Care & Cleaning

How to Care & Clean Your Furnishings

Now that you’ve invited into your home, you’ll want to enjoy the furnishings for years to come. To ensure that you do, we encourage you to follow through with proper care and cleaning. This useful guide covers all types of furniture—from upholstered to painted—and mattresses and rugs.

Fabric Upholstered Furniture

We offer countless options in upholstery—from fine leather and skillfully matched manmade alternatives (faux leather), to cotton, nylon, polyester, rayon and wool blends. For your reference, our upholstered products have a tag either under one of the seat cushions or beneath the unit itself. The tag provides a universal cleaning code indicating best cleaning practices.

Universal Cleaning Codes Include:

DC:	Dry Clean Only
E:	Use the Millennium Leather Care Kit
N:	Use the Millennium Leather Care Kit
N FBR:	(Natural Fiber Rugs) Immediately blot spills to remove excess liquid with a clean white cloth or plain paper towel. Blot again with a solution of one teaspoon mild detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in a quart of warm water. Do not saturate.
S:	Clean only with a dry cleaning solvent. Do not saturate. Do not use water. Pile fabrics may require brushing to restore appearance. Cushion covers should not be removed and dry cleaned.
SW:	Spot clean with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild detergent or a mild dry cleaning solvent. Do not saturate with liquid. Pile fabrics may require brushing to restore appearance. Cushion covers should not be removed and dry cleaned.
W:	Clean only with water-based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner. Do not over wet. Do not use solvents to spot clean. Pile fabrics may require brushing to restore appearance. Cushion covers should not be removed and dry cleaned.
WS:	Spot clean with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild detergent or a mild dry cleaning solvent. Do not saturate with liquid. Pile fabrics may require brushing to restore appearance. Cushion covers should not be removed and dry cleaned.
X:	Do not clean with either water or solvent-based cleaner. Use vacuuming or light brushing only.
Wool:	Blot spills up immediately with a clean white cloth or plain paper towel.

Leather Upholstered Furniture

Leather isn’t perfect and that’s the beauty of it. All leather or “genuine” leather has natural markings, including variations of shade and tone, as well as nicks, scratches and wrinkles—characteristics that distinguish it from manmade materials. Expect that some marks will appear on the surface of your leather. Such “imperfections” are your assurance that you have a true leather hide. Also keep in mind, grain patterns and coloring of leather will vary from hide to hide and also within the same hide, making leather all the more interesting and unique.

How to Care for Leather:

• Dust often and use a vacuum cleaner crevice tool to clean seams.
• Clean weekly using a damp sponge or soft, lint-free cloth. Do not rub; instead, wipe gently.
• Do not use or place sharp objects on leather goods. Leather is very durable; however, it is not accident or damage proof.
• Keep leather furniture out of direct sunlight and at least two feet from heat sources to avoid fading and cracking.
• Do not use abrasives; harsh chemicals; saddle soap; leather cleaners that contain any oils, soaps or detergents; or common household cleaners on leather furniture. Only use recommended leather cleaners.
• Follow instructions for any gentle leather cleaner you might use. Before using any cleaning/conditioning product on leather, test it in an obscure area.
• Improper cleaning may void your leather furniture warranty.

How to Remove Spots, Spills and Stains from Leather:

• Water Spots: A water spot can be removed by wiping the entire area seam to seam with a damp cloth so there is no “demarcation point” on the leather.
• Pet Urine Stains: We recommend “Natures Miracle" available in pet stores for removing pet urine stains. Follow product directions.
• Ink Stains: Ink remover sticks are effective in removing or reducing noticeable ink markings.
• Oil/Food Grease Stains: Rub corn starch briskly into the stain. Repeat until the stain is gone.
• Water Stains: Soak a new sponge with room temperature water; wring it out as much as possible. Starting at the spot, dampen the leather and move the sponge to the edges of the cushion.

Wood Furniture

Whether you have an all-wood piece of furniture or a furnishing made of a mix of wood, manmade wood and wood veneer, you want to protect it from damage and maintain its finish for years to come.

How to Care for Wood Furniture:

• Use a lint-free cloth to polish wood furniture on a weekly basis.
• Keep furniture away from heating and air conditioning sources and avoid direct sunlight.
• Use felt backing on lamps and other accessories to prevent scratches.
• Use placemats, hot pads, and coasters.
• Do not place newspapers or magazines on woods surfaces.
• Do not use abrasives or harsh chemicals on wood furniture.
• Should you scratch your furniture: Touch up crayons and markers are available at local hardware and home improvement stores.

