How to Care for Your Sofa

Keep your sofa looking snazzy

Coffee, kids, red wine, pets… life can be messy. But that doesn’t mean you have to keep your sofas wrapped in plastic or locked away in the formal lounge room. With some simple care, you can keep your sofas looking sensational for years to come and address those inevitable spills and smears as they occur.

Wearing in your new sofa

If your new sofa looks and feels a little different to the one you saw in store (it may feel a bit firmer and the fabric a bit tighter), that’s because it’s brand new and hasn’t had the chance to relax yet. The display models in the store have been worn in by visitors. Give your sofa time to gradually ‘wear in’ and adapt to your way of life. It will then develop a more casual appearance, with its own unique character.

All sofas & occasional chairs

When unwrapping your new upholstered item, avoid using any sharp tools that may accidentally damage the items upholstery
Avoid positioning your furniture in direct sunlight where it will fade. It is also recommended to position your sofa at least 1 metre away from a direct heat source.
Vacuum your sofa once a week or fortnight with an upholstery brush to remove any dust and environmental debris from the fabric and under the seat cushions. Dust and grime can mark the fabric and be harder to clean if left for long periods.
Avoid dragging your sofa as it could potentially weaken or snap the sofa legs.
Never use detergents or cleaning chemicals, as they could mark the fabric.
Certain clothing and accessory dyes (such as those used on denim jeans) may migrate to lighter colours in both fabric and leather upholstery. This is increased by humidity and temperature and is irreversible.
Rotate, flip and fluff your seat cushions and pillows regularly to avoid unnecessary wear and prevent loss of cushion volume. This is particularly important for feather-filled cushions.
Avoid sitting on armrests and backrests on both sofas and occasional chairs, as they have not been designed as additional seating.

Caring for your fabric sofa

We recommend Guardsman Care products to help maintain the appearance of your sofa. Remember to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
In case of spills, such as wine, clean immediately by blotting away the excess liquid with a paper towel, then gently wipe over with a warm, damp sponge. Do not use detergents, bleach or cleaning chemicals as they could mark the fabric and will void the warranty on your sofas.
For hard-to-remove stains, have your item professionally dry cleaned. If the covers are removable, they can be dry cleaned. If not, have the sofa professionally cleaned at home.
Pilling can occur with some fabrics, which is a result of normal wear and doesn’t affect the durability of the fabric. It can easily be removed by using a fabric pill remover.

Caring for your leather sofa

For everyday cleaning, wipe with a clean, damp cloth. Do this at least once a month to maintain the leather’s softness.
Dust your sofa weekly using a clean, dry, non‑abrasive white cloth.
Remove any spills quickly from the surface by dabbing with absorbent cloth or paper towel.
Avoid letting the leather become wet. If it does, allow it to dry naturally.
Do not clean the leather with detergents, chlorine-based, chemical or abrasive cleaners, as this could mark/damage the upholstery.
If you have pets, please be careful with them around your leather sofa. Pets can damage your sofa through chew marks, claws and oil residue from their fur.
Avoid using any sharp tools that may accidentally damage the items upholstery.
Do not put hot items directly onto leather or faux leather upholstery.
For genuine leather, we recommend using the Guardsman Leather Care products following the manufacturer’s instructions. Additionally, we recommend Guardsman Leather warranties, which cover most accidental damage.
If the leather is used constantly by individuals on certain types of medications (particularly chemotherapy, heart, blood pressure and diabetes medication), additional measures should be taken to protect leather surfaces from direct skin contact. This is because the compounds in these medications are excreted through pores in people’s skin and may react with or damage the leather finish.
The surface coating of your leather can also be damaged by excessive and prolonged exposure to high levels of sweat. In these instances, additional care and maintenance is required by ensuring that it is cleaned more frequently with a leather cleaner and leather protector.
Leather can scratch and scuff if something sharp or rough is dragged along it, including zips, buckles, fingernails, shoes, jewellery, etc. The use of good quality leather-care products (cleaner, conditioner and/or protector) can assist with rectifying minor scratches and scuffs.

Guardsman

While all of our pieces have been carefully selected and quality built, simple precautions will help maximise the look and lifespan of your furniture. Not only will your pieces last longer, they’ll continue to look their best for years to come. We have a number of Guardsman Care products to help protect your fabric, leather and timber furniture and keep your pieces looking their best, including:

• 5 Year Fabric Warranty & Protection (1 Seat, 2–4 Seats & 5–8 Seats)
• 5 Year Leather Warranty (5–8 Seats)
• Fabric Protector 264g Aerosol
• Fabric Protector 264g Aerosol
• Furniture Touch-Up Markers Pack of 3 Pens
• Leather Care Kit
• Leather Cleaner Wipes
• Revitalising Wood Polish UV Protection 345g Aerosol
• Water Ring & Mark Remover
• Wood Repair Filler Sticks

Please ask our staff for help in finding the right product for your furniture.