Wondering How to Clean Your Furniture? Here’s What You Need to Know

5 min readSep 30, 2020

With nice furniture comes great responsibility… at least if you want your furniture to last. Whether you’re renting furniture or you’ve decided to buy your own pieces, furniture items are investment pieces that you want to last. So if you’ve spilled some liquid on your sofa, are wondering how to clean your rug, or just want to make sure all your pieces are well maintained, check out our guide on how to keep your furniture in good condition.

1. Fabric and Upholstery

Vacuum fabric covered furniture such as sofas, chairs, rugs, and beds regularly. We suggest using the small nozzle attachment to get into the little crevices
Avoid placing fabric covered furniture directly under sunlight, as fabrics will fade over time, especially under continued heat
Flip cushions, pillows, mattresses, and rugs regularly to distribute wear evenly. While you’re at it, you can also smoothen the fabric to avoid wrinkling and creasing
Try not to use sharp objects around fabric covered furniture. Think knives, scissors, and even writing materials. No one wants to have to clean up an ink stain!
Blot (not wipe or scrub!) all spills immediately. You can get an absorbent towel or piece of tissue. We suggest blotting from the outside then moving in to avoid the stain growing larger
Be careful with cleaning agents as some chemicals can actually cause damage and stain fabric. You can always do a spot check first — find a concealed area and test it out before you apply it to the main stain.

2. Wood

Avoid putting extremely hot and cold items on wooden furniture, as this may warp the surface. You can use coasters, placemats, tablecloths, and hot pads when eating or drinking on wooden surfaces as an extra layer of protection
Regularly wipe down wooden surfaces with a clean, dry cloth
Wipe up spills immediately and avoid using soaps with harsh chemicals
To sanitize or deep-clean wooden surfaces, you can use lukewarm water and some mild detergent. Just make sure not to soak your wooden surfaces for long periods of time, if at all
After using water to clean wooden surfaces, make sure to always wipe it down with a clean, dry cloth
Keep your wooden furniture out of the sunlight if possible, as lengthy exposure to direct sunlight can cause wood to spot and change color. If this can’t be helped, you can always consider using a tablecloth or table runner to protect the surface of the wood from the sun

3. Leather

Keep your leather furniture out of direct sunlight and at least 30m from sources of heat as this causes leather to dry and crack
Vacuum leather covered furniture such as sofas and chairs regularly. We suggest using the small nozzle attachment to get into the little crevices
Regularly wipe down leather surfaces with a clean, dry cloth
Avoid soaking leather in water and abrasive cleaners, even for cleaning purposes. We recommend investing in a leather specific cleaner for emergency spills instead and maybe even a leather conditioner to be applied once or twice a year to help the leather keep its shine
For scratches on leather surfaces, you can try using a clean finger to gently buff them
For stubborn stains, we recommend hiring a professional leather cleaner or taking it to a professional for maintenance

4. Velvet

Vacuum velvet covered furniture such as sofas and chairs regularly. We suggest using the small nozzle attachment to get into the little crevices
To help velvet retain its immaculate look, you can use a steamer to help straighten out wrinkles and creases
If the creases aren’t that evident, you can also simply smoothen out the velvet fabric with your hands
Try not to use sharp objects around fabric covered furniture. Think knives, scissors, and even writing materials. No one wants to have to clean up an ink stain!
Blot (not wipe or scrub!) all spills immediately. You can get an absorbent towel or piece of tissue. We suggest blotting from the outside then moving in to avoid the stain growing larger
Be careful with cleaning agents as some chemicals can actually cause damage and stain velvet. You can always do a spot check first — find a concealed area and test it out before you apply it to the main stain

5. Glass

Use a damp cloth and some mild detergent when regularly cleaning glass surfaces
Avoid using brute force when handling or placing other items on top of glass surfaces

6. Marble

Immediately wipe up spills using a soft cloth
Avoid using acid-based(e.g. lemon, vinegar) cleaning products as marble is a highly porous and sensitive material. You can use mild cleaning agents or simply water for cleaning purposes

If you’ve read everything on our ultimate furniture care guide, you might be a bit overwhelmed. But don’t worry, this might seem long, but everything is pretty simple. Don’t stress out too much and just focus on treating your furniture pieces with care. Because when you treat your high quality pieces well, you’ll be rewarded with their stylish durability for years.

Originally published at https://foerni.com on September 30, 2020.