Furniture is a costly purchase. In fact, a room of furniture can set you back thousands of dollars. After the purchase of a home, and the purchase of a car, your home’s furniture can be the most expensive purchase you make. When you spend a lot of money on your home furniture, you want it to last as long as possible. There are ways that you can make sure your furniture lasts as long as possible.
What Your Furniture Is Made Of
Your home furnishings are made of several different materials. Nearly all home furnishings begin with a wooden frame or a wooden base. Then batting, which is usually made of cotton, is wrapped around the wooden base to make it more comfortable. There are also pads or cushions for a couch or a chair, made of foam or gel. Then your furniture is covered with cloth. Usually, you won’t need to worry about what is underneath the cloth, it is the cloth itself than can get dirty, fade or be torn. The older your furniture is, the more likely it is to not look as good as it once did.
How Can I Keep My Furniture Looking Great?
One of the first things you need to do is protect your furniture from the sun’s harmful rays. Over time, sunlight through the windows of your home can cause your furniture’s cloth coverings to fade. If you are worried about your furniture fading, there are ways you can keep your furniture looking great. First, be sure that you are blocking the light from your windows during the hottest part of the day, when the sun is shining directly on your furniture. You can use curtains, blinds, or shades to keep the sunlight off your furniture. This will keep your furniture from fading, and your house will be cooler during the summer as well.
Cleaning Helps Keep Everything Looking Its Best
Another idea for helping your furniture last longer is to clean it. Cleaning helps your furniture last a long time as well. Before you clean your couch or your chair, you need to check the materials it’s made of. Some materials are easier to clean. You need to look at the tag on the furniture or your invoice. Many couches, loveseats, and chairs have stain resistant fabric, or have been treated to make them stain resistant. If your furniture is stain resistant, you can clean it by using a mixture of white vinegar and water. Use a microfiber cloth to clean the area, and another microfiber cloth to dry it. If your furniture is not stain resistant, there are all kinds of products you can use to clean furniture, such as stain remover and cloth cleaners. You can also have the cushions dry cleaned as well, to keep them fresh and new looking.
Ground Rules Can Make All the Difference
If you have small children, the best way to keep your furniture clean and new looking is to lay down some ground rules. You may want to ban eating and drinking in the living room or den. You may also want to have your partner or older children keep food and drink in the kitchen as well. By limiting food and drink to the kitchen, it reduces the chance your furniture will become stained or worn.
Speaking of rules, you may also want to make a rule about footwear on the furniture as well. Dirt and scuff marks can mar or damage furniture. Many people have a mudroom or entry wall, where friends and family members take their shoes off before entering the house. Usually, cubbies or shoe trees are there to use. If you require that shoes have to be off, there’s much less chance of your living room or den furniture getting damaged.
Finally, you need to move your furniture around from time to time. Moving your furniture around carefully not only helps to save your floors, and protect your rugs, but it also helps protect your furniture. For example, if you have your favorite couch close to the wall and the nearest window, moving your couch somewhere else helps to protect your couch. You may also want to put down cushions on the feet of your chairs, loveseats, and couches. You will be able to move your furniture more easily.
Your furniture represents an important investment. You will want to be careful with it, keep it out of the sun, and move it periodically. Limit food and drink on the couch, and be sure that shoes are off before someone sits down. By following these important tips, you’ll be able to keep your furniture around for years to come.
