CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF SOFT FURNISHING

Care and maintenance of soft furnishings

A home is a space to live, to raise a family, to entertain others and to express

oneself. It needs to be furnished in a way that will make one feel comfortable,

safe and delighted. Furnishings protect furniture from soil and wear, they also add

colour and design to the room. The look of a room is enhanced with the right

choice of Soft furnishing.

Care of furnishing material

To keep fabric home furnishings looking their best and to make them wear longer,

they must be given proper care. The care required is determined by the Fiber

content, Fabric construction and Fabric finishes. Labels and hang tags provide

specific instructions.

General care

1. Frequent brushing and airing of the material.

2. Immediate mending when damaged by tearing.

3. Stain removal before washing or further use.

4. Intelligent choice of cleaning methods, washing or dry cleaning.

5. Frequent laundering if fabric is washable.

6. Proper Laundering method for type of fabric, it must not be laundered with

strong bleaches.

7. Proper pressing and ironing. Must not iron with extremely hot iron.

Cleaning

To prolong the life and look of furnishings they must be regularly vacuumed and

cleaned. Curtains and upholstery must be vacuumed once a week, and dry cleaned

twice a year.

Washing/Laundering

For small items like cushion covers or removable slip covers machine washing is

suitable. The care instructions regarding temperature, machine cycle setting,

method of drying and ironing should be followed. Large items such as full-length

curtains or loose covers must not be washed in a domestic washing machine - the

additional abrasion resulting from a large washing machine load will create

colour loss, shrinkage and creasing. Never use bleaches. A mild liquid detergent

is preferred for items that will be washed regularly as almost all washing powders

contain some sort of bleaching or optimum brightening agent which will dull

colours, or cause fading. Fabrics must not be soaked for prolonged periods of

time or left in the washing machine while damp, as this may encourage the colour

to run.

Dry-cleaning

For delicate fabrics that cannot be washed dry-cleaning can be done.

Care of specific items

Bedspreads, Coverlets and Dust Ruffles require regular laundering to keep

them fresh and dust free.

Curtains and draperies: Draperies and curtains are continually exposed to

sunlight and dust. Shaking, Brushing or vacuuming frequently gets rid of loose

dust. Curtain should be washed often. After a maximum of six months, it should

be laundered or dry cleaned. Lined curtain, velveteen and tapestry should be dry-

cleaned. Light weight fabric like lace, gauze must be washed with mild detergent.

gently kneaded, through lather and rinsed well, rolled in a towel to remove excess

water and pressed. Heavy drapery should be vacuum cleaned regularly and send

for commercial laundering once in six months.

Fiberglass Curtains and Draperies should not be laundered in washing

machine, twisted or wrung dry or ironed. They must be cleaned by soaking in

mild detergent, rinsed and dried.

Table Linens: Must be Laundered frequently to prevent accumulation of oily

stains.

Sofa: Must be vaccum cleaned regularly. If pets and small children are at home,

it is best to use loose covers on sofas as these can be removed regularly and

washed.

Rugs and carpets: Are expensive. Proper care is necessary to maintain its

appearance and prolong its service. Carpets must be brushed once a day and

vaccum cleaned once or twice a week. It must be brushed in the direction of pile.

Rugs of small or medium size can be dusted. They must be sprayed with

sanitizing solution to kill bacteria and for odour removal. Woollen carpets are

sprayed with insecticide for moth proofing.

Carpet cleaning- New carpets fluff due to loosen fibres. Dirt that accumulates in

a carpet is mainly of three kinds-dust or light dirt, litter that clings such as threads,

hair and grit which are destructive, dangerous, germ laden and is carried on the

shoes, it sinks to the root of the pile. Light dirt can be removed by suction.

Sweeping removes fluff and litter. For heavy girt at base of pile, carpet needs

beating. A vaccum cleaner which has triple action of suction, beating and

sweeping is the best.

Appearance retention-heavily travelled area receives the most wear, are crushed

and piles are damaged, for better appearance and longer life, reduce traffic on

these areas or use small rugs in front of heavily used chairs and furniture.

Occasionally move furniture and reverse rug.

Regular vacuuming reduces crushing, Depression, Furniture marks. Turn carpets

from time to time to equalize wear. Shampooing may be done. But must be dried

well. Stains must be removed when fresh. Wipe stain. rinse and remove excess

water using tissue. Place layers of tissue and apply weight. Let dry. Brush lightly.

1. Cushions-No bleach, hand or Machine wash.

2. Throws-warm hand wash, do not bleach, pull to shape when wet, warm

iron.

3. Blanket-warm hand or machine wash separately, do not wring.

4. Quilts-Air regularly, if non washable filling dry clean, do not iron,

washable-gentle machine wash. line dry in shade.

5. Pillows-air regularly, spot clean with damp cloth, lay flat to dry.

6. Pillow/mattress protectors- warm gentle machine wash, do not bleach

7. Table cloth, tea towel and kitchen accessories-if soiled sponge immediately

with a damp cloth, warm machine wash separately, no bleach.

8. Bed linen and comforters quilt covers-warm gentle machine wash

separately, wash inside out.

9. Shower curtain (polyester or nylon) -warm gentle machine wash regularly,

rinse well, drip dry, do not iron or dry clean. If PVC-wipe regularly with

warm soapy water, rinse well and drip dry.

10.Towels, and bath mats-Warm machine wash, wash dark colours separately,

no bleach or iron.

11.Upholstered or slip covered: Upholstery must be brushed and vacuumed

often to prevent dust from settling into the body of the furniture and keep

them looking new. Once in three months they may be cleaned using

foaming cleanser. Cleanser or stain remover must be checked at invisible

spots to check for colour fastness. They should be protected from direct

sunlight and sharp objects and pets.

By

Ms.M.Darneshree

Assistant Professor