Secret (Furniture Industry) Tips:
5 Things You Should Know, but They Don't Tell You.
By: Furniture Tech

1)   Keep Your Tags! When you buy new furniture, be sure to keep all the receipts and tags of your furniture, for as long as you own the furniture.   Keep all ID tags that are attached under the cushions or under the furniture,   on the furniture, do not remove them.   If they fall off, be sure to keep them in a place you can find them. To order any replacement parts for your furniture from the manufacturer you will need some ID numbers, SKU numbers, Style numbers, Color & Fabric Numbers, Serial numbers and the like.  These numbers are usually found on your receipt or on tags sewn, stamped or stapled to the furniture. Do not take for granted that the place that sold you the product has kept record of the products numbers, or that these numbers were put on your receipt.  Not everyone does.  We have seen some really nice customers go through anguish over part orders because they didn't have any product ID tags or receipts.   NOTE:  Read the tag!  Sometimes it voids the warranty when the tag is removed, so do not remove your tags from the bottom of your furniture!   If they come off, Keep Them in a safe place!

Here is a little secret:   If you lost your tags, and can't find any ID numbers, most of the time you can take clear, detailed pictures of the product and send them to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer will be able to determine at least the style and fabric colors, so you can order parts for your furniture.  (Sometimes the ID number and style can be found stamped to the inside main frame of the product.  You will probably need a professional to retrieve them for you.)   Be prepared to pay for the parts and the shipping.

2)   Patience Pays Off! When you work in the industry as long as we have, you know that when dealing with furniture damage claims and part orders, that they may take a long time. (Average 3-8 weeks for most claims & part orders for retailers and manufacturers)  Most manufacturers are taking part orders from around the world, and then most parts have to be manufactured from scratch. The average part order can take from three days to three months depending how ready and available the fabrics, woods and hardware are. 

When dealing with new furniture claims, if you just know and plan that it could take some time, you'll save yourself a lot of stress & frustration, and you'll also help the people who are trying to help you, like the poor repair technician caught in the middle.  We have not worked with a manufacturer or warranty service that does not want to take care of their customers. They all want to address the customer's concerns, but processing and then finding a service agent in your area, requesting their services, and part orders can sometimes take a long time. Plus most furniture parts departments are closed for two weeks or more during Christmas, and sometimes summer, among other things to count inventory.  Of course it never hurts to make sure that the request is not just sitting on someone's desk.

3)   Broken Furniture Blues?   This may sound funny, but it occurs very often!   Never, ever, (EVER!), use your furniture as a trampoline and bounce, stand, plop or jump on it!  (This is a form of ABUSE).   This could severely damage the springs, fabric, cores, and frames (or more), of your furniture.  Even small children can break these important parts of your furniture by jumping on them, or worse, hurt themselves, (that's not just padding and fabric on that sofa, it also has wood, screws, springs, staples, tack strips, and other sharp objects underneath the padding, even the floor can hurt when gravity takes control of a good seat springer launch).   Most retailers and manufacturers will automatically VOID your warranty if they suspect the piece has been abused at all. 

Most repair companies that are certified to do repairs for a specific retailer or manufacturer (Certified Repair Centers), are required by those retailers or manufacturers,  to report not just the condition of the product (dirty, clean, soiled, and cause of damage), but also the condition the product is kept in, such as;    Is your house clean, dirty, how many adults and kids in the house hold (heavy human traffic),  is the product kept in the sun or heat, or available for pets or kids to play on, the customers attitude, and the cause of the damage.   They do this to determine if the customer is trying to fraud the retailer or manufacturer, or if the customer is trying to get out of paying for something that the customer was actually responsible for.    The retailer and manufacturer are only responsible for manufacturer defects, and most of the time shipping damage.  Retailers and manufacturer are not responsible for damage caused by Junior playing moon walk on the sofa seats.  That's not what the furniture was made for.

Most people underestimate the skills & tools a professional furniture technician has to determine the cause of damaged furniture.   They are in many ways similar to a Crime Scene Investigator, and they are able to tell how the damage has occurred; (by the size, area, size - shape & direction of the break, and among other things, what kind of force was necessary to cause the break).   If a retailer or manufacturer is paying for a Repair Company's Technician Inspection Report, then those repair companies are required to report all abused furniture.  So keep this in mind when the hubby and the kids start jumping around on your new sofa!  Or your teen just plops down on the furniture,   It could break your furniture, void your warranty, and leave you with the broken furniture blues!  (Not to mention a possible hospital bill or repair bill).

