Furniture Care Tips

Buying furniture can mean spending a substantial amount of money; it’s generally hard earned so when you choose your piece of furniture, you want to be satisfied that it will last an acceptable length of time. Whether you’ve bought a leather sofa or a fabric armchair and sofa, there are certain things you can do to ensure the longevity of the furniture.

Leather Care

Leather furniture adds a certain class to your home. It’s sleek, stylish, comfortable and while it is durable, it will last even longer and look better if you take the time to care for it. You need to be mindful with how and what you use to clean your leather as harsh household cleaners can cause instant and irreparable damage.

Steps to Cleaning Leather

• Vacuum the sofa or armchair clean of all dirt and dust using a soft brush attachment. Be sure to reach into all the crevices and corners to get all the grime out before you use your cleaning solution.
• Mix equal parts water with white vinegar in a bowl.
• Using a microfibre cloth, dip into the solution causing the cloth to be totally wet then wring it out fully to leave it just damp.
• Working from the top of the sofa down, wipe the entire sofa including the back. Dip the cloth back into the solution when you need to top it up.
• Dry the sofa using a clean towel.
• To condition the sofa, you can make a solution which you’ll need to leave overnight so best to do this well in advance if you have guests coming etc. Mix one part white vinegar with two parts flaxseed oil and rub into the leather and leave for the night.
• The following day, use an old rag to wipe it down and you will see instant shine.

We also offer an easy-to-use specialist leather care kit for sale in all of our stores which our sales assistants will be happy to advise you on best use for your particular leather furniture item.

Dealing With Stains on Leather

• To remove mould and mildew, clean the area in question with a combination of equal parts of water and rubbing alcohol (you should be able to get this in most chemists).
• Spray hairspray on permanent marker stains and they should wipe away.
• Ballpoint pen stains can be removed by using eucalyptus oil (you’ll find in a health shop) or by using rubbing alcohol. Dip a cotton swab into either liquid and rub it on the stain.
• For dark coloured stains on a light coloured leather couch, create a paste combining one part of lemon juice and one part cream of tartar and leave to stand for 10 minutes (test a small area at the back of the sofa first to ensure no adverse impact to the material). Using a small amount of this paste, rub it gently on the affected area. Finally, wipe it off with a damp sponge.
• If you have grease stains on your leather, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on the affected area and brush it off after a few hours. Baking soda will absorb the oil and leave your sofa clean.

Fabric Care

Some people might be put off buying lighter coloured fabric furniture because they fear the stain possibilities. You might have young children and you think that there’s no point in having a light coloured fabric sofa or chair because with kids generally comes mess. That might be true but the quality of fabric furniture has today come a long way; higher grade materials mean that fabric is more durable to stains and frequent use. While it is important to try to clean up any stains that occur as quick as possible, that might not always be what happens in reality. It’s also important to note that most fabric furniture comes with cleaning instructions or a cleaning code guide (see image for code explanation) which will tell you what you can and cannot use. You will usually find these cleaning tags under the cushions or on the sofa platform.

If your sofa or chair doesn’t appear to have any cleaning code tag, test the stained area carefully with water first. It’s also a good idea to regularly vacuum your sofa and chairs ensuring to remove cushions and vacuum there as you go to prevent grime build up. Baking soda is a fantastic store cupboard product which is greatly beneficial for removal of odours from fabric as it neutralises them. This would be highly useful if for example, you have a dog who likes to cosy up on the sofa. Simply sprinkle a layer of baking soda all over the fabric and leave overnight and vacuum off (best done with a brush attachment).

Useful Homemade Cleaning Solution

If your sofa doesn’t appear to have cleaning codes, you can create this easy solution which will work wonders on your fabric. It’s vitally important to test one area first - perhaps the back of the couch to ensure it doesn’t cause discolouration to your fabric. Once you’ve established that it’s ok to proceed, this is a fantastic all round cleaning solution which can also be used on carpets!

You’ll Need:

• A dish/large bowl
• 1 teaspoon dish washing liquid
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 250ml warm water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Clean absorbent towel/face-cloth

Mix all the required items in a dish/large baking bowl and dip the cloth into the solution; you can use on individual stains (dab, don’t rub) or you can use the solution to give your whole sofa a deep clean. Good luck with your cleaning jobs; if you need cleaning advice on any furniture purchased in EZ Living, don’t hesitate to get in touch or ask any of our store assistants!

Disclaimer - Before attempting any of the above, it is important to test any cleaning solution on a small area of leather / fabric underneath your sofa or on another unnoticeable area. Apply and follow the processes as outlined above to the “test” area. If the results are to your satisfaction, only then apply to the whole sofa or chair. EZ Living will not be held responsible for any issues arising out of cleaning. The above is a guideline and you should get advice from the sofa retailer that you purchased your sofa from prior to any cleaning efforts.