| You've bought your first furniture set and now you | | | | included them here for your additional information, with |
| need to take care of it. A beautiful piece of furniture | | | | the relevant explanation of each. |
| will add definition to any home and lighten up the place, | | | | W - Vacuuming and light dusting are recommended. |
| but it also needs to be cleaned and taken care of | | | | Remember to use only water-based cleaners or foam |
| properly, otherwise you will have a dingy, tattered | | | | from mild detergents. |
| piece of furniture squatting in the middle of your living | | | | S - You can also vacuum or dust lightly. Use |
| room before you know it. | | | | water-free cleaning solvents or dry-cleaning solutions |
| Basically, you just have to remember two general rules | | | | for spot cleaning. Avoid using products with carbon |
| for cleaning upholstery. Loose dirt and stains are the | | | | tetrachloride. Use a soft cloth and clean the upholstery |
| two most common culprits in dirtying your furniture, so | | | | in a well-ventilated area. |
| learning how to deal with them will save you a lot of | | | | WS - This is quite easy, since you can practically use |
| time and money later in the future. Cleaning up loose | | | | any of the recommended methods above. When |
| dirt can easily be done by vacuuming or just brushing | | | | using a solvent or dry-cleaning product, be sure to do it |
| away the dirt. Remember to do this as soon as | | | | in a well-ventilated area. Avoid products with carbon |
| possible, though, before the dirt gets embedded in the | | | | tetrachloride. |
| fabric. Stains and spills can be dealt with by using a dry | | | | X - You must only clean your furniture by vacuuming |
| cloth to wipe them away and soak up the liquid. | | | | or light dusting. Avoid using liquid cleaning agents of any |
| But the best way to learn about proper cleaning of | | | | kind. Using water-based cleaners or solvents may |
| upholstery, however, is to first learn the cleaning codes. | | | | cause shrinking and/or damage the upholstery. |
| Each and every fabric has its own specialized cleaning | | | | Use the arm rest and headrest covers for your |
| method, so you have to know what they are. There | | | | furniture if you have them. They can prevent body oils |
| should be cleaning codes in one of the tags attached | | | | and other dirt from soiling your furniture. Flip over any |
| to your furniture, so try to look for them. If there are no | | | | removable cushions you have once a month to even |
| codes, you can always try spot-cleaning an | | | | out any wear and tear. It would be nice if you could |
| inconspicuous area of the furniture first, to test for | | | | give your furniture a thorough cleaning at least every |
| compatibility. There are four cleaning codes that are | | | | two to three months, to keep them looking fresh and |
| currently used by upholstery manufacturers. I have | | | | clean. |