Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 7, 1993 TAG: 9303050409
SECTION: BETTER HOMES PAGE: BH-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
WHEN SPRING CLEANING, REMEMBER THE FURNITURE BY JOANNE ANDERSON
While many people make resolutions at New Year's, spring seems like a better time of year for new beginnings. Flowers and windows start opening, buds on the trees signal the coming of warmer times, and people start stepping out to experience the freshness of it all.Spring cleaning is aptly dubbed because it is an energetic time of year. And while garages, drapes, cupboards, closets and basements are traditional recipients of this burst of spring-time activity, your furniture should not be neglected either.
'Tis the season to wash, oil, stain, repair, paint, cleanse, re-upholster or re-cover and generally rejuvenate interior furnishings that have been stifled inside, like the rest of us. Perhaps an overstuffed chair comfortably situated near the woodstove all winter has accumulated a thin ash coat. A lovely maple table in a house with forced hot air heat may have developed a dryness in its pores that aches for oil.
Upholstered pieces don't always get dusted like table tops, but dust is not particular about where it rests. Upholstery needs dusting and vacuuming regularly, and spring is a good time to take that routine one step further. If the factory-applied protective coating has worn off, which it can in as little as a few months, clean the piece with a good upholstery cleaner and spray with a stain-resistant product such as Scotch-gardTM.
Beware, however, of those zippers in couch and chair cushions. They are not there to be used. "Zippers are in the furniture as part of the manufacturing process," explains Dick Taylor of Grand Piano and Furniture Co. "The foam is inserted through the opening, then released to fill the cushion shape while the item is zippered shut."
Taylor says that sometimes the cushions are removed and the covers put through a washer and dryer cycle. "Unfortunately, they often come out sized for miniature furniture. Most cover fabric is not meant to be washed at home, unless specifically indicated on a label."
Wood furniture is especially susceptible to winter dryness. George Grotz, in his book "The FuMiture Doctor," recommends oil over waxes for wood for the same reason he contends as museums and piano manufacturers. Oil "provides a better moisture seal . . . keeping essential oils in the finish from steaming out over the years. If a wood table is used to prepare food, rub in a good coat of vegetable or mineral oil.
Other wood furniture will benefit from an application of boiled linseed oil or a good commercial furniture oil.
Wrought iron and steel furniture, such as patio and outdoor sets, can be cleaned with the hose. Scratches should be rubbed with steel wool, then covered with a metal primer before being touched up with matching paint. Auto paste wax should be applied to joints and crevices each year.
One of the most gracious of furniture material - wicker - can take a coat of liquid furniture wax for protection after being vacuumed and wiped and dried with soft cloths.
Redwood, most popularly used for picnic tables and benches, needs one or two coats of preservative or redwood stain every year when brought out from storage.
Vinyl should be regularly vacuumed and wiped. Leather needs dusting, occasional sudsing with warm, soapy water, and perhaps a spring coat of good leather cream or saddle soap.
To ensure even wear, turn bed mattresses both over and around, switch couch cushions and turn over chair pads. Vacuum lamp shades, polish brass and dust off ceiling fans. Clean and apply paraffin wax to sticky drawer channels. Place a little household oil on squeaky door hinges.
While furniture is outside, check floors where pieces rest for dents and damage. Place the furniture in a little different spot, even an inch over, to allow carpet and resilient floors recovery from furniture marks.
Spring is a good time to get out the glue, a clamp or two and some oil and repair loose joints and lubricate moving parts, such as those on swivel chairs and recliners. Simple repairs and a fresh coat of paint can revitalize an entire kitchen table and chair set, along with the people who use it.
Worn furniture can be transformed with a new covering. Paint, stencils, decoupage, slipcovers and stain give new life to an old appearance. Something as simple, and as inexpensive, as new hardware on a dresser or the kitchen cupboards may provide a subtle, welcome change.