A beauty routine for your furniture
Date: 5/7/2012
May 7, 2012(Family Features) — You nurture, protect and care for the things you love. And, your furniture should be no exception. Whether it's a family heirloom or a brand new piece, everyone has furniture they love that should be cared for in the same way as they would personally care for themselves. Caring for home furnishings is more than dusting or giving an occasional polish; rather, it's about nourishing, revitalizing and bringing out furniture's inner beauty.
In a recent survey conducted by TheNest.com, nine out of 10 women say they have either a basic or no understanding of how to care for their furniture. And nearly half (44.7 percent) of respondents think about cleaning only when it's time to entertain — which means most furnishings are not properly taken care of on a regular basis.
To help educate people and get them to rethink traditional furniture cleaning, Guardsman, a furniture care pioneer for nearly 100 years, and TV design star Tracy Hutson, have teamed up to introduce furniture's new beauty routine. This new furniture therapy mirrors beauty care regimes like sunscreen and concealers, and includes cleansing, polishing and, of course, covering those tiny imperfections.
"You wouldn't just clean your face only when you have company coming over, or skip applying your anti-aging creams because you don't see a wrinkle on your face," said Hutson. An easy-to-follow furniture beauty routine will help revitalize, protect and restore your furniture:
Wood care- Dust — Use a non-scratch cloth to lightly remove dust once a week. Always wipe the cloth in the same direction of the wood grain.
- Clean — Use a for-wood-only cleanser once a month. If it's a frequently used piece that tends to attract spills, such as a kitchen table, clean weekly. Spray the cleanser onto a cotton cloth to help prevent spotting. Wipe in the direction of the wood grain.
- Polish — Enhance and maintain wood's natural luster by polishing it twice a month. Use a no-wax, no-silicone product to restore natural radiance, free from greasy film and fingerprints.
Additional special care for wood- Moisturize — Oiled wood furniture needs to be moisturized weekly to protect from water stains, replenish lost oils and prevent cracking and fading from sun damage. Hutson recommends Guardsman Revitalizing Lemon Oil.
- Repair Damage — Always keep touch-up products handy to cover up scratches and minor blemishes.
Fabric upholstery care- Proactively Protect — Spray fabric with a fabric protector that repels moisture and helps prevent food and beverage stains from bonding permanently to fibers. For the best protection, spray fabric after any professional cleaning, and reapply after any spills are cleaned and dried.
- Fight Stains — Stain fighting products, such as the Guardsman Fabric First Aid Stain Remover Kit, can help rescue upholstered furniture from the toughest, dried spills. Always start from the edges to prevent the stain from spreading. Blot spills as soon as they occur, but don't rub aggressively.
Leather care- Dust — Weekly dusting with a nonabrasive cloth prevents dull build up and maintains luster.
- Clean — Once a month, use a cleaner to remove invisible oils, dirt and grime.
- Protect — Guard leather against moisture, body oils and stains with a leather protecting product, such as Guardsman Leather Protector.
Hutson says, "Beyond just cleaning, we need to protect and care for our furniture in the same way we take care of ourselves, so that our furniture can look its best and last for years." Learn more about caring for your furniture at www.guardsman.com. Courtesy of Family Features
