FURNITURE CLEANING & CARE TIPS

WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CARE, YOUR WOODEN FURNITURE CAN AVOID REPAIRS AND LAST FOR YEARS TO COME.

​We all have that one piece of wooden furniture that’s special to us. Maybe it’s a nightstand that your grandfather built, or a farmhouse-style dining table that’s large enough to seat your entire family. It might be the bookshelves that house your vintage comic books, or the shaker-style bedframe that you fell in love with at first sight. Whatever that piece is, you want to keep it in beautiful condition. With regular care and attention, your wooden furniture can avoid the need for repairs and look its best for years of enjoyment.

To protect for your favorite pieces, follow these helpful wooden furniture cleaning and care tips.
1. Clean with soap and water.
A damp washcloth and mild dish soap are usually all you need to clean your furniture. After cleaning, rinse with a soap-free, damp cloth; then dry the surface with a third washcloth. Avoid all cleaners containing ammonia; ammonia can damage wooden furniture.
2. Polish furniture after cleaning.
Every time you clean wooden furniture, some of the polish will come off. Polishing can help bring back the shine and protect the surface. Make sure that you use a furniture polish that does not contain a high amount of alcohol. Polishes that contain alcohol can damage wood finishes.
3. Dust your furniture.
Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth or brush to dust your furniture. Frequent dusting helps protect the finish from unwanted grit and dirt build-up.
4. Use coasters for glasses.
Always use coasters with felt or cork bottoms to reduce unsightly water rings. Never let water stand on the surface of your wooden furniture.
5. Use trivets for hot dishes.
Protect furniture from hot serving dishes with a natural fiber table cloth, oven mitt or trivet. Placing hot plates and dishes directly on a wooden surface can result in unwanted burn marks and stains.
6. Keep furniture out of direct sunlight.
Sunlight can dry out furniture and fade wood surfaces. The heat from the sun can melt finishes and create hard-to-repair cracks.
7. Protect furniture from pets.
Our furry friends can accidentally scratch and damage furniture. To prevent pet damage, protect wooden surfaces with a natural fiber table cloth, chair cover or protective pad.
8. Do not place coffeemakers under upper cabinets.
Steam from coffeemakers may damage the finish of wooden cabinets. Instead, place coffeemakers on kitchen islands or other open areas.

How too much or too little moisture can affect wood furniture.
Because wood breathes, it is susceptible to dry and wet conditions. Too much moisture can lead to mildew, while too much dryness can weaken joints and cause your furniture to lose its natural luster. Maintaining this delicate balance for your furniture is important to keeping it looking beautiful year after year.

Follow these care tips to help prevent moisture or dryness from damaging your furniture:

• Avoid placing wood furniture in steamy bathrooms or laundry areas.
• Maintain a consistent temperature in your home. Dramatic temperate changes can affect the humidity levels, which can create more moisture in the air.
• Don’t let your home get too dry. Excessively dry areas can cause your wood furniture to shrink, split or become brittle.
• Protect wood surfaces from direct contact with water. Place glass surfaces over table tops or use coasters, trivets and natural fiber table cloths and pads to protect your furniture from hot or wet surfaces.
• Never allow moisture to be trapped between glass and a wood surface. Make sure surfaces are completely dry before the glass is replaced.

Have a dent, scratch or stain you can’t fix? Call Furniture Medic.
Accidents happen. And when your favorite piece of furniture gets scratched or gouged, or when you forget a coaster and a water stain appears, it’s time to call the expert technicians at Furniture Medic. Most of the time, we can repair your furniture on site and on your schedule. Your furniture deserves the delicate care from Furniture Medic.
We spend a lot of time on our sofas and couches, so they are bound to get dirty and stained from time to time. Be it an emergency wine spill or just a build-up of grime from your pet sitting on your sofa every day; we are here to help you clean the couch and sofas effectively.

First and foremost, it is important that you read the manufacturer's guidelines for cleaning. Sofas, couches, and other fabrics come with cleaning tags, just like your items of clothing. Check the tag for the cleaning cues. Here are a few codes-

• W- you can clean the material with water.
• S- You use a solvent-based cleaner. Don'tDon't use water to clean it.
• WS- It'sIt's ok if you use water or solvent-based cleaners.
• X- You need to only vacuum this material. You should not use water or solvent-based cleaners.

Before you get in touch with  upholstery and carpet cleaning service provider, you can try the ways we have advised in the article at home.

How to clean home products with home-based ingredients?
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Pre-clean the upholstery with a vacuum cleaner
You should first remove the loose hair and dust that may have accumulated in the nooks of the cushions and sofas before using any homemade liquid cleaner. Many vacuum cleaners come with upholstery attachments in the form of a soft brush attachment. You can make use of these for the best results.

Test the cleaner before you apply it
Whenever you use a cleaner or a cleaning agent, you should test it on a small spot to see its effect on the fabric.

Pre-treatment of heavily stained areas
You can check pre-wash cleaning sprays for the upholstery. Use these on the cushion and sofa and allow the spray to sit for as long as the direction specified on the label. Gently dab the stain with a sponge and mild detergent. Let it settle down for some time.

• You can mix 1 part of vinegar per 2 parts of linseed oil and put this solution in the bottle. 
• Shake it well, and then rub it into the leather with a dry cloth.
• You can allow it to settle down for at least 10 minutes and take a dry cloth, and buff out any residual solution.

Heavy stains
Treat heavy stains with water and alcohol solutions.

• Create equal parts of warm water and alcohol in a bottle to treat the heavy stain. 
• Shake the bottle vigorously to mix the solution well and apply it with a cloth rag.
• Take care not to apply too much of the solution to the fabric.
• Simply dab it over the cushion cover.
• In addition, to warm water and alcohol, you can use a suede eraser or a regular pencil eraser to rub out the stains. You should always rub the area down with a suede brush after using the eraser or a stain cleaning solution.

These are some of the natural ways to maintain the cleanliness of the sofas and cushions, along with the other items at home. If you are looking for professional help to maintain the longevity of your furniture, then you may get in touch with professional service providers. Get in touch with the professional team at Home Spa Services offering professional cleaning support.