Guide to: Taking Care of Your New Furniture

Timber Products

American Oak and American Walnut are robust hardwoods and provide structural strength to our furniture. On all of our timber products, we use a clear satin lacquer to provide a subtle sheen and enhance their natural characteristics.

DO:

• Regularly dust your timber furniture with a soft cloth (microfiber is best). Dust will not only dull the look of the lacquer but can also leave fine scratches if left to accumulate.
• When you first receive your furniture, and every 3-4 months thereafter, treat your new pieces to a quality polish. This helps maintain the luster of the finish and provides some protection as well. We recommend the Guardsman Clean and polish product for this purpose and use it regularly in-store on our display items. Always dust before polishing to prevent rubbing dust or dirt into the finish.
• Use only timber safe cleaning agents. Harsh chemicals and cleaners can discolour or damage the finish.
• Blot up spills immediately with a soft, slightly damp cloth. Dry the area thoroughly after cleaning.
• Use coasters, placemats and tablecloths when dining to protect your furniture.

DON’T:

• Place beverages directly onto the surface of your furniture. Cold beverages have a tendency to ‘sweat’ which can leave a ring or mark on the surface. Always use a coaster.
• Place hot serving dishes, coffee or tea cups, or plates directly onto the furniture. Heat can leave marks in much the same way moisture from cold beverages can. Always use placemats, coasters or tablecloths as needed to protect the surface.
• Allow spilled liquids or food to settle on the surface. Moisture from spilled drinks can absorb into the finish, causing damage. Always attend to these quickly with a soft, lightly damp cloth. Dry the area thoroughly after cleaning.
• Use a heavily soaked or wet sponge or cloth to clean the table. Timber likes gentle care, and spot cleaning as needed. If a lightly damp cloth is needed to remove dirt, dry the area thoroughly after cleaning with a soft cloth.
• Place timber furniture in direct sunlight, as this can cause fading.
• Place furniture directly next to heating or air conditioning vents.
• Don't use alcohol-based cleaners.

It’s important to remember that timber is a natural, organic product, despite being manufactured, and can continue to behave as an organic material throughout the life of the furniture. Over time, timber can move, develop cracks or imperfections, colour and surface irregularities, or shrink and expand. These are all normal and natural characteristics of solid timber, and what makes each piece crafted of these materials unique.

Fabric Upholstery

In our sofa and dining chair ranges, we use polyester upholstery. By nature, polyester is hardwearing and long lasting.

DO:

• When you first receive your sofa or chairs, treat the upholstery with a fabric protection spray to help prevent staining. These are designed to repel liquid and resist staining. We recommend the Guardsman Fabric Protection Spray for this purpose. Always spot test the fabric protector of your choice in a small area to ensure discolouration does not occur.
• Always blot spills immediately with a soft, lightly damp cloth. Never rub the spill as this will push the liquid into the fabric, increasing the likelihood of staining.
• Use only gentle cleaners designed for fabric upholstery. We recommend the two-step Fabric Care Kit for this purpose. Always spot test a new cleaning product in a small area to ensure discolouration doesn’t occur.
• Gently vacuum the upholstery as part of your regular housekeeping.
• Use only gentle cleaners designed for fabric upholstery. Always spot test a new cleaning product in a small area to ensure discolouration doesn’t occur.

DON’T:

• Place items in direct sunlight if possible, as this can cause fading.
• Rub spilled liquids as this promotes absorption into the upholstery, and staining.
• Allow spilled liquids to settle into or absorb into the upholstery. Always attend to them quickly to prevent staining.
• Use harsh cleaning agents or chemicals as they can discolour or stain upholstery.

When your upholstered product is made, the fabric used is fresh from manufacture and may contain stray fibres or threads within the weave of the fabric. Through use, these can gather and become visible in what are referred to as “pills.” This is a normal characteristic of new fabric upholstery, and with the use of a pill remover, should lessen over time as the stray fibres in the fabric are removed.

Leather

Leather is a classic and durable option for upholstery. We use top grain leathers for their softness, handsome appearance and longevity.

DO:

• When you first receive your dining chairs with leather upholstery, we recommend using a protection cream to prevent staining and to keep the material supple. Many protection creams also moisturise the leather, which helps prevent the material from drying out and prematurely wearing. We recommend the Guardsman Leather Care product for this purpose. Re-treat with a suitable protection cream or moisturiser every 3-4 months.
• Regularly dust the leather with a soft, lightly damp cloth.
• Attend to spills quickly to prevent staining and absorbing into the material.
• If needed, use only leather-specific cleaners that are designed to be gentle to the material.

DON’T:

• Above all else, do not use products designed for leather shoes (such as shoe polishes) on your upholstery. These will almost certainly discolour the material and can leave stains on clothes.
• Allow spills and moisture to settle on the material. Always quickly attend to them to prevent staining.

Wear and Tear

Our range is well constructed and designed to last. Through the life of any piece of furniture, some amount of wear and tear is unavoidable. We like to think that this adds character and tells the story of how your furniture was tied in with your own.

Rugs FAQ

Our beautiful handcrafted collection of natural fibre rugs are now available with FREE DELIVERY! Learn more about How To Choose The Perfect Rug and use our Rug Placement when selecting a rug size that best fits your space. Take a look at our Rug Care guide and if you have any more questions or head over to our Rug FAQs.

Need some advice?

If you’re not sure what products to use to care for your furniture, or you have any questions about how to make sure your furniture looks its best, please Contact us and ask our Customer Care team for a recommendation:

• Email:   CustomerCare@IconByDesign.com.au
• Phone:   1300 715 719