this manner you are also increasing the lifespan of your fabric upholstered club chair to give you prolonged satisfaction.

Whatever your personal tastes and preferences, and regardless of the current decor in your home or the available space, by taking some extra time to do some research like comparing the prices of the fabric upholstered club chairs that interest you, it is certain you will end up with a piece of club furniture that is not only compatible with the intended space but will be with you for years to come and offer you a welcoming and relaxing experience time after time.

By Teri Romer

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These are Just But a Few Tips About How to Recycle Fabrics

It is true that paper, metal, wood or plastic are definitely the first items that come to one’s mind when talking about recycling, but there are other items, just as numerous that could be re-used in the most profitable and environment-friendly of ways.

One clear case here refers to the ways we can recycle fabrics. Have you been wondering about what to do with those old t-shirts or blouses you no longer use? Well there are a few tips about how to recycle fabrics and thus contribute to the international effort of finally cleaning the waste on this planet. If they cannot be sold in charity shops there are other ways to reuse and recycle fabrics.

T-shirts could make excellent material for the creation of funny bags; there are even cases when people have used such apparel items to create bathmats or even flares. Another unique way to recycle fabrics of the kind is by cutting them into strips and weaving or knitting them in very trendy rugs to be used in certain house corners. Furthermore, you can even find tips about how to make memory quilts out of old t-shirts you purchased at special occasions. Creativity is definitely one of the strong points required in the effort to recycle fabrics.

Let’s take another relevant example of how you can recycle fabrics from drapes or curtains. At a certain point you will definitely want to change the house decorations and will find yourself in the situation of having too much unused material. There are plenty of ways to recycle fabrics from drapes or curtains: depending on how thick the texture really is, you could actually re-use them for upholstery items. If you cannot recycle the material on your own, you can turn to people who actually do it for a living, as part of small home-businesses.

Exquisite pillow casings can be made out of the recycle fabrics you have got around the house; all you need to do is show a little dexterity. Or you may choose to have someone else help you with the project; keep in mind the fact that reusing such material has become so popular that even fashion designers have taken up the practice. There are even companies that collect used clothes: all you have to do is clean and bag your recycle fabrics and drop them at a special collecting agency. Such actions are supported by local governments who allocate funds so that the recycling be carried on in the most adequate of conditions.

Muna wa Wanjiru

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