The Furniture Golden Rule:   Never put your feet on the furniture.  (Mom wasn't just saying it to annoy you!)   This will also keep dirt, germs and bacteria found on the bottom of the shoes or socks from getting on your furniture!  (Yuck!)

4)   Arms Are Not Made for Seat Extractions? According to a number of manufacturers, the arms of your recliner, sofa, or love-seat are only made to rest your arms on while sitting, they are not made to be used as a lever to pull yourself up out of the seat. Using them to pull yourself up out of the seat or sitting on them will cause your furniture's arms to cave in, and could result in ripping the fabric, frame damage, or further damages to your new furniture.  (This can also be a form of ABUSE or misuse of the furniture and void your warranty). 

If you are in need of stronger arms, please check the arms before you buy. The best way to check, is to press with your fingers, palm or fist on the top center of the top arm. (Be Careful, don't want to damage it!!), Press a few times gently, but firmly, trying to feel down under the fabric and stuffing to the arm frame underneath. If the center frame of the arm is firm and solid wood, then there is a good chance the arm can be used to get out of the seat.   If the arm feels flexible like cardboard, or starts to give way, don't use these arm to get up, they will cause damage to your furniture, they are only built to rest your arms on while sitting. Consult your manufacturer for information on your product.  Never sit or stand on the arms of your furniture.   For damaged arms, call Furniture Tech!

5)   Read Your Furniture Manufacturer's Warranty Manual!  Know it, even the small print!   Most retail & manufacturer Furniture Life Time Warranty only include the cost of parts, and do not include the cost of the repair technician's labor.   Most retail & manufacturer warranty's for labor, are only good for 1 year from the date of purchase.  In other words the manufacturers warranty will cover both parts and labor for just one year, after that, the life time warranty is for parts only, and you will be responsible for paying the labor fees if the piece is over a year old.  Manufacturer Limited Warranty on Fabric and padding are usually only good for 5 years (parts only), and 1 year of labor.  Manufacturer Life Time Warranty on Mechanisms and Frames are usually good for life (parts only), and 1 year of labor.   So be sure you understand the warranty from your retailer or manufacturer, because you could be responsible for the labor repair bill on pieces older then a year, even with a lifetime warranty.

Repairing or altering your new or under warranty furniture yourself, or having a non certified shop do it, will void all retailer and manufacturer warranties.   If your furniture is new, or still under warranty, please contact the manufacturer or retailer and have them send out their certified repair center to repair your furniture.  Some retailer and manufacturers have their own repair crew, most others contract out repair services.

Do It Yourself - Furniture Care Tips
Warning: Use at your own risk.  Please check with the manufacturer of your furniture before attempting repairs yourself.    Repairing the furniture yourself, may void the warranty on new furniture, or damage the furniture if you do not know what you are doing.

By: Furniture Tech

Never Received Your Arm Caps? Try looking underneath the foot ottoman of the recliner or sofa, sometimes they are stapled under there. Also try looking under loose seat cushions, and between the seat deck and inside back, and stapled to the bottom of the furniture, (usually in a plastic bag). Most arm caps are placed in these places for transportation from the factory.

Missing Your Remote Control? Call us before you buy a new one!! Believe it or not, your favorite recliner or sofa will actually eat the strangest things, and hide them from you. Everything from remote controls, fingernail clippers, letter openers, money, clothing, batteries, pet toys, keys, kids toys, baby bottles, candy and more!   Especially look deeply, between the inside back and seats, and between the arm panels and seats, (did you check under the seat cushions, between the seat deck and inside back, and under the piece?)  Lift one end of the sofa and lightly shake it, listen for anything rattling around.  Give us a call, we know all the good hiding places!  

Backs & Pillows Fluff Up! Some inside back sag pillows, throw pillows, and arm pillows can be rejuvenated by fluffing them up like you would a regular sleeping pillow. Pillow Stuffing compresses down after a while and fluffing it up really helps a lot.  Hold the center of the pillow in front of you between your two hands, pushing your hands together, compressing the center of the pillow between your hands, then pinching from both sides, grab the stuffing inside through the fabric, and stretch (fluff) the stuffing by pulling it apart with your hands, and repeating.   Stretch and fluff up the pillow this way until it looks new.

On some models, look on all sides of the inside back sag pillows, pillows, or arm pillows and see if you can find a zipper. It's usually located at the bottom, back or underneath. You can purchase stuffing at any local fabric or upholstery shop.  Open this zipper and add more stuffing to the comfort level you want. If your product does not have a zipper, give us a call!

Core Replacement? Is the fabric on the seat cushions of you furniture loose or wrinkling?   Are your seat cushions rounded off at the edges, flat, gapped, or uncomfortable?   In most cases its not the fabric but the seat core.  Seat cores are an oil base foam that do eventually go bad, some quicker then others.   Good news is that the seat cores can be replaced!   An upholstery shop will have the right cores you need and will usually cut them for you, and add the dacron layer at an extra charge.   Just open the zipper, remove by gently bending the core almost in half inside the cover, and install same way.   Be careful not to rip the fabric, or fold too much and rip the core, or break the zipper!      An electric turkey cutting knife works great for cutting foam cores, and can be found cheap at most thrift stores.    If your seat core is attached, give us a call!

Recliner Mechanisms   If you take care of your recliner mechanisms, they will last you for a long time!

• Most recliners have threaded knobs (or screws), in the very backrest of the recliner.   At the back of the backrest, very back outside back panel, at the rear of the recliner, there is (usually) velcro holding the bottom of that back panel down. Lift this outside back panel and just underneath the panel there are usually knobs or screws, on the left and on the right.   These knobs or screws hold the backrest on to the mechanism. By keeping these knobs/screws hand tightened, it will help keep your mechanism in good working order.   If your outside back panel is stapled down instead of Velcro, give Furniture Tech a call.
  
  
• Sometimes, lightly tightening up (snug) all the bolts on the mechanism, will tighten up the operation of the recliner.  Do this at least every six months (more for heavy use), and this will also keep your mechanism working good for years to come.   Do not over tighten any screws, nuts or bolts on your mechanism or recliner.
  
  
• Lightly oiling the mechanism (moving) joints can reduce squeak, and can sometimes loosen up the operation of the recliner.  Be sure to lay down an old rug, towel, or rag under the mechanism to keep oil from dripping on your carpet.
  
  
• Use the hand lever (actuator handle), to operate your recliner footrest, not your feet.  Using your feet to close the footrest may badly bend the mechanism extension bars, and the mechanism will have to be replaced.  This is a very common problem.   If you have to use your feet, like for a pull handle mechanism or handless mechanisms, please be gentle with the footrest as you close it.  Do not force your footrest down!    Most recliners require the backrest to be in the full upright position before closing the footrest.
  
  
• Never sit, stand, plop or jump on your recliner's backrest, footrest, or arms, especially in the open position.   This could severely damage the mechanism, or frames.   Never jump, plop or stand on the seat of your recliner, as you could damage the seat springs, fabric, mechanism, or frame.
  
  
• It is always good advice to keep an old throw rug or towel under your reclining furniture, especially if you have new carpet.   Those are moving metal parts, and will sometimes drip;  oil, dirt, rust and powdered black paint scrapings on your carpet.

Cleaning Upholstered Furniture, (Warning: Check with the manufacturer about cleaning instructions for your product!)   The real tip is frequent vacuuming using an upholstery or brush attachment. But for more stubborn stains:

These Are Wash Codes - found on furniture tags: (usually tags are found under the furniture, or under one of the seat cushions stapled or sewn to the seat deck.)

W – Use a water-based or foam cleaning solvent.
S – Use a mild, water-free dry cleaning solvent.
WS – Use either a water-based cleaning solvent, a dry cleaning solvent or foam cleaner.
X – Vacuum or brush lightly to remove soil.

Clean washable fabrics after testing for color fastness in a hidden spot.

The tag may indicate "W' for water cleaning or "S" for solvent cleaning. Do not use water on furniture that needs a solvent, and do not use solvent on furniture that needs to be water cleaned, unless the tag has a "WS" code.

For water-washable fabrics (Code "W"), use a solution of 1/4 cup of high-suds laundry detergent with one quart of warm water, mixed in a blender Apply just the suds with a medium-bristled brush and then use a wet towel to go over the whole upholstered surface. When the surface is dry, vacuum up any remaining dirt.

For solvent washable fabrics (Code "S"), purchase a mild, water free, dry cleaning solvent and rent the equipment from your local fabric, upholstery, manufacturer, or furniture store, and use according to the directions on the solvent. 

