Keeping Your Furniture Looking Fresh and New – Without the Plastic Covers

Unless you still cover your furniture with clear plastic covers (we don’t recommend it!), the day will come when your upholstery starts to age. It just happens. The good news, though, is there are things you can do to extend the life and appearance of your upholstered pieces.

1. 1. Soil, dirt and dust can settle into textiles and wear them down gradually, so it’s a good idea to vacuum your cushions and upholstered surfaces regularly. Every week is generally a good rule of thumb. Delicate pieces and those not used very often can be vacuumed less often – about every 90 days.
2. 2. While you’re vacuuming, remember to rotate cushions. Many sofa cushions are reversible and can sometimes even be repositioned on the sofa as well as just being flipped. Doing so allows the wear to be spread evenly, and you can avoid deep divots in the furniture.
3. 3. Pet hair acts the same as dust and dirt and can wear out upholstery over time. If you allow pets on the furniture, make sure you remove pet hair and dander with a lint brush or rubber dish glove.
4. 4. Watch where you position your furniture in a sunny room or make sure to close blinds, as damaging sun rays can affect the textile quality of your upholstery and fade color over time.
5. 5. As soon as you buy a new furniture piece, do some research on preventative products that are safe to use on the fabric you have selected (such as Scotchguard™). Once you have found the right product, pre-treat your furniture to prevent stains after spills.
6. 6. Have upholstery professionally cleaned periodically. This will tighten fibers, remove lingering dust, dirt and mites, and refresh the appearance of broken-in furniture.