The best way to keep furniture looking nice over time starts in the buying process. You should always consider investing in high quality furniture covered in durable materials (look up, for example, the typical wear of leather vs microfiber). And whether you’re buying bedroom furniture or living room furniture, solid wood will almost always last longer than particleboard.
But if you’ve already bought your furniture, you can still try to maintain your furniture the best you can. Here are some general furniture maintenance tips you should keep in mind:
- Keep Shoes Off
Would you rub your furniture surfaces or upholstery on a city street? If not, then you’ll want to remove your shoes before relaxing on your furniture.
- Dust Correctly
Dusting with a dry cloth can cause scratching on wood, so it’s best to lightly spritz a rag with water or dusting spray before running it over any surfaces (never spray a dusting product directly on furniture). Dry dusting with a microfiber cloth is OK for leather.
- Don’t Overpolish
Using too much furniture polish in an attempt to get back a newly finished shine can actually create a dull, sticky surface. It’s better to occasionally use furniture wax, which is a bit trickier to use but lasts much longer.
- Vacuum Upholstery
One of the easiest ways to freshen up upholstery is to vacuum it every time or every other time you vacuum your carpets. Remove or lift cushions, using a crevice or upholstery tool to make sure no crumbs are left on the surface or in cracks.
- Constantly Rearrange
Since people are creatures of habit, it’s like you and your family gravitate toward the same spots every day. That means that one part of the couch, or one of several side chairs, will wear much faster than another. Move cushions and swap identical chairs on a regular basis to keep this from happening.
- Don’t Be Afraid of Tools
If you have solid wood furniture, you should be able to sand and re-stain (or paint) it several times over the years. If your furniture is a bit more modest, take a screwdriver or wrench to your assembled furniture every year or so to make sure everything is holding tight.
- Google Specific Questions
When in doubt, look online. This may be particularly helpful when you have a specific question, such as how to get crayon marks off of cotton or how to get wine stains out of a polyester cushion. Just use your common sense before following furniture maintenance tips found on the Internet; baking soda is a plausible suggestion, whereas sugar water obviously isn’t.
Do you have any other furniture maintenance tips to share? Join the discussion in the comments.