When it comes to household maintenance, furniture care is probably not high on anyone’s list of priorities. Few things can ruin the look of a home like poorly maintained furniture, so it’s important to care for it.
1. Slip Covers
Most adults remember the clear plastic covers that usually graced our grandparent’s couch. It creaked and groaned whenever someone sat down, and in the heat of the summer it usually stuck to the back of our legs. While we hated it, our grandmothers loved it. It kept the couch clean, stain free, and protected it from the intense sun.
These days slipcovers are much more decorative and come in a variety of colors. However, they still serve the same purpose and are necessary for those with high traffic households. Slipcovers are machine washable and can extend the life of your furniture fabric by years.
2. Clean and Polish the Furniture
Cleaning and polishing your furniture is important for maintaining its look and life. This is particularly true if you have wooden or metal tables and other furniture. While light cleaning should be a weekly event, light polishing should happen every month or so depending upon traffic of the home.
3. Annual Upholstery Cleaning
Even with slipcovers, the couch might require some steaming to get out body and pet odors. To ensure fabric safety, upholstery cleaning should always be done by a professional. Attempting to clean upholstery yourself can lead to disaster and require the replacement of the couch altogether.
4. Rearrange your Furniture
We all have a favorite chair we tend to gravitate too , and our uneven use causes uneven wear patterns. To help prevent this, flip and rotate cushions while periodically rearranging the furniture.
5. Watch out for Bed Bugs
Contrary to their name, bed bugs will inhabit any furniture in the house. While most commonly found in the bed, they do favor couches and arm chairs as well. There are many reputable companies, and all it takes is a simple Google search for “Modesto California bed bug extermination” to find help with bed bugs.
6. Use a Fabric Protector
When it comes to a spray on fabric protector the only two words to remember are scotch guard. Spray-on fabric protectors, like scotch guard, protects upholstery from spills, stains, as well as odors, and it should be reapplied every year or as directed by the manufacturer’s instructions.
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