Furniture Care Basics

by Jennifer Sellers

For most people, home furnishings are an investment. When you buy a piece of furniture, you expect it to be reasonably durable for however long you own it. Fortunately, there are simple guidelines for keeping your wood furnishings and upholstery in top shape for many years.

Your upholstered furniture will likely be exposed to much more wear and tear than your wood furnishings, but there is still a lot you can do to enhance their durability. "Unfortunately many people don't take the time to properly care for their upholstery," says Eric Mawyer, vice president of training for Guardian Protection Products, a company that creates furniture care products designed to protect the appearance and extend the life of both wood and upholstered furniture. A Good Start
Even before your upholstered furniture is delivered to your home, you can take steps to protect it. Mawyer suggests having a quality fabric protector applied to the upholstery before delivery. "This can help customers keep accidental spills from becoming messy, permanent stains," he says. "And if there is a stain, protected fabric allows for easier cleaning."

Simple Maintenance
Perhaps the simplest things you can do to help preserve the quality of your upholstery are flipping cushions and vacuuming. Once a week, rotate and fluff your sofa and chair cushions; this should help keep the wear even. You should also vacuum your sofa monthly, if possible.

"Simple vacuuming of the horizontal surfaces of fabric upholstery at least once a month can be one of the best ways to help keep airborne dust and dirt from settling into fabrics causing them to look dull and dingy," says Mawyer. "Over time, dust and dirt can actually begin to break down the fibers in fabric, causing furniture to look old before its time. Rotating the cushions will also ensure people are not always sitting on the same cushions—this provides for more even wear."re. "One thing we know for sure is that fabric is not self-cleaning, so some simple maintenance performed by the customer is necessary if their furniture is going to look great for a long time."