Fabric Care

While you can't anticipate the guest who will spill his or her beverage or the child who will drip ice cream on your living room sofa, there are some basic upholstery care tips that will keep your furniture looking new longer:

• Vacuum your upholstered furniture weekly, using a furniture brush and the extension that enables you to reach into corners for crumbs and dust.
• Direct sunlight will fade your upholstery, especially if you are using dark or natural fiber fabrics; so keep the furniture out of the direct rays.
• Rearrange the furniture in your room from time to time, so that constant use won't wear out one piece of furniture much more quickly than the others in the room.
• Turn cushions and pillows around on a weekly basis to extend the life of the fabric.
• Move houseplants and flowers away from contact with upholstery fabrics.
• If you plan to paint, refinish that antique table, or put on nail polish, be smart and cover your upholstered furniture to protect from spills.
• Before you try to remove a stain or soil from your upholstery, you should determine the type of fabric involved. (You'll find the code on the deck label. If not, call the store you bought it from.) These codes indicate the type of fabric involved and suggest the best methods of cleaning and spot removal.

Caution

Never remove cushion covers for separate dry cleaning or laundering. Do not use bleach, any tumble method cleaning service as this may destroy the backing of the fabric, shrink, or otherwise damage the upholstery fabric.

Consumer Alert

Keep your furniture and family safe from fires caused by careless smoking. Do not smoke when lying down or drowsy. Always check the furniture where smokers have been sitting for improperly discarded smoking materials. Ashes and lighted cigarettes can fall unnoticed behind or between cushions or under furniture. Do not place or leave ashtrays on the arms of chairs where they can be knocked off. Remove immediately any glowing ember or lighted cigarette that has fallen on furniture. Smoldering smoking materials can cause upholstered furniture fires.