How to Spot Clean Wood Furniture:

• To remove food stains: Wipe up the spill immediately. Polish with a soft, clean cloth.
• To remove cloudiness: Rub surface with cloth dipped in a solution of one tablespoon of vinegar mixed with one quart of water. Follow with an application of furniture oil or polish.
• To remove water rings: Rub with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and cooking oil.
• To remove candle wax or chewing gum: Hold an ice cube over the wax or gum. Gently scrape away the remainder using the dull edge of a table knife.

Glass Furniture

Nothing opens up a room like the beauty and transparency of glass. A few simple steps can clearly go a long way.

How to Care for Glass Furniture:

• Do not slide rough objects across glass.
• Do not use abrasive cleaners on glass.
• Do not clean glass without gently removing excessive dirt and debris first.
• To clean glass, choose a non-abrasive commercial glass cleaner, or use warm water and a soft, lint-free cloth.

Metal Furniture

Whether to inject a rustic element or give a piece of furniture a modern, industrial flair, we incorporate metal in our furniture in so many ways. Much of the metal you’ll find is powder-coated, resulting in a smooth, even surface.

How to Care and Clean Metal Furniture:

• Simply dusting regularly with a clean, dry cloth will generally do the trick.
• Do not use harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners on metal finishes.
• Note: iron or steel frames can rust if furniture is exposed to excessive humidity, particularly in saltwater locations.

Painted Furniture

Colorful and unique, hand-painted furniture is a great way to express your individual style. It’s important to place these furnishings out of direct sunlight so the color and vibrancy of the painted finish remains fresh and crisp.

How to Care and Clean Painted Furniture:

• Dust or wipe clean with a cloth dampened with water once a week. Be sure not to leave water spots on the surface.
• Do not use harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners on painted finishes.
• To clean stains: Dampen a soft cloth with a mixture of hot water and liquid dishwashing detergent. Rub the surface lightly in a circular motion. Dry the surface immediately.

Marble, Slate and Natural Stone Furniture

Natural stone such as marble and slate brings an earthy, organic element into a space. They’re universally loved for their one-of-a-kind quality. Stone surfaces will have pits and fissures that appear as cracks. These characteristics do not impair function or durability; rather they add to the beauty.

How to Care for Marble & Slate:

• For general cleaning: dip sponge or clean cloth into warm water with a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid; wring out and immediately dry the surface.
• Use coasters under glasses and placemats under china or other objects that may scratch the stone.
• Do not use vinegar, bleach, lemon, ammonia, general-purpose cleaners, or abrasive cleaning agents.
• Don’t leave pools of water on marble surface.
• Professional refinishing is recommended to remove etch marks.

How to Spot Clean Marble, Stone:

• Liquid Spills: Blot away the excess liquid with a clean, dry, white cloth. Spray the area with a marble cleaner or warm water and wipe.
• Food Spills: Remove food with a non-abrasive item. Blot with a dry, white cloth. Spray the area with a marble cleaner and wipe.

Rugs

How to care for your rug? That depends on what it’s made of. Some rugs are fine to spot clean. Others, such as our polypropylene or wool rugs, should be dry cleaned only. Please check the cleaning instructions on the corner tag located beneath your rug for best results.

How to Care for Rugs:

• Vacuum your rug regularly on the lowest-level suction, avoiding the fringe trim.
• Rotate the rug on a regular basis to evenly distribute wear.
• Professionally clean your rug once a year to remove stains.

How to Spot Clean Rugs:

• First, check the cleaning instructions tag on the bottom of your rug.
• If a spill occurs, blot with a clean, absorbent white cloth. Do not rub. Many stains can be gently removed by using club soda and a small amount of carpet cleaning detergent.
• To remove candle wax: Place a blotter or brown paper bag over the spot. Place a hot iron over the blotter.
• To remove chewing gum: Press ice cubes against the spot until it becomes brittle. Use a spot remover to vanish last traces.
• To remove ink: Saturate the spot with hairspray. Allow it to dry. Blot lightly with a solution of water and vinegar.

Mattresses

Rest easy with the fact that your mattress doesn’t require much care and maintenance. For starters, all mattresses are designed to be no flip—now isn’t that a relief!

How to Care for Your Mattress:

• A thin mattress protector is recommended so it breathes to allow airflow and heat dissipation.
• Don’t use dry cleaning fluid of any type on your mattress.
• Vacuuming is the only recommended cleaning method. If you must clean a stain, use mild soap with cold water and apply lightly, allowing the mattress time to fully air dry.
• Please remind the kids not to jump on their mattress, as doing so can break down the inner construction and materials.