Furniture Care Guide

Here is where you will find cleaning instructions for most of our furniture. If you are unsure of what type of material is used in your furniture or are unsure how to proceed, please contact us.

Fabric Care

The best thing you can do for your upholstered furniture is to vacuum them frequently! Removing surface dust will keep it from settling into the fabric to take up residence--where it is likely to react with anything spilled on the fabric to make a stain even worse. Use the small brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner--and if it's not very clean, you can wrap it in cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band to protect the fabrics. Cushion covers of upholstered chairs or sofas should never be removed for cleaning or washing--they will look different from the rest of the piece after cleaning--and they may shrink, too. When spills occur: using a gentle touch, carefully blot up any spills with a white towel or a white t-shirt. Do not rub frantically, as this will drive the stain further into the weave of the fabric, making it even more difficult to remove. If the spilled substance is a thick product, i.e. mud, let it dry before prying off and brushing off any residue. Contrary to popular belief, club soda is not a miracle cure. It has the same properties as water--no more, no less--and it might make things worse by causing the dyes in the yarn to bleed.

The following recommended cleaning codes for fabric were devised as the results of tests made by the fabric manufacturers having adhered to the methods requested by the Joint Industry Upholstery Standards Committee.

Cleaning Code S - Solvent
Professional cleaning is recommended. To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing is recommended. Instruct a professional cleaning service to clean these fabrics with pure solvents. Petroleum distillate-based products may be used. Use of water-based products may cause excess shrinking. Water stains may become permanent and unable to be removed with solvent cleaning agents. Always spot test first in an inconspicuous location.

Cleaning Code SW - Solvent or Water
Professional cleaning is recommended. To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing is recommended. Instruct a professional cleaning service to clean these fabrics with water based cleaning agents, foam or pure solvents. Petroleum distillate-based products may be used. Always spot test first in an inconspicuous location.

Cleaning Code W - Water
Professional cleaning is recommended. To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing is recommended. Instruct a professional cleaning service to clean these fabrics with water-based cleaning agents, or water based foam to remove overall soil. Many cleaning agents are harmful to the color and life of a fabric and testing on an inconspicuous area is recommended before over-all cleaning. Always spot test first in an inconspicuous location.

Cleaning Code X - Dry
To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing is recommended. Clean these fabrics only by vacuuming or light brushing to prevent accumulation of dust or grime. Water based foam or solvent based cleaning agents of any kind may cause excessive shrinking or fading.

Synthetic Suede
Micro-denier polyester suede
Care and Cleaning
Generally. we divide most stains into two major categories: water and oil based.
Water base stains include items such as ketchup. mustard. wine, soft drinks and most food stains. Oil has stains would consist of compounds such as ink stains. cake type shoe polish and cosmetics.
I. Water Base Stains
 A. Due to the finish on the synthetic suede, water base stains will not immediately penetrate to the surface of the fabric.
  1. The first step is to lightly blot the area to remove excess liquid compounds. This may be done with a paper towel or a white cotton terry.
  2. Using neutral soap and water. gently rub the soiled area from side to center to avoid a halo effect.
  3. Rinse thoroughly with plain water to remove excess soap.
  4. The area may be blotted with a clean white towel rubbing in a gentle circular motion to maintain the suede surface or dried by using a hair dryer to quickly complete the drying process.
  5. Finally. buff or vacuum afterwards to maintain the suede look and feel.
II. Oil Base Stains
 A. ln most cases. these stains may be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution as with water base stains if in area is only lightly soiled. Case in point. a light pen mark or light shoe polish on the bottom of a recliner.
  1. For heavier stains. a solvent compound may need to be employed. ln this case any over the counter compound such as K2R upholstery cleaner. or other non-bleaching household cleaners. may be used. It is always a good idea to spot clean an inconspicuous area first with the cleaner to make sure the fabric will not be damaged. Always follow instructions on the label of the cleaner.
  2. Upon final cleaning. lightly repeat the steps mentioned in section I. Part A with water and neutral soap to remove excess cleaner. Do not forget to buff and dry.
 B. This fabric may also be professionally dry-cleaned if necessary or desired.

Wood Care

There are 6 easy ways to ensure the lasting beauty of your hardwood furniture. Follow these steps and enjoy a lifetime with your new wood furniture.

