Looking After Your Upholstery

You spent good money fitting out your business with fantastic looking upholstery, but how do you look after it and make sure that it stays looking as crisp and clean as the day it was 'upholstered'?

First of all you need to look at the furniture, is it leather or vinyl banquet seating, fabric upholstered chairs, or the couches in the lunch room?  Each of them need to be treated differently. 

The following tips can be passed onto your cleaners, posted in your lunchroom or sent out to individual branch managers or franchise owners.

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Fabric:

Before it even comes to care, you need to choose the right fabric. When you choose the right fabric for the use, location and application of your furnishings; maintenance, care and life of the upholstery become more efficient.   Since it's in a place of business, synthetic fibres are most likely a better choice, especially for heavy usage areas.

The best form of protection is quick action to spills. The fabric is likely to be treated with fabric protectors and although this helps with maintenance by preventing the spills from being absorbed right away, it is not substitute for cleaning. 

Blot spills, never rub. Sometimes this is all you need to get rid of the stain, especially if the fabric has been treated with a fabric protector.  If you are going to use a product test in an inconspicuous area on the material you are cleaning.

If you have cushions turn and fluff them every so often. This will prevent them from developing indentations and 'refresh' the furniture. While you are at it, move the cushions around. Some seats will get more usage than others, so swap the cushions around to make them last.

Vacuum your furniture weekly to remove surface dirt; this stops it becoming embedded into the fibres. You can also use a soft bristled brush to sweep off any dirt.

Avoid sunlight as much as you can, sun damage fades the fabric and can even cause fraying.  If possible try to position furniture so it doesn't sit in the sun for extended periods or rotate your furniture. 

Smells - Did you realize that long term exposure to fumes, cooking or smoke can harm fabric? Upholstered fabric easily absorbs odours, so if running a business where there is a lot of cooking going on, here is another reason to ensure you have good ventilation.

Get a professional to come and clean your upholstered furniture every couple of years, depending on usage. Remember the dirtier the piece, the harder it will be to restore it, to its original state.

Vinyl:

Like fabric you need to attend to surface spills as soon as possible. If the liquid is allowed to dry on the surface it will take far more effort to remove.

A simple weekly dust and vacuum will ensure the vinyl will hold up over time. Dust and dirt can get trapped in the creases and folds, which can breed bacteria and produce unpleasant odours. 

Beware when using cleaning products, some can dull the sheen and even cause premature fading. A basic mix of warm water and basic dish washing detergent (mild) is the key, but don't use too much water as this can cause your vinyl to dry and crack.  Use a damp cloth, not a wet cloth.

There is a good chance that over time the vinyl will incur a small tear, gash or burn.  Address it at once with a vinyl repair kit or Contact us on 0800 698 746 and we will arrange for this to be repaired.

Leather:

Consistent with other surfaces, remove surface dirt with a dust and a vacuum weekly.

Rotate and turn the cushions if possible to ensure they don't sag or bag.

Any cleaning agents used should be recommended by the manufacturer.

Chewing gum on leather can be an issue (like all surfaces). Try the freeze and peel method to remove: wrap an ice cube in thin fabric and apply to the gum. When it hardens it should easily peel off, try this on other surfaces too.

When you clean and care for your upholstery you can retain your original look for a long time. 

Which look do you like the most? Leather, Vinyl or fabric?