How to Make Your Furniture Last Longer

Furniture is far from cheap, especially the good stuff, so you need to ensure that the furniture you invest in lasts for as long as possible. Knowing exactly what your furniture is made from before you buy it may seem like a no-brainer; however, many people do not know whether they have real wood, veneer, or furniture board items in their homes. Knowing what you have will provide you with an insight into how to care for it, even if you are not given any aftercare advice from the retailer. Here is how to make your furniture last longer.

#1 Look after your real wood

If you have real wood within your home, you should make sure that you look after it. Unless the pieces are heavily varnished, they can be easily damaged. For instance, water spills must be cleared up as soon as possible after it has happened. Although some water damage can be rectified, most cannot, and you will find that your prized piece of furniture is left with an ugly dark mark or ring where the water managed to seep into the wood. 

Knowing about food finishes can also help. Guides to applying wax and oil should tell you they are not waterproof, merely water resistant. This means that water may form droplets on the surface, but if left will still sink into the wood. It is important to know whether your furniture is waterproof or water-resistant when you make your purchases. Of course, you can increase the water resistance of waxed or oiled furniture by adding on an extra coat every few months, and this will also improve the piece’s luster and prolong the desired look of your wooden furniture.

#2 Take specialist care of leather furnishings

Leather can show signs of age when it is not cared for properly. Soft leather will need to be positioned correctly in your room; away from direct sunlight or not too close to the fire will prolong its life and its subtlety. Another way of caring for your leather furnishings is to get them professionally cleaned by a leather and upholstery cleaning company. They may even be able to repair or restore your leather furniture, should this be necessary.

#3 Treat painted furniture with respect.

You should also make sure to treat your painted furniture with respect. Knocks and dings can chip paint, while scuffs and scrapes can make a piece look dirty and uncared for. Even if you have a home full of shabby chic furniture, you will find that most of the professionally added distressing is done in areas where normal wear and tear would have occurred. This has purely been done like this to age the piece rather than make it look too beaten up or uncared for. 

So, a few final thoughts

If you are in doubt about how to care for your furniture with the idea of prolonging its life, then you should ask a professional for their opinion and advice. Good quality furniture is not cheap, and you should look to protect your investment and even more so if you have fallen in love with the piece in question.

Photo by Carrie Hays on Unsplash