 1. Never use window cleaner because the ammonia will damage the finish. Do not use commercial waxes or polishes as they may cause yellowing.
 2. Never write directly on the surface of the table as that may cause indentations in the wood. Use a mat or blotter.
 3. Keep furniture out of direct sunlight to prevent discoloration.
 4. Do not place rubber based objects directly on the wood.
 5. Maintain uniform humidity to prevent cracking.
 6. Do not place hot serving dishes, plates or appliances on surface. Please use placemats, coasters and trivets to protect the surface.

When cleaning a wood surface, remember to only use a damp cloth (water) and dry thoroughly.
Please be advised that some wood finishes become darker with age. The change in color, is usually to a darker tone, and is more noticeable during the first six months of ownership. It is important to understand that exposure to light accelerates the natural oxidation process. An object left on a wood surface for an extended period of time may retard the aging process in a limited area. Simply remove the object and, over time, the surface will attain a more uniform color.

Leather Care

To maintain the rich, natural look of your leather furniture, we offer the following general recommendations. Under normal usage/conditions regular dusting and vacuum cleaning in crevices or bottoms is all that is necessary to clean your furniture.

For minor spots and spills, wipe up any excess liquid immediately with a clean absorbent cloth or sponge.

If necessary, use a lightly moistened soft cloth with clean lukewarm water and let air dry naturally. If water is used, clean the entire area where the spot occurred.

Do not use soap or soak the stain heavily with water. This may cause more damage than the stain itself.

If the stain persists, it is recommended that the leather be cleaned by a professional leather specialist to avoid any potential damage to the leather.

For butter, oil, or grease wipe off excess with a clean dry cloth, and then leave alone as the spot should dissipate into the leather after a short period of time.

Do not use saddle soap, cleaning solvents, furniture polish, oils, varnish, abrasive cleaners, detergent soaps or ammonia water.

Protect your furniture from sun and direct light like any upholstery material. It can fade to some degree if exposed to the sun.

These are recommended or suggested methods of cleaning. Always try any cleaning method in a hidden area first to convince yourself of the results.

For minor or slight scratches on the surface, use a chamois or clean fingers to gently buff the scratch. If needed, moisten lightly with distilled water to work scratches out.

Remember that leather is a natural product and requires some care to maintain the natural beauty of the hide. Occasional Conditioning can be healthy but only when done under specific manufacturer instructions.

Metal Care

Caring for metal is fairly straightforward. Recommended cleaning is with a dry cloth only. A water based cloth may be used as long as it is dried after. Window cleaner or other chemicals are not recommended as they may discolor the metal.

Glass Care

Scratch resistance - protection - Hardness of the tempered glass is an intrinsic characteristic of the material, that does not depend on the manufacturer or the batch of production (it is a fixed datum). Many common household items (crystal glasses, furniture, porcelain, stainless steel cutlery, etc..) have got higher characteristics of hardness than the tempered glass: therefore, if they are dragged or moved upon the glass top, they can cause small scratches on its surface. Always use placemats, trivets and coasters as a precautionary measure. Please consider that even cleaning a top with the use of a cloth with particles of siliceous dust (earth, dust transported with the shoes from the outside on the floor etc.) may cause scratches on the glass surface.

Causes of failure - explosion - Our glasses are tempered as a safety precaution. A tempered glass can break due to scratches, stress fractures, temperature shock, direct sunlight exposure. In some instances, the "explosive" break in the glass can happen several days after the causing factor. Tempered glass "spontaneous breakage" has been largely documented, discussed and studied for all different field applications just because it happens, even though it is a very rare event. Unfortunately, "spontaneous breakage" is beyond manufacturer's control and can't be considered a manufacturing defect. The most probable causes of a glass top breakage are accidental hits and thermal stress.

Cleaning and maintenance - Once tempered, the glass is a chemically stable material, which does not release any chemical substance. Tempered glasses are waterproof and do not absorb liquids. However, they may be damaged by water or acidic substances whether they are not immediately removed. The resulting stain is not an absorption of the liquid, rather it corresponds to the loss of brightness or gloss of the glass. It sounds crazy, but water (left for a long time on the surface) is the worst substance for a glass. For cleaning, use a soft and clean cloth.

Lacquer/Plastic Care

For general care of Lacquers and Plastics, a light brush with a dry cotton cloth is recommended.

These care instructions are to be used solely as a guide and Jensen-Lewis will not be held accountable in any event of damage.