Features of Natural Wood
Because wood is a natural material it is important to understand its properties so you can get the best use out of your furniture and prolong its life.
Timber Movement and Expansion
Because of changes in temperature and humidity from season to season, all timber is subject to movement. This could mean that moving parts, such as drawers, slide out less easily over time. To retain ease of movement we recommend rubbing a little candle wax on the drawer runners.
We recommend that furniture is kept away from immediate sources of heat e.g. direct sunlight, a radiator or fire. Likewise there could be product issues if your furniture is left in excessively low temperatures or damp environments.
Moving Furniture
When moving your furniture, please ensure you position it on a level surface to ensure that doors hang correctly and drawers open smoothly. It is also important that all fixings are in the right place and tightened correctly. Also, get help to lift furniture if necessary instead of sliding it.
Natural Wood Finishes
Each piece of wood has a slightly different grain pattern and may have natural knots and joints. Variations in colour, shading and grain between different products and the same products can occur – this is a perfectly normal feature of all natural wood furniture. None of this affects strength or performance in any way.
Medullary rays are marks that are created when wood is cut across the grain producing interesting features such as growth rings and flecks.
Resin pockets are natural features of wood and will appear as small marks in the finish. Please note that these are perfectly normal features of natural wood and are not defects.
Leather
Despite the highly skilled nature of the tanning process, every single piece of leather remains unique in style, hallmarked with its own characteristics and qualities. Leather is a natural fibre and will always bear a number of hallmarks, such as growth lines, scars, grain and texture variation, as testimony to its natural origins. These hallmarks have long been considered one of leather’s principle attractions.
Solid Wood Beds & Bedroom Furniture
Because we use natural materials in our workmanship, we recommend the following care instructions to help maintain and enhance the natural beauty of your new furniture.
Keep out of direct sunlight and away from sources of immediate heat, such as a radiator.
Keep free of dust and dirt by using a dry, lint free cloth – do not use any silicone based cleaning or polishing products.
Do not use any adhesives to stick anything to the wood because this will damage the surface.
For natural wood finishes only, we recommend that you apply a clear beeswax every 6 months – this will help to clean and nourish the wood, while also building up resistance. Apply the wax using a dry, lint free cloth and work it in the surface, working with the grain where possible.
Do not apply beeswax to any painted finish furniture.
Take care to prevent sharp objects such as toys, buckles and heels from coming into contact with your furniture.
Avoid contact with any chemicals such as hair / makeup products and sun cream etc as these may affect the finish.
To avoid ring marks from cups or glasses please use a coaster.
Upholstered Products
We recommend following these care instructions to help maintain upholstered products.
Leather
Fully finished leathers have been given a pigment coating and a high performance finish. This has the effect of disguising some of the natural marks that are found on leather, and also of minimising the variation of grain and texture.
For regular cleaning, simply take a soft cloth and wring it out in a warm soap solution. This should be mild soap-never a detergent. Wipe the leather using a light circular motion, taking care not to soak the leather. Repeat using clean water. For light dust, please use a dry cloth only – do not use polish.
Do not attempt to feed the leather in any way. In particular, the use of spray polishes, saddle soaps, waxes and so-called hide foods may well create a sticky surface, attracting dirt and, in time, causing irreversible damage.
Leather is naturally a very hard-wearing product. However, we would recommend protecting it from sharp objects and from long periods of direct sunlight and excessive heat.
Fabric
- Clean upholstered fabrics every 1-2 months, this will help remove dust and dirt particles that can hide within the surface.
- Vacuum your upholstery to draw out any loose dust and dirt from the surface. Use a soft brush attachment and gentle movements for this task to avoid scratching or marking the material. This is especially important for delicate fabrics
- For marks or stains, apply a small amount of mild fabric cleaner to a soft, damp, lint free cloth. Wipe using a light circular motion, taking care not to soak the fabric. Leave to dry naturally.
You can, by taking the following simple steps, ensure you get the maximum life expectancy from your mattress.
Turn the mattress at least once a week during the first three to six months use, then once a month thereafter. This action will minimise the depression that quite normally occurs when the cushioning layers settle.
‘No-Turn’ mattresses have only one sleeping surface so should not be turned, but they do need to be rotated 180° every month. This helps prevent uneven settlement and/or sagging.
Always use a suitable mattress protector or under-blanket to prevent the dyes used in some mattresses transferring onto bed linen as a reaction to body moisture or liquids.
Avoid persistent sitting on the edge of the bed as this places undue strain on the rod edge and perimeter springs. Never use a vacuum cleaner, soft brush your mattress regularly.
Never roll or fold your mattress when moving or storing. All our mattresses, apart from Next Generation Memory, have straight lengths of wire down each side as a part of the spring unit which, if bent, will not straighten.
Never use a mattress on something not designed for it. The life of a mattress can be severely shortened by use of an unsuitable base.
