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          Soft Facet, 2020 | Scholten & Baijings      

Maintenance of upholstery
There are many sorts of upholstery available. There are fabrics in a wide variety of qualities but common to all is that the elasticity of the fabric is determined by the fibres in the thread and the way the fabric is woven. It is this elasticity that determines whether a fabric can be used for a particular model, but also the amount of wrinkling after use. Wrinkling is largely caused by the stabilisation of the foam as the piece of furniture ‘wears in’. This gives the upholstery a more supple form, which increases comfort (much in the same way as you wear in a new pair of jeans). However, this does lead to wrinkling. This wrinkling does not harm the look of the model – in fact it softens its appearance – and it cannot be avoided.

Every furnishing fabric also fades in the course of time. This is particularly the case with brightly coloured or dark materials. Direct sunlight accelerates this process so avoid this as much as possible. Synthetic fabrics are less prone to this. Fabrics with a velvet finish may take on a different appearance depending on the way the light falls on them, so it may appear as if a piece of furniture has been upholstered with different shades of fabric. Some fabrics ‘pill’ owing to the release of particles of fibre or through tangling with clothing fibres. Pilling can be easily removed with a pill shaver.

Children’s toys, rings, shoe-buckles and heels can all cause lasting damage to the fabric, so do not allow children to play on the sofa wearing shoes. It is also best not to allow pets to lie on the furniture as their claws can cause considerable damage. You can protect your floors by fixing felt pads under the legs.

It is advisable to vacuum a piece of furniture regularly. Use the correct nozzle for this (soft brush that is only used for this purpose). Iron carefully with low suction power, and with fabrics with a pile always follow with the hint. Dust particles that cause damage will be removed in this way.

Fabrics and properties

Polyester
Entirely synthetic fibres like polyester are very hard-wearing and absorb little moisture. However, they do tend to get electrostatically charged. This makes the furniture fabric attract particles of dust faster, particularly in dry environments. For this reason, good air humidity in the room (50-60% RH) is important. Polyester furniture fabrics are permanently fire-retardant, can be easily cleaned, do not shrink and are resistant to bacteria and mould.

Cotton
Apart from being hard-wearing, cotton furniture fabrics absorb moisture easily and do not easily get electrostatically charged. However, this fabric get dirty quicker than wool. Cotton furniture is easy to clean.

Trevira CS
Textiles made of Trevira CS are very easy to clean because they dry quickly and keep their shape, which means that they do not need to be ironed. Their permanent fire resistance is embedded in the molecular structure of the fabric and therefore remains intact after cleaning.

Wool
Woollen furniture fabrics are generally hard-wearing, absorb moisture easily and do not easily get electrostatically charged. Wool also has a certain amount of fire-retardancy. Because of surplus wool fibres, woollen furniture fabric may produce fluff initially. This will stop and will not affect durability. Ensure that woollen fabric never get soaked right through.

Stains

Stains in these fabrics can often be removed with a damp cloth. If the stain has dried in, any surplus substances must first be removed by hand or with a soft brush. The stain should then be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. Then fully remove the stain according to the table below.

Download care table (PDF)

Never use undiluted cleaning agents, bleach, ammonia or soap that is intended for hard surfaces. Having the fabrics dry cleaned is also a solution; however this cleaning method is at your own risk. Discuss what the risks are with the cleaning company before you go ahead, these are for your own risk.

Foam

Seating contains foam to improve comfort. This foam is available in various grades of density and hardness. For each model, we try to find the optimum combination of these two properties – this is what determines the quality of the foam and, ultimately, the comfort. One of the properties of foam is that it takes up to 6 months for it to stabilise. During this 6-month period, the hardness may decrease by about 15 to 20%. So your seat will feel softer and more comfortable. We recommend that you use all of the individual seats equally to avoid differences in the amount of ‘wearing in’ and possible wrinkling. We also recommend that you give loose cushions a regular good shake and swap them around in order to maintain their comfort and volume.

Warning

Dry-cleaning agents and solvents can be poisonous and/or inflammable. Please follow the safety directions when using these products. Always wear gloves and protective clothing. Cover those parts of the furniture that are not to be cleaned, especially the wooden parts. Ventilate the room well during and after treatment to accelerate evaporation of the cleaning agent. Do not use heaters for this or any other form of direct heating.