Cleaning Metal Furniture -  Outside metal furniture is tough, but it still needs to be cleaned to make it shine. Here's how: Make a paste with 1/4 cup cream of tartar and baking soda, and then add 2 tablespoons of powdered laundry detergent.  Polish the piece with this paste and wipe and polish with a dry cloth.   Cover scratches with a permanent black marker for black metal furniture.

For areas missing paint or where rust has gathered, sand the area good and smooth with a 300 - 400 grit sandpaper (start with a 150 grit and work up, if it is really bad).   Then spray the area with a rustoleum type spray paint in a can, you can purchase at any hardware store.  Be sure the paint is rated for outside metal surfaces like rustoleum is.  You should put on at least 3-4 coats, let dry between coats, (about 3-6 hours), and sand lightly with a 600 or 800 grit sandpaper in between the coats.   Do not sand the final coat. 

Cleaning Wicker Furniture -  It can be cleaned with warm soapy water and then rinsed with salt water. To keep wicker from yellowing, scrub with a stiff brush moistened with warm salt water. To clean dust and dirt out of those hard-to-reach places, use a soft paintbrush or toothbrush. 

Cleaning Leather Furniture   (Warning: Check with the manufacturer about cleaning instructions for your product!) Please consult the manufacturer of your furniture before cleaning with anything. Neutrogena soap, the clear with an amber tone to it, works really well for most stains on leather. Try this in a non conspicuous place before using on a open area.  With a soft, damp cloth, with Neutrogena on it, very lightly rub the dirty area. Wipe the soap off with a clean, soft, damp cloth. Then dab dry with a soft, dry cloth.  DO NOT SCRUB!  DO NOT SOAK!  Some leather colors are just sprayed on to the leather's finish, and scrubbing will take the color off.

Protect Your Finish From California  Bakersfield, California has a dry climate. This dry climate can damage fine lacquer finishes on dining tables, dressers, coffee tables, armoires, end tables, and most other furniture with a finish. To protect your furniture we recommend using a quality antique oil (or Old English Oil, if antique oil is not found). Oil keeps your lacquer and most other finishes in good shape against California's dry weather. (Please consult your manufacturer before you choose or use an oil product on your furniture. Any lacquer finish will work well with oil.) Wipe in a nice amount of oil all over the wooden piece. If some areas look dryer then others in a few minutes, add some more, and repeat. Let the oil sit and soak in for a few hours and then wipe with a clean dry cloth.    Do not use any products containing silicone!!  They will damage your finish over time.   Oil your finished furniture once or more a year, depending on the dryness or weather.   Use a clean, soft, dry cloth to dust in between the oiling. 

We Hate Heat & Scribbles! Most finishes do not like heat, some finishes will even trap the moisture from the heat in the finish, causing heat rings. We recommend not putting any hot pans or plates on your finish, but if you have to, use an oven pad when sitting a hot pan on a wood and finish surface.   Place mats also work great at the table when the kid's are drawing or scribbling, as a lot of times pencil or pen will etch through paper into the surface of your furniture, (the softer the wood the piece is made of, the deeper the etching).  For finish damage call Furniture Tech!

For Table Rings - (Warning: Check with the manufacturer about instructions for your product!)  Most table rings are caused by moisture getting caught inside the finish.    First of all, always use a coaster, but in case of table rings, there are a variety of methods that work:

• A paste of olive oil and salt can be applied and then wiped off after two hours.
  
  
• You can also cover the water mark- with mayonnaise and then sprinkle with salt. Rub the mixture until the stain disappears and then buff until dry.
  
  
• The spot can be rubbed with non-gel toothpaste and baking soda. Buff the spot with a clean, soft cloth.
  
  
• After using any of these techniques, check to see if the spot needs re-waxing.

Do Not Suffocate Your Finish! Believe it or not, but lacquer finishes need to breath. Putting vinyl or see through covers, glass covers, or some kinds of plastic covers on top of your dining table can damage the finish. Be sure that the cover has a felt or cloth protective side that lays on the finish, or put a felt table cloth underneath the vinyl. You can use felt circles that can be purchased at any fabric or upholstery supply shop, and put under your glass cover to lift it off the finish, some felt circles come with a sticky side to attach to the glass, be sure the sticky part attaches to the glass and not your finish.  Be sure the circles are spread out and evenly lift the glass off the finish.   Consult the manufacturer for information about your product.

Have a Question?  Contact Us!