How to care for your furniture – care & cleaning tips

Quality furniture is an investment and, if treated properly, it will serve you well for many years to come. First, here are some general care tips (and below we’ll look at some tips for those occasional emergency situations!)

General Care & Cleaning Tips:

Upholstered Furniture such as sofas, chairs, and ottomans

• All fabrics have a cleaning code; ask your furniture salesperson what it is and what it means in terms of regular care
• frequent vacuuming is essential for cleaning and maintaining upholstery — it prevents dust, dirt, and stains from embedding in the fibers and keeps the fabric looking new longer
• before applying any cleaning product read the manufacturers instructions (and test a small inconspicuous place first)
• to remove pet hair use a bristle head clothes brush, a clothes lint remover, or a refillable sticky tape roller
• in a pinch, wrap masking tape around your hand, sticky side out, to pick up loose hair and fuzz

Wood furniture such as dining room tables, coffee tables, and bedroom furniture

• know the finish type of the piece; ask your salesperson — finishes may be soft (e.g. oil, wax), hard (lacquer, polyurethane) or painted
• vacuum (with the soft brush attachment) or dust with a slightly damp soft cloth regularly to prevent buildup and scratches
• scratches from normal daily use can be touched up with a scratch remover or special touch-up pens available at your furniture dealer or at many paint stores
• if polishing is recommended, don’t do it more than 3-4 times a year and use a polish recommended for its type of finish; too much polish may build up a waxy film

And some tips for the unexpected mishaps!

Upholstered Furniture

• Gently blot spills — don’t rub — as quickly as possible with a white towel or paper towels
• don’t use colored towels or printed paper towels because the dye or ink may transfer to the upholstery
• blot the fabric from the outside edges of the stain in, to prevent it from spreading
• act fast — the sooner you attack the stain, the better your chances of success (a dried stain is more difficult to remove)
• for red wine, immediately absorb as much of the wine as possible with non-colored towels or paper towels; treat the stain repeatedly with plain water or club soda
• if you can’t deal with a red wine stain immediately, some professional cleaners recommend shaking a thick layer of salt over the red wine while it’s still wet to prevent it from spreading and setting; when you are ready to treat the stain, vacuum off the salt then treat it with water or club soda

Wood furniture

• to treat deeper scratches or gouges into the wood, use wood filler or a colored filler wax stick
• white water rings on furniture can be remedied at home with a few simple steps:
• rub a gentle abrasive cleaner (a baking soda and water paste for example) using a soft clean cloth
• lightly rub the affected finish in the direction of the wood grain
• repeat for 5 to 10 minutes, until you free the moisture that has seeped into the surface
• dry and clean the area with a soft cloth and seal the finish with furniture or paste wax

More Questions? Just Ask Rainbow Furniture in Fort Wayne

Of course, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at Rainbow Furniture for their advice about regular care (or emergency treatments) for any of the fine furniture you have purchased from us. We not only have years of experience caring for fine furniture but also can easily access furniture care information from the quality manufacturers with whom we work.