Cleaning Guide (Part 1): Caring for Your Furniture
Now that you've invested in quality pieces of furniture, you want to keep your room looking pristine. But hey, accidents happen. Kids are messy, water marks appear next to unused coasters, and spills are simply inevitable. And after spending your well-earned money on some well-deserved furniture, you want to be able to USE the room! Rather than covering your pieces in plastic or admiring the room from a safe distance, we thought we'd give you some care and cleaning tips, so you're prepared to properly treat whatever mess comes your way.
General Tips:
If furniture is placed in direct sunlight or under windows, the sun can cause fading or bleaching to the finish of the piece. Have the windows professionally tinted if this is the case.
Keep furniture away from air vents, humidifiers, and fireplaces. All can have drying and/or bleaching effects.
Keep your furniture in a temperature-controlled environment. Sharp changes in temperature or humidity will cause wood to expand or contract. Our Philadelphia humid summers are notorious. Keep humidity levels under 50%.
Use coasters/saucers under glasses and plants. Wipe up any spills or liquids promptly. Some liquids can dissolve finishes and will require professional repairs.
Never place anything hot onto a wooden surface as it can cause discoloration.
WOOD
Regularly clean and polish your wood furniture to prevent dust buildup and maintain the finish. Use Murphy's Oil Soap or Castile soap and water or any non-silicone furniture polish and wipe with clean, soft cloth. Always dust with the grain of the wood and not in a circular motion.
LEATHER
Leather should be dusted regularly with a slightly damp, soft cloth, and then rubbed with a dry, clean cloth until dry. If soil accumulates, clean with a Murphy's Oil Soap or Castile soap and water mixture
(2 tsp Murphy's Oil Soap or Castile soap to 20 oz. water). If your mixture leaves a film, lessen the amount of soap.
UPHOLSTERY
Use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum or a soft brush to remove dirt/debris. To remove odors, sprinkle baking soda on cushions, leave for a few hours or overnight, then vacuum up.
Depending on the fabric, spot cleaning will require either a (W) water-based or a (S) solvent-based solution. If unsure, we recommend professional cleaning. (Contact us and we'll give you our trusted recommendation!)
(W) Apply product with clean, white cloth, then blot with wet or dry towel (follow instructions on product's bottle)
Alternative to store-bought product is mixing (1/4 cup) dishwashing liquid + (1 cup) water until foamy. Apply foam with cloth or soft brush, and rub gently.
(S) Blot stain with product using clean, white cloth, set up a fan to dry (follow instructions on product's bottle)
Always ventilate area when using solvents!
Lastly, make sure your products are all labeled properly so there’s no confusion! We hope this helps.
Stay tuned for another cleaning guide… Part 2 coming soon!