Cleaning and caring for your furniture doesn’t need to be a stressful process. Preserving your furniture’s quality and keeping it clean can be synonymous. Let’s break down the best and simplest cleaning methods for different kinds of furniture.
Wood
Let’s start with the basics. Dusting. It is super important to keep your wood furniture dusted. A weekly dusting can be done on the days you are also vacuuming or sweeping your floors. Use a gentle feather duster or soft cotton cloth. The same goes for any time you need to clean up spills and marks. Get gentle soap and dampen your cloth with soapy water to clean the spots. Immediately dry your furniture to avoid any water damage to your piece. Feel free to polish your wood furniture twice a year, but be sure to use a low-risk polish like “All in 1” or Guardsman. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to a representative at the store you purchased your furniture from to find out what products they recommend.
Let’s talk about the preventative measures and the don’ts. Don’t use polishes with silicone or come in an aerosol can. Also, heat and moisture cause the most damage to wood, so be sure not to have humidifiers too close by. Do not ever place hot items directly on wood furniture or place your piece too close to radiators or fireplaces.
Upholstery
Upholstery furniture can be easily preserved when loose cushions are reversed frequently. Vacuum all upholstery once a week to keep crumbs, dust, and hair from burying into your furniture. If you have vinyl furniture, try to wash it with mild soap and warm water weekly. Body oils will cause vinyl to crack. If you’ve got leather furniture, occasional dusting, and spot cleaning are beneficial.
Believe it or not, it isn’t wise to remove covers from upholstered cushions. Unless specified otherwise in a care guide, those zippers are for tailoring purposes only. To clean upholstery, know the fabric content and look for the cleaning code on the cushion tag:
Cleaning Code
W – Clean with a water-based cleaner such as Woolite Spray Foam
S – Clean with a pure solvent such as Renuzit or Carbona
WS – Clean with either of the above methods
Mattresses
One of the most simple things you can do to keep your mattress in top condition is to flip and rotate the mattress monthly. Standing on and bending mattresses should be avoided, and sleeping sofas should be opened occasionally to allow them to air out.
If you need to clean a mattress, consult your mattress provider for the best methods depending on the kind of soiling that occurred. As a basic rule of thumb, the best way to clean a soiled mattress is to make a 50/50 water and white vinegar mixture. Spray the stain and blot it with a cloth. Once the stain lifts, sprinkle baking soda to soak up the moisture for an hour. Vacuum the baking soda and let your mattress continue to air out.
For All Types
It’s always good to be mindful of sunlight. Direct sunlight will fade anything over a period of time. Moisture is also damaging to so many different materials as well. The last thing you want is mold, rust, or warping. Try to keep your cleaning supplies as non-abrasive as possible so that you don’t damage the furniture in a way that it will need patched or refinished.
** Please note that everything in this guide is a general rule of thumb. Some manufacturers have specific recommendations for furniture care. Please refer to the maintenance instructions that came with your furniture or contact the company directly with questions. Please see our Basic Furniture Guide for more tips.