Furniture maintenance tips

Apart from buying a home, furnishing a space to make it habitable and comfortable for living is the second most expensive endeavor that consumes a large chunk of a home’s budget. The decline of readily available natural resources, as well as increases in production, have translated to an increase in the cost of goods and services, including furniture pieces. To increase the longevity, durability, and lifespan of these furniture items, below are tips to help you take proper care of the different furniture pieces in your home. Before we dive into furniture maintenance tips, let’s look at what furniture is, and the different types of furniture needed in a home.

Furniture Definition

Furniture refers to movable objects designed to support various human activities such as seating, eating, sleeping, whilst enhancing a room’s characteristics both functionally and /or decoratively.

What type of furniture do you need in your home?

Most furniture items are made from wood. However, to increase the visual appeal and aesthetics of wood, materials such as fabric, glass, metal, plastic, and so on are mixed with or added to the wood. These materials are added to provide more comfort, more varieties and distinctiveness, and character breaking the monotony of wood. The different furniture pieces needed in a home include:

Living room furniture

• Sofas
• Sleeper Sofas
• Accent chairs
• Recliners
• Swivel
• Benches

Dining Room Furniture

• Dining table
• Dining chairs
• Arm chairs
• Side chairs
• Sideboards

Bedroom furniture

• Beds
• Headboards
• Nightstands
• Dressers
• Mirrors
• Benches

Office furniture

• Desks
• Storage cabinets
• Bookcases

Furniture Maintenance Tips

Taking care of your furniture goes beyond just cleaning. There are different tips for the different types of furniture used in a home. What works for wood, might not work for upholstery, or leather. To take care of the furniture in your home, we have provided you with the best furniture maintenance tips below:

Wooden Furniture

Wooden furniture comprises the most common yet the most expensive type of furniture you can get on the market. While it is easy to take care of this kind of furniture, if it is done in the right way, wooden furniture can last for a long time.

How to take care of wooden furniture?

1. Dust it often

When you dust it often, you ensure that the loose dirt does not settle on the furniture to form a layer that would eventually stick to it.

An effective material to use is a moist piece of cloth so that it absorbs the dust as opposed to scattering it into the air.

2. Polishing/Waxing

This is done to protect the wooden surface but should not mix. You should choose one of them depending on the manufacturer’s recommendation to achieve the desired results.

3. Avoid direct sunlight

Direct sunlight can cause severe damage to wood. How this happens is that when direct sunlight hits wood, it loses the moisture that plays a role in preserving it.

Upholstery

Upholstery complements the solid look that wood provides. It is made of fabric, so it adds the so much-needed warmth and comfort.

They also add color, texture, and personality to the other furniture. Examples of this type of furniture include pillows and cushions.

How to take care of upholstery?

1. Do some vacuuming

If you have this kind of furniture, plan to vacuum it at least weekly. This avoids the accumulation of dirt and dust that could make your furniture look old and beat.

2. Use slipcovers

Slipcovers are seat covers that are washable. They protect the upholstered furniture from oils, sweat and other unwanted stains. Once they get dirty you just need to wash them.

3. Detach the arm covers, and clean them

The arm covers of upholstery are detachable, thus can you can clean them frequently hence protecting the furniture and also keeping them clean.

Leather

Leather furniture is the most authentic furniture you can ever buy. Cow hide is the number one choice for leather furniture. Whether combined with wood or metal, leather furniture is the most expensive on the market. If well taken care of, this kind of furniture can serve you for a long time. Additionally, it is easy to maintain.

How to take care of leather furniture?

1. Clean it

Just like any other furniture, cleaning is one of the basic maintenance routines. To clean leather, you need to wipe the spills immediately they occur with a piece of soft cloth or sponge.

Always use some mild soap to clean stains and spots, however, ensure you rinse it first.

Note that the use of harsh detergents, abrasive cleaners, or any type of chemical solutions will damage the leather material.

2. Do some vacuuming

It helps to remove surface soils. This can be done once a week, when possible.

3. Dust

Daily dusting ensures that dirt does not accumulate over time thereby preventing stains, spots, and dullness to the leather.

Conclusion

Investing in good furniture is one of the things you need to consider in purchasing a home. However, proper maintenance of the furniture in your home will determine how long it will serve you. To avoid always splurging on furniture, you need to take good care of it. Cleaning, dusting, changing armchair covers, using slip covers, and vacuuming is a good way to start.