When you invest in handmade furniture, routine care and maintenance are essential in maintaining your piece's original look for many years to come. Here are some of the best ways to safeguard and preserve the beauty of your Boston Mills furniture:

FURNITURE CARE

Boston Mills furniture is handmade from solid wood and can last a lifetime, passed down through multiple generations. Nevertheless, even the highest quality furniture is susceptible to scratches and abrasions without proper care. 

GENERAL FURNITURE CARE

• Never slide or drag the furniture to move it; doing so can damage the legs or frame of your furniture and damage your flooring. Never pull or attempt to lift your furnishings from an armrest or area other than the bottom base. Lifting an item from any place other than the bottom base may cause damage. Most Boston Mills furniture is designed to be static and should not be moved without appropriate handling equipment and a sufficient number of experienced movers.
• Boston Mills furniture is heavy; if it will rest on any surface other than carpet, it's best to place it on felt pads or rubberized feet.
• Never stand on furniture or rock backward on chairs.
• Use mats, coasters, and protective layers when placing food and beverages on your tables. Heat and dampness from cups and plates can cause damage. It's not only that the different temperatures can be brutal on the wood, but sliding a glass around or emphatically setting a teapot down on the furniture surface can cause minor damage.
• When removing any items from the furniture's surface, always lift the objects away and never slide them off.
• Spillage can be harmful to the surface of your furniture. Ensure you have a sponge to blot the liquid from the surface immediately and a cloth to wipe up.
• If pets are allowed on furniture, it is necessary to place protection over in the areas your pet likes to jump up on and lay down. If you keep your pet indoors while away, it is good to cover your entire seat area with blankets. A large folded fleece blanket can be a good solution.
• Keep the furniture away from direct sunlight and heat sources, such as fireplaces or radiators. Direct exposure to sunlight and a humid atmosphere can damage it. Always use a humidifier if the area experiences extreme humidity variation.

DUSTING PROCESS

Dusting regularly and properly helps maintain your new furniture surface—do it every two weeks to remove loose dust so it does not settle into the wood. Dust is a very abrasive surface contaminant, usually containing tiny bits of sand or other hard debris. If not removed properly, it can turn a dust cloth into sandpaper. The goal is to remove as much dust as possible before utilizing any cleaners or cleaning cloths.

Improper dusting can do more harm than good; we recommend you always begin the dusting process by using a feather duster:

• Begin by removing all items from the table surface. Then, going in the same direction as the wood grain, gently slide the feather duster over the surface. It lifts a great deal of dust off the surface. Repeat as many times as necessary until you don't see any remaining dust layer on the surface.
• Next, use a soft cloth to gently wipe in the same direction as the wood grain and remove as much remaining surface soiling as possible.
• Finish by utilizing a soft cloth combined with a gentle, non-abrasive cleaner. Ensure the cleaner does not contain ammonia, waxes, silicone, or harsh chemicals. We recommend Guardsman* wood care cleaners.
• In all processes, only apply light pressure and gently wipe in the direction of the surface's grain pattern. Do not scrub and do not rub in circular motions.

HUMIDITY AND LIGHTING

Rosewood and other hardwoods are sensitive to changes in relative humidity. It means that furniture is constantly expanding and contracting. As the weather changes, so do the relative humidity in your home and the wood's moisture content in your furniture. We recommend conditions of around 70°F-72°F and relative humidity of approximately 50-55% to keep your furniture looking fine and lasting a long time. We advise keeping a humidifier, especially if you live in an area that experiences one extreme or another.

Many kinds of wood, especially rosewood, are also sensitive to light. They will change colors when exposed to high-intensity light or even sunlight for long periods. Prolonged exposure to UV rays also causes significant leather fading and drying; the darker the color, the more prone the leather will be to fading. Once the leather has faded, the color cannot be restored without re-dyeing or reupholstering the piece. Even a slight reduction in the time you expose the furniture to direct sunlight or UV rays will help extend its life. Adding window treatments or curtains to your windows can be an effective strategy to keep light out.

LEATHER CARE

Authentic leather is luxurious, gorgeous, incredibly durable, and will never go out of style in furniture upholstery. Like a fine wine, quality leather improves with age. Additionally, leather has no place for allergens to hide, and it's easy to whisk them away with a damp dusting cloth. We recommend being proactive with care to repel stains and retain leather's color and softness.

Do not use cleaning solvents, furniture polish, varnish, abrasive cleaners, saddle soaps, oils, or ammonia water on leather. Also, do not use a product that contains either wax or silicone; both of those ingredients can make your leather permanently sticky.

GENERAL LEATHER CARE

• Under everyday use, weekly dusting and vacuuming are necessary to remove stuck-on debris and dirt.
• Immediately blot spills with clean white cloth by moving towards the spill's center, and wipe excess liquid instantly with a clean, absorbent cloth. Do not rub, and if necessary, use clean lukewarm water only and let the surface air dry naturally.
• To minimize fading, do not place leather furniture where it could have exposure to direct sunlight.

LEATHER CLEANING AND CONDITIONING

• We recommend Guardsman® Clean & Renew* to treat minor stains.
• For water-based stains, use cleaner according to package directions.
• Oil-based stains are more challenging to remove initially but dissipate into the leather over some time.
• Use Guardsman® Protect & Preserve* to restore softness and color and deep-condition leather twice a year to prevent it from drying out or cracking. For best results, apply it as soon as the leather starts looking faded or dry.
• Let the wet leather air dry at room temperature.
• Do not spray straight onto leather; always apply to a microfiber cloth.
• Do not use intense or artificial heat to accelerate drying as it can cause leather damage and cracks.
• For prominent or stubborn stains, contact a professional upholstery cleaning company.

BRASS CARE

Brass is strong, durable, and highly resistant to corrosion and has been part of furniture design for centuries.

We apply a protective layer on brass to safeguard its surface and prevent tarnishing. Therefore, cