General care
Your furniture stays beautiful with good care and regular maintenance. Follow the individual cleaning instructions of each fabric. From our product data, you can find specific fabric care instructions for different fabrics.
Vacuum clean the furniture regularly with the vacuum cleaner textile nozzle.
This prevents dirt, dust and fibres from other textiles sticking to the surface of the fabric. Handle the fabric carefully as rubbing and wiping wears down and damages the structure of the fabric.
Wiping the fabric with a clean and damp cloth is a simple and a good way to keep a fabric, for example Alcantara®, as good as new.
Always wipe with a clean white cloth. Stains on the fabric are removed by patting the stain with a wet cloth. Allow the fabric to dry after.
Clean the stains immediately from all types of fabric.
If the fabric is washable, a mild Marseille or gall soap solution is usually enough to clean the fabric. Dampen a clean white cloth and try the soap solution first on a hidden spot. Clean the stain by wiping from the outer edge of the stain to the centre to prevent it from spreading. Pat the fabric dry with an absorbent cloth and allow the fabric to dry. Do not use a hairdryer. Once the fabric has dried, brush it with a soft brush if necessary.
For fabrics made of synthetic fibre, fresh spots are removed with a damp cloth, while for natural fibre fabrics you sometimes have to use cleaning or stain removal agents. Try these cleaning agents first in the seams or hidden places of the fabric and carefully follow the instructions and restrictions. Do not attempt to remove the stain by force or in a way not stated in the fabric’s care instructions. This may result in permanent damage to the fabric.
Check if the fabric is washable and follow the wash instructions carefully. A zipper on a pillow case is not a sign in itself that it is washable. Wash the fabrics in lukewarm water. Furniture covers are often too large for home washing appliances, so it is recommended to take them to the dry cleaner.
Wash your fabrics in the recommended temperature. Cotton fabrics can release colour when washed at a lower temperatures than recommended. Washing in higher than recommended temperatures may shrink the loose covers or fade the colours.
Protect the velcro fasteners so that they do not damage the fabric during washing. Cushion covers should be turned inside out before going into the wash. Do not use detergents containing bleach and the use of a rinsing agent is not recommended. Use a gentle wash program, spinning at high speeds is not suitable for furniture fabrics. Natural fibre fabrics with strong colours can lose colour during the first few washes.
Restore the washed cover in its proper shape before hanging it to dry. Allow the fabric to dry outdoors or in a room with good ventilation. It is easier to fit the upholstery fabric on the furniture when it is slightly damp.
Iron the fabric from its backside. Carefully follow the iron instructions shown on the fabric care instructions.
Protect fabric from direct sunlight. Although all of our fabrics are tested and we only choose fabrics with good lightfastness, intense sunlight fades the color of the fabric over time. Strong sunlight may also affect the durability of the fabrics pile. The back and seat cushions should be reversed from time to time to even out the use and keep the shape.
Remove any pilling with a pill remover. Removing any pilling is a part of the regular upkeep of a fabric, but it might decrease with regular maintenance.
Avoid prolonged moisture and wet objects on the fabric. Protect the fabric from moisture and wet objects, which may cause stains and creases. Avoid unwanted moisture especially on fabrics with an upright pile, since the pile can bend due to the moisture.
Take into account the special features of the fabrics with velvet and pile. For example, velvet fabrics should be only brushed or vacuumed in the direction of the pile, ie the movements should coincide with the piles own direction. For all velvet fabrics, it is typical that repeatedly pressurized areas (like seat and armrests) show pressure marks over time that appear as a hue variation. This is showing on the surface of the fabric and gives an elegant, time-worn look to the entire furniture. One can say that the velvet fabrics are aging beautifully. As with other fabrics, it is possible to extend the life of velvet and pile fabrics by brushing or vacuuming regularly. s, you can also cover the area with a damp, thin, white cloth that is left overnight. Before using the furniture again, allow the fabric to dry completely. Then it should be easy to brush the velvet fabric.
From Materials page you can find specific fabric care instructions for different fabrics.
Note! All fabrics shrink during machine washing, synthetic fibers shrink less. Lauritzon’s washable fabrics have a shrinkage of up to 3%. Although the fabric is washable, the washing method should be considered carefully, especially for long cushion or body covers. The cover can become too small and therefore we recommend dry cleaning.
From the Interior fabrics’ properties guide you can read more about different types of fabrics and fibres as well as their general care instructions.