How to Keep Your Furniture Flawless

Once you have your furnishings just the way you like them, it’s important to make sure you’re keeping them properly maintained so that you can enjoy and keep them beautiful for years to come. Whether fabric, wood, leather or outdoor, we’ve got some handy pointers that can help you get the most out of your furniture.

Leather

Leather is a classic, beautiful, and luxurious material. It can also be a little bit finicky in terms of care, but regular inspection and care can keep it looking great for decades. For cleaning, you’ll want to wipe with a soft, dry cloth regularly. Oils, soaps, and detergents can stain and discolor leather, so for spills, you will want to blot off liquids immediately with an absorbent cloth. Long-term maintenance is fairly hands-off: rubbing in leather conditioner once or twice a year should be enough.

Fabric

Fabric isn’t too demanding: a weekly or monthly vacuuming, using short overlapping strokes and an upholstery attachment, can keep dust and debris at bay. Plan to deep clean your fabric upholstery about once a year, and check the care instructions to see what type of cleaners you can use to spot clean stains—always test first in an unobtrusive spot.

Steam cleaners can be very useful for deep cleaning fabric upholstery as they will pull out dirt, deodorize and disinfect at the same time. Synthetic fabrics like Ultrasuede and Crypton are high-performance, making them easy to clean with warm water and detergent, and typically stain and spill-resistant.

Wood

Regular care can keep well-built wood furniture looking great for decades and even centuries: there’s a reason wood remains such a popular material for furniture. It looks amazing and it’s low maintenance, but does require some care to stay in tip-top condition. Some wood finishes are susceptible to heat and moisture, and all wood can be dented and scratched, so we recommend using coasters or a glass top.

Wiping wood surfaces with a damp cloth, then a dry one to remove moisture, is the best way to clean it regularly when dusting isn’t enough. We recommend soft cloths with natural fibers, as some types of synthetic fibers may cause scratches. Controlling humidity is another important factor, especially in our humid climate. Wood readily absorbs excess humidity in the air, which can cause warping, swelling, or rot.

Outdoors

Outdoor furniture is built to be durable, but it isn’t immune to decay, so a bit of preventative maintenance can be very helpful. It can be cleaned with a cloth or soft brush and some mild soapy water; cushions can be spot-cleaned, brushed and vacuumed when needed.

We recommend using waterproof, breathable covers to protect outdoor seating from the sun and rain when you’re not using it and to prevent fading, mold, and weathering. If you’ll be away for a long time, it’s worth storing furniture somewhere indoors if you’re able to.

For metal furniture, regular inspection can help you catch scratches, chips and dings before they turn into rust spots. Regularly oiling joints, hinges, and moving parts will prevent those from rusting and seizing in the future.

Wicke, whether it’s rattan, bamboo or plastic, is another fairly low-maintenance option for outdoor furniture. A wash with an oil-based soap once or twice a year can protect every type of wicker from mold and mildew.

A Little Care Goes a Long Way

Regular cleaning and inspection can keep your furniture in top condition and catch issues before they become problems so that you can enjoy your pieces for years. Simple maintenance can prevent issues entirely, so a little effort can pay off handsomely over time.

If you’re unsure about any piece of furniture or upholstery, check with the manufacturer to see what they recommend for cleaning and maintenance. The right process and a bit of caution can prevent major headaches! If you have a particularly tough cleaning job on a beloved piece, cleaning experts are only ever a call away and can save you a lot of trouble and heartbreak.