Very often, after a sale, my customer will ask me: “How can I care for my new -blank-“? Sometimes I think to myself, “that’s a good question” other times I think “Isn’t it obvious?” Today, I will point out the obvious as well as the not so obvious.
- Mattresses
A good vacuum once every few months will help minimize dust build up in the quilting. It will help with allergies and people sensitive to dust. If your mattress is 1-sided, turn it head to foot once every 3 months. This will even out wear. If it is flip-able, then you have 4 different ways of rotation! The best way to protect your mattress is with a protector. Manorhouse sells Canadian made protectors at great prices!
- Solid Wood Furniture
The Most important factor for solid wood: Humidity. With not enough moisture in the home, the wood in your home will shrink, crack and/or split. 40-45% humidity is the ideal situation for wood. In the winter, I personally keep my humidity at a point where I have about 1cm of moisture sitting at the bottom of my vinyl framed windows. Not only is this good for my furniture, but it keeps me breathing better, and I don’t get shocked every time I touch a door knob! Second care tip: Wipe down with a damp cloth as required, dry any excess moisture. With the lacquers being used today, waxes and spray waxes are absolutely not required.
- Fabric Upholstery
Professional steam cleaning can be useful for stains and general dirt build-up after a long period of time. Regular vacuuming is the key to keeping the dust out of the fibres of the fabric. Clean general food spills with a clean wet rag with a small amount of mild soap, but remember what kind of fabric you bought. Some fabrics have special cleaning codes applied to them telling you what to use and not to use. Ask a salesperson about these cleaning codes when you are picking out a new fabric.
- Leather Upholstery
Leather requires very little maintenance. Humidity at 30 to 40% is ideal. Vacuuming is rarely needed. You can wipe some leathers with a damp cloth to get any dust or sticky areas. Some leathers will benefit from a lotion or moisturizer applied once a year. We offer a great product here at Manorhouse. Notice I said “some” leathers; not all leathers should even be wiped with a damp cloth. And some leathers can be damaged by using a lotion. Please consult the store where you purchased your leather before putting anything on it!
- Veneered Products
I would treat veneered products similar to solid wood, with the exception of the required humidity levels.
- Glass / Metal Products
Glass is one of those obvious ones. Just use a glass cleaner. Glass cleaner is also great on chromed metal items. For powder coated metals and brushed finishes, I would suggest just a damp cloth.
What Your Furniture Should Avoid at all Times:
-Direct sunlight
-Heating/Cooling Vents
-Blocking return air ducts
And there you have it. The short and sweet version to caring for your furniture. If you have any questions feel free to send me an email at info@mhfurniture.ca
-Richard the Furniture Nerd
My next blog: A Guide to buying Leather Furniture