Furniture Care and Repair

Furniture for your home is a big investment, so you need to do all you can to look after it once you’ve unpacked it and set it up. The way you care for your furniture will have an impact on how long it lasts and how good it looks, so it makes sense to take the right precautions to avoid damage and the right actions if you need to repair it. Good furniture care and repair is essential if you want to get the most from your furniture.

Basic Rules for Furniture Care

You furniture will usually come with care instructions, which you should follow in order to keep it looking good for as long as possible. There are, however, some basic rules which you and your family can follow. No matter what furniture you have, whether it’s glass, wood, metal or plastic, these rules will help to extend the life of your furniture:

* Protect the surface – this rule applies mainly to tables, but also works for the top surfaces of any type of furniture. We often leave things on top of tables and the way we leave them or what we leave can cause lasting damage to the furniture. That’s why cups and glasses should always go on mats or coasters, car keys should go into a bowl or onto a mat and ornaments and flower vases should never be put straight onto the furniture. Water damage, heat damage and scratches are the most common types of harm done to furniture but they are easily avoided with just a little protection.

* Clean properly – make sure you use the right cleaning equipment for the furniture you have. Wooded furniture can be wiped over with a soft cloth – furniture polish can be used, but it’s not mandatory. Once or twice a year, polish your wood with furniture wax, which is easy to do and helps to bring out the beauty of your wood. For glass, chrome and plastics, follow the care instructions that come with your furniture, but never use abrasive cleaning solutions or materials and always wipe away spills as soon as they happen.

* The right repair – if your furniture gets chipped, scratched or damaged, get it repaired as soon as possible. Some repairs can be done by you at home as long as you have the right equipment and instructions. Larger repairs will need to be done by a professional, but will help your furniture to give you many more years of service.