Fabric Care

Looking after your furniture will maintain the appearance and life of your piece. As all furniture can play an important part of the look and style of your home it is important to understand your upholstery and how to care for your furniture.

The most common problem with upholstery is stains and discolouration. Before attempting to remove a stain from your furniture, it is helpful to know what type of fabric the furniture is covered with.

Different upholstery requires different methods when trying to remove or minimise stains and discolouration in the fabric. It is important to understand as much as you can about your selected fabric, make sure you discuss in detail information about your fabric with our sales staff to understand clearly the features of your piece.
Once you understand the type of upholstery you have purchased there are a number of ways of attempting stain removal. Always test any stain removal method in an inconspicuous area before you start other areas.

Regular maintenance

• Always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions and only use products they recommend.
• Plump and turn cushions daily. Over time some fillings, including fibre, will lose up to 20% of their original volume through normal wear and tear. Daily plumping will help make them last longer.
• Use the upholstery or drape attachment to vacuum your furniture weekly and reduce the abrasive effect of dust and crumbs.

• Brushing fabric covers can damage the pile and affect its feel and durability.
• Fixed cover fabric suites should be professionally cleaned at least once a year.
• Clean all covers on your suite at the same time to prevent colour variations. Machine washing is not recommended. Do not remove cushion covers for separate cleaning or machine washing even though they may have zippers.
• If you spill something, blot up the excess immediately. Do not use detergents or rub as you could cause permanent damage. If you have purchased leather protection, contact them right away and they will advise on what to do. Often it requires professional cleaning to rectify the matter.
• If you have any doubts about how to care for your furniture and can’t find your instructions from the manufacturer, phone your local store for help.

Making it last

• Do not have your furniture too close to direct heat or air conditioning. It can cause joints to dry out and squeaks and creaks to develop.
• Do not sit on the arms or allow children to jump on your suite. It will shorten the life span of your furniture dramatically.
• Remember light affects the colour of fabrics and leather. Over exposure to sunlight will cause your furniture to fade.
• Don’t pull loose threads, you could cause a hole. Trim them off neatly with sharp scissors.
• Open and close recliner mechanisms with care. Ensure small children do not swing on them or operate them incorrectly.
• Rather than have a ‘favourite seat’, use your whole suite equally. This will keep your furniture looking the same all over and aging as one.
• Over time, perspiration and natural oils from our skins and hair can have an affect on the finish. Where hands, bare arms or heads rest on the fabric, wipe over regularly with a slightly damp cotton cloth and a recommended leather cleaning product. Do the same with any areas where pets may have rubbed against your furniture.
• Heavy perspiration can also affect the long term durability of fabric suites. We strongly recommend you use arm caps and, if necessary, antimacassars to protect your furniture.
• Do not leave newspapers lying on your suite. Ink can stain the cover permanently.
• Do not sit on light coloured suites, in particular pale leathers, wearing denim jeans or non colour-fast dark clothing. The dye can transfer on to your furniture & cause perm. discoloration.
• Pilling can occur occasionally as a result of normal wear and should not be considered as a fault. Fibre pills can be removed by a pilling machine available from most haberdashery stores.

*Whilst we happily offer product care and advice, the final outcome is the sole responsibility of the owner. Focus On Furniture will not accept any responsibility for the outcome of any advice followed by these guidelines and subsequent result.