Furniture care

Furniture can be an expensive investment, therefore it’s important to consider how to care for your furniture to maintain its quality and prolong the life of your investment.

Cleaning and polishing your furniture should be done on a regular basis. Dust attracts moisture, which can accumulate and soften the finish on your furniture. This can lead to damage to wood furniture.

However some off the shelf supermarket products can do more harm than good therefore  it is important to invest in quality care products which are specifically designed for furniture. We have provided our recommendations for care products below along with some general tips for caring for your investment.

•  Do not place your furniture too close to heating or air conditioning outlets. This can cause joints to dry out and creaks to develop
• Try to avoid sitting on the arms of your furniture and don’t let children jump on your suite as this can shorten the life of your furniture dramatically.
• Open and close recliner mechanisms with care. Ensure small children do not swing on them or operate them incorrectly. 
• Rather than have a ‘favorite’ seat try and use your entire suite equally so that it ages at the same rate. 
• Light affects the colour of fabrics and leather so try to avoid over exposure to sunlight.

Leather Care
Different types of leathers have varying characteristics and perform dramatically differently in given situations. Upholstery leathers are given general classifications based on their finish characteristics. Listed below are some general classifications. The difference between the classifications is blurring due to refinements in tanning processes but they still act as a general guide.

Aniline Leather
The aniline dyeing process produces magnificent feeling leather in its most natural form. It gives subtle colours which enhance the natural beauty of the different fibre structures in the grain and the various hide marks.

Pigmented Leather
The surface of this leather has a pigment applied and a heavier protective coating giving a limitless colour range and exellent wear characteristics. Pigmented leathers are produced in two basic forms.

·         Full Grain - the grain shows natural grain variation and all marks.

·         Corrected Grain - a process where some of the grain layer and most of the natural hide marks are removed. The surface then has a print embossed on it giving a more uniform appearance.

Leather is a strong durable surface which will give many years of good service. Today's modern tanneries apply complex coatings onto the leathers to increase their stain and wear resistance. The concept of good leather care for your furniture is to maintain these coatings for as long as possible. When allowed to build up, grime, dust, body oils and food stains act to breakdown the tannery coatings which accelerate the deterioration of the leather.

Specialised leather care products are specifically formulated to maintain and enhance the durability of leather to keep your leather furniture in excellent condition. Regular use of the kits will effectively remove day to day grime and apply a protective layer on the leather which will help to repel grime, stains and body oils. The unique additives in the kits will also help to reduce u.v. damage with high tech u.v. blockers and resist mould and germ build up with a sophisticated anti-microbial agent.

We recommend ‘Leathertex’ leather care products which are available from most leading furniture retailers.


Upholstery Care
As upholstery fabric can vary greatly it is important to look at the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning on each individual piece of upholstered furniture. However there are some general cleaning and maintenance tips that can assist you to prolong the life of your upholstery and keep it looking new and clean.

·         Plump and turn lounge cushions regularly. Over time some fillings can lose up to 20% of their original volume through normal wear and tear, turning and plumping cushions will help them to last longer.

·         Use the upholstery or curtain attachment on your vacuum cleaner to vacuum up dust and crumbs weekly. Dust and crumbs can have an abrasive effect on your furniture and will cause upholstery to wear sooner.

• If you spill something, blot up the excess immediately. Use a spot cleaner which is suitable for the fabric.
  

We recommend ‘Durapel' upholstery care products which are available from most leading furniture retailers.