Furniture is an investment, so protect your investment by keeping it in great shape. Upholstered furniture, especially, needs careful handling to avoid wear and tear, gathering dust, and the salt stains we see often in the winter.

Give your upholstered furniture a longer life by taking care of it with these maintenance tips:

Remove dust

While vacuuming is often reserved for winter carpet care, it’s an effective tool for upholstered furniture, too, removing dust and dirt that can wear away the fabric. Using a clean, dry bristle attachment will help to remove any dirt and debris that could shorten your furniture’s life.

Often, furniture cleaning is limited to when it looks dirty, but dirt, germs, and bacteria that you don’t see can settle into the furniture, causing disclouration and stains. Set up a schedule to vacuum your upholstery when you do your floors to include it as part of your regular maintenance.

Take care of spills

Accidents happen, and you want to address a stain quickly. Use the manufacturer’s instructions and fabric cleaning code for specific cleaning information. If you see a “w,” it means you can use water to take care of the stain or remove the cushions to wash them in a machine.

The letter “s” means you need to use a non-water-based solvent, like alcohol, to address the stain. In this case, you should spray it lightly and then blot it with something clean and dry to remove the mark.

The letter “x” means that neither is allowed, so in this case, consulting a professional is your best bet.

Practice prevention

If your furniture did not come with a pre-treated fabric protector, consider applying one yourself. Typically, these treatments are inexpensive, involving a simple spray application that protects your furniture by repelling stains and keeping odour out.

Make sure that the spray you choose is right for your furniture type and follow the directions to keep your fabric protected for the length of its life.

Avoid the sun

Sun exposure can cause discolouration in your fabric. Wherever possible, keep furniture out of direct sunlight, or ad window treatments or blinds to protect your furniture.

Rotate cushions

Wear and tear can also look like uneven sagging in your cushions. Preserve their plumpness by rotating and flipping them. This will keep them looking fluffy, keep them out of the sun for too long, and will extend the life of your cushions.

With the proper cleaning and maintenance plan, you can successfully extend the life of your upholstered furniture, protect your investment, and leave a lasting impression on employees and visitors.