General Care
- Vacuum regularly to remove dust and dirt by using an upholstery brush attachment.
- Take particular care when spraying household chemicals and products near upholstery. Applying non-commercial scented fabric fresheners, neutralizers and fabric protectors is never recommended.
- Applying market fabric protection, such as Scotch Guard, on your upholstery will offer a higher level of protection against stains, however, please note that doing so may void any warranty. Ensure that the third party used for sealing your fabric offers their own warranty on their fabric protection services.
- Professional cleaning is recommended every six to twelve months at a minimum. If your furniture is used every day, we recommend professional cleaning every 6 months.
- Always carefully lift furniture with two people when moving items around the home – never drag.
- Do not sit directly on arms of your upholstered items. Sitting on the armrest of a sofa, for example, will deform the foam on the couches and by doing so will void the statutory warranty.
- Keep your upholstered items away from heat sources.
- Keep pets and sharp objects away from your fabric.
- Use floor protectors on the bottom of furniture to minimise damage to floor coverings.
- Rotate seat and back cushions often to minimise wear on frequently used seats and prevent concentrated fading. Cushioning and fillings will show signs of wear and tear with normal use. This is not covered by warranty. Cushions may crease, foam and fillings will soften and form to the shape of the user over time.
Upholstery Fabric
- Pilling may occur on some fabrics. This is not considered a defect or fault, but a natural characteristic of woven fabric. It does not affect the durability or functionality of the fabric. Pills from fibre can be removed by using a pilling machine.
- To prevent bleeding of ink onto fabric, do not leave newspapers or other printed material lying on the upholstery. Light colour fabrics will be more susceptible to ink transfer from clothing items such as dark denim.
- No fabric, even those tested to industry requirements, is 100 percent colour-fast and it is impossible to prevent fading if the right precautions are not taken. Winter sun sitting low in the sky can have the largest impact, particularly when curtains are pulled back. However, any room with a lot of daylight can cause susceptible fabrics to fade. Keep fabric away from direct sunlight as this will prevent UV damage to your fabric and use curtains or blinds to protect your furniture.
- Attend to stains and spills as quickly as possible after the incident. Mop up any spilled liquid and scrape away any dirt, then clean as recommended for the type of stain and fabric. Be careful about over saturating fabrics, especially with water or detergent, as this can create watermarking or other stains. There’s also a big difference in the approach for oil and non oil-based stains.
- Some fabrics may naturally ‘creep’ or ‘slide’ over time and with use. Flipping your cushions will generally minimise this, however, sometimes it is necessary to unzip the cushion and pull or rub the fabric back into place.
- Linen fabrics are susceptible to wrinkling/creasing and will “relax” over time, which may cause puddling on seat cushions.
- Furniture cushion covers and slipcovers are not suitable for dryers.
Upholstery Cushions
All upholstery cushion inserts require regular and ongoing maintenance. The easiest method is to regularly ‘fluff and puff’ and, if possible, flip them. Swap cushions from one side of the sofa/chair to the other, or simply flip them in place where possible. Some fabrics may naturally ‘creep’ or ‘slide’ over time and with use. Flipping will minimise this, however, sometimes it is necessary to unzip the cushion and pull or rub the fabric back into place.
Full Feather Inserts
Feather-filled cushions, especially when used as base cushions, require weekly ‘fluffing and puffing’ and flipping.
If this is not done, they may lose their appearance and comfort level temporarily or sometimes permanently. These cushions may lose some feathers over time. This should be minimal and is referred to as leaching. Note that feather inserts can lose up to 10% of their feather fill over the period of use, this is a natural and unavoidable occurrence. It may be necessary, after many years of use and enjoyment, that the inserts are professionally re-filled.
Feather Wrap Inserts
Feather-filled ‘wraps’ or ‘feather layers’ have inserts filled with feather, or feather/fibre, wrapped around a polyurethane core. These cushions are lower maintenance but still require regular “fluffing” of the feather wrap. Note that feather wraps can lose up to 10% of their feather fill over the period of use, this is a natural and unavoidable occurrence. It may be necessary, after many years of use and enjoyment, that the inserts are professionally re-filled.
Fibre Filled Inserts
Fibre-filled cushions/seats require minimal maintenance.
Foam (Polyurethane) Inserts
Regular flipping and movement of polyurethane cushions is essential. Polyurethane inserts may soften by ten to fifteen percent over the life of the insert.