Can you think about living in a home without any furniture? Such living would be drab, insipid and characterless without a recluse. You don’t require to clutter the home with large amount of furniture that would make your home a furniture showroom. What you require is the furniture should be in just right of the room and it should complement with the look of the room. It should add character to the room along with other accessories and interior decorators should make a style statement. But it is nt enough to furnish the apartment with furniture, you also need to maintain it. Everything requires maintenance especially if yu want to add life to it and want them to look good. Your furniture is one of them. People take pride on their furniture especially when it looks unique. The antique furniture not only have aesthetic value but also have emotions attached to it. Let us say, that you have inherited rosewood antique furniture of 00 years that has been part and parcel of family for years. This is heirloom and if you don’t take care of it, you won’t eb able to pass to the next generation. Before you think about maintenance of the furniture understand the causes of its damage. Furniture is made from steel, wood, cane, bamboo or wicker, plastic or fiber or combination of different materials. There is also upholstered furniture. Knowing about the causes of damage, will make the cncept of furniture maintenance easy. Careful handling and proper use of furniture reduce the frequency of damage. Tigthen up the loose screws further reduce the chances of damage and further ensure that it retains its original shape. Dusting is important part of furniture maintenance. Cleaning, polishing and timely repairs will further help in upkeep of the furniture. A stich in time helps. This is so true for furniture also. Small cracks or breaks in furniture need to be attended otherwide you need to discard it.
Cleaning, polishing and timely repairs will keep your furniture in good shape and condition. A stitch in time saves nine, it is said. This is so true of furniture too. Minor cracks or breakages in furniture should be attended to swiftly; otherwise you may have to write it off.
Polished surfaces need to be cleaned carefully with proper solvent cleaning materials. Laminated surfaces can be cleaned with just plain filtered water (ordinary tap water may leave sediments on the surface) or mopped with a wet cloth. The same is true for metal furniture. Wood furniture would need to be waxed and polished, especially teak and rosewood.
Avoid too much wax though, as it could accumulate on the surface overtime and gather dirt unless polished well with no extra wax coat remaining on the surface. You may mop your wooden furniture with a wet cloth but avoid using too much water since wood will absorb the water and this could subsequently damage it. To clean rough edges or carved areas, use a tooth-brush that you no longer use. This will help dislodge dirt in these difficult areas.
Generally, it is easier to clean metal and fibre/plastic furniture. Caution: do not use acidic cleaning solutions if you are cleaning fibre/plastic or wooden furniture. Use recommended furniture cleaning solutions or a mild detergent solution suitable for it. Always do a test-run by using the cleaning solution on a small area which is normally not easily visible.
Use a light vacuum cleaner for upholstered furniture but do not use too much force in dusting it as it may damage the upholstery. Using a wet mop may sometimes stain the material if there is some coloured dirt on the surface.
To dust and clean wicker/cane or bamboo furniture it is better to use a brush to remove dust since the surface is not even and it has interstices between the slats. Never use water or wet mop to clean varnished surfaces. This is sure to erode the varnish and leave ugly patches.
Always use safety gear like gloves and masks when cleaning, especially if you are using paint thinners or some cleaning solutions that are acidic in nature. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Unless you are skilled, do not attempt to fix broken parts of your furniture. There are professional people who will be able to help. So don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. Regular routine maintenance will help to maintain your furniture in good condition for much longer period of time.
