With high intensity usage, hard knocks, constant spills, heat, steam and even attacks from natural elements, such as sunlight, it won’t take long for your beautiful contract furniture to start showing the signs of wear and tear. Once pristine areas can quickly begin to look tatty and unappealing, at best (and downright dirty at worst). Neither of which is likely to encourage customers or enhance their experience in your premises.
This problem is especially relevant for businesses working in the hospitality sectors: restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs – even hotels, theatres and cinemas – all see the kind of high customer traffic and occasional messy accident that can take their toll on even the most practical of furniture choices.
Whilst choosing hardwearing, sturdy contract furniture can help, knowing the best way to maintain your furnishings is a great idea in terms of keeping them looking great and getting the most out of your investment. Consequently, we’ve composed some ideas and suggestions on not only keeping your furniture in great condition, but also some handy cleaning hints, should disaster strike. Finally, we’ll also be looking at your options around repairs vs. replacement when your contract furnishings have finally reached the end of the road.
General Contract Furniture Maintenance Tips
Keep It Tight: Regular use can quickly loosen joints, fixings and screws on a variety of items – especially when it comes to tables, chairs and other seating arrangements. Constant movement and rearranging also subjects these to pulling and pushing stresses which can weaken their stability. Make it a point to check chairs and tables for signs of excessive movement and tighten any fixings that are starting to loosen. Wooden joints may need to be re-glued or even reinforced.
A Stitch In Time: Check furniture for tears or rips in their upholstery. Any damage should be dealt with immediately – before the problem has a chance to become worse. Caught in good time, smaller rents and torn seams can be easily mended by professional attention – sometimes even providing an almost invisible fix at a fraction of the later cost of replacing the entire item!
Keep Things Moving: Rotating contract furniture from high traffic areas to less used sections helps to spread the distribution of wear more equally amongst a larger number of items. Bringing these ‘reserves’ out to relieve the battered front lines of your contract furniture – as well as having a regular cycling of furnishings in your public areas – assists in keeping things looking better for longer. This also applies to items which may spend long periods in bright sunshine where the damaging UV rays will fade fabric, wood and leather.
Long-lasting Doesn’t Mean Dull: When choosing your contract furniture consider the amount of wear and tear it’s likely to be exposed to. Beautiful solid wood and colourful laminates are extremely hardwearing when it comes to tables. Metal table legs and chairs are also hardy enough to endure a high usage environment, whilst still looking good and requiring minimal maintenance. Faux leather and the real thing are also tough customers when it comes to luxurious seating that can withstand the test of time.
Commercial Furniture Cleaning Hints
Dirty or soiled items and a generally unclean area will send customers running for the hills, or at the very least, unlikely to return for a second visit. However, in any business environment where food and drink are being served there is the certainty that an accident is going to happen sooner or later. So, what’s the best way to keep your contract furniture looking spick and span?
Wood
Wooden surfaces should be cleaned regularly using a dry or slightly damp cloth and, occasionally, ordinary furniture polishes – especially those containing natural waxes. For larger spillages, cleaning with a cloth, some warm water and a mild detergent will quickly deal with most problems. Minor physical damage, such as a scratch, can normally be easily ‘buffed’ out, again using beeswax. Abrasive cleaners should never be used on varnished or lacquered wood surfaces.
Leather
Over time leather can dry and crack. Avoid this by applying a leather conditioner – this can be worked easily into the surface and polished to a high shine, thus accomplishing the dual roles of cleaning and caring for this expensive material at the same time. Leather should never be soaked in water – even if trying to remove a stain. Avoid detergents, solvents, ammonia, bleach and furniture polishes – all can cause irreparable damage. Instead use only cleaning products specifically designed for use on real leather.
Vinyl
An excellent, hardwearing material vinyl is both easy to clean and care for, needing only a moist cloth and some mild detergent to deal with the majority of dirt and grime. However, oils should be avoided as these tend to harden the vinyl causing cracks and brittleness over time.
Fabrics
Stains and spills on upholstery fabrics should be quickly blotted with paper towels or a dry cloth before washing with clean, warm water and a mild detergent. Ensure that the area is then dried thoroughly.
Repair or Replace?
There comes a time when even the most hardwearing and sturdy of contract furniture items must be replaced. Whilst repairs are a good idea for commercial furniture which has only sustained minor damage or still has plenty of life ahead of it, eventually replacements must be considered. In such instances it’s likely that the chairs, sofas, tables and other business furniture in your venue may be approaching the end of their life spans at approximately the same time, in which case replacing them with new items can actually be a very positive decision – allowing businesses to reinvent their interior decoration, layout and even theme. A fresh start, with beautiful new contract furniture, can serve to reinvigorate the entire direction of your commercial enterprise.
By choosing attractive, long-lasting contract furniture and caring for it as outlined above you can be assured of a lifetime’s faithful service.