If you’re like most people, you don’t really expect furniture to break and need replacing too soon. The precious pieces in our home often come with a hefty price tag, so it’s only fair that we hope to get our money’s worth. Or, if they’re heirloom pieces passed down in the family, we imagine them holding out for decades more.
However, some of our habits could harm our furniture—and we just don’t know it. While the little things we do (or don’t) aren’t immediately detrimental, they can take a toll over time and damage furniture…permanently. What are these mistakes to watch out for? Here are some of them:
You Sit On the Chair’s Arm
Perching on the arm of a chair or sitting on the thick padded arm of the couch seems harmless enough, especially if you do it casually and for just a handful of minutes only.
Here’s the thing. Sturdy furniture is indeed designed to withstand significant weight without issue. But it’s meant to distribute that weight evenly across its structure. When you constantly sit on the arm, the weight is concentrated on a single point only. The targeted pressure leaves that particular area vulnerable, leading to warping and premature wearing on the upholstery.
You Don’t Use Coasters
The worst enemies of wood furniture surfaces are moisture and heat. This is why you need to use protective pads like coasters and placemats to buffer the heat and prevent moisture from seeping into the surface. Without them, you get ring marks and heat stains, which aren’t really structurally damaging but can be a pain to remove. Save yourself the hassle and just use coasters. Period.
You Don’t Clean
Cleaning is part and parcel of owning a furnished home—you do need to clean furniture, if not often at least occasionally. A build-up of simple dust, dirt, and spills can lead to grime that’s more challenging to remove and can bring about an unpleasant smell, even break down the finish, or cause more serious damage to the wood surface.
To start, give your wood furniture a quick dry wipe at least once a month. For high-traffic surfaces like the dining table, clean after use. Upholstered furniture, meanwhile, typically needs vacuuming every week and deep cleaning one or twice a year.
You Use Aggressive Cleaners
If you do clean, that’s great, of course. But if you’re using abrasive cleaners—strong detergent and a scouring sponge, for example—you also risk damaging your furniture. Wood furniture, in particular, can benefit from just mild soap and a soft rug.
Strong cleaners tend to strip the protective layers of the wood, which you’d ideally want to remain smooth, with a natural, satin-like patina. Unless the grime is deep-seated, there’s hardly any need to go heavy if it’s regular cleaning. Even upholstered furniture doesn’t do so well with aggressive cleaners. You might think that since it’s fabric, it can handle strong soap like the detergent you use to wash clothes. Keep in mind that not all fabrics are built to handle strong chemicals.
You Don’t Follow Care Instructions
Following care instructions is key to keeping your furniture in top shape, especially for upholstered furniture. The information from the little tags or user pamphlets does serve a purpose, so take time to learn it.
American Leather, for example, has specific care instructions for the type of fabric used on the upholstery. Not all fabrics are remove-and-throw-in-the-wash-fabric, so do proceed with a bit of caution.
You Forget to Condition Leather
Leather furniture is indeed beautiful, but it can’t stay that way forever without cleaning and conditioning. The material contains natural oils that fade with time, which is why it needs to be replenished with moisture. Conditioning leather once or twice a year allows it to remain supple with a beautiful patina and keep cracks at a minimum.
Many furniture brands offer care sets with conditioners that are formulated to interact well with particular types of leather. But other high-quality options do the job just fine. It’s not just leather that benefits from conditioning—your wood furniture, too. Our in-house creations, for example, are all protected with a special wood finish, which can be reapplied when needed. Check it out here. [link in image or just embed link]
You Drag or Push Furniture
Whenever you need to rearrange furniture, resist the urge to drag or push them. Doing this can potentially loosen joints, even warp furniture, as well as damage flooring. To avoid any mishap, make sure to lift your pieces or use furniture sliders. And remember: lift tables by the frame or legs, not the tabletop.
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Sometimes, it’s the simple things we do that keep our furniture looking its best. A few simple changes to your habits can make a huge difference—treat your precious piece well and it’ll keep you comfortable and your space beautiful for years to come.
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Featured Photo by Subham Majumder via Pexels