The furniture that we
use in our homes is not made of just wood. They have
upholstery and sometimes have hardware made of brass
or bronze. It is these parts that enhance the beauty
of the furniture and make the piece a part of the rest
of the décor of the room. These parts too get dirty,
gather dust and need to be cleaned regularly. Here are
a few suggestions on cleaning upholstery and hardware.
The best method to remove dust from
upholstery is to use a vacuum cleaner. Place a soft screen in
front of the vacuum cleaner nozzle, to prevent the tip of the
cleaner from damaging the material. Use the brush attachment
and clean carefully.
Professional help should be taken if the
upholstery is damaged or stained to a great extent.
Furniture sometimes has metal hardware as
part it. The metal used is usually brass, bronze or silver.
Hardware in modern furniture has a clear lacquer finish that
gives them a lustrous appearance.
Hardware is sometimes coated with certain
types of restorers that eliminate the need for constant
polishing.
Furniture hardware often gets tarnished, as
it is exposed to the atmosphere and reacts with it. In a case
like this polishing the hardware can improve its appearance.
Before polishing the hardware, remove the
hardware from the furniture if you can. Otherwise cover the
areas around the hardware, especially the wood, with acetate
sheets to prevent the polish from damaging the woodwork.
Polishing hardware while it is still on the
furniture damages the area around it. This also allows the
polish to get under the hardware, thus damaging both the metal
and the surface around.
Clean hardware using a mixture of acetone and
alcohol. Add both these ingredients in equal quantities to
make a mixture. This will remove dirt and oil residue. Dip a
soft bristle brush in this mixture and scrub gently. After it
dries polish it with lint free cloth.
Polishing must be done in small areas at a
time. After polishing remove all residue.
Follow these suggestions to clean upholstery and
hardware on wooden furniture. While cleaning hardware that
cannot be removed from furniture special care must be taken to
ensure that no damage is done to the furniture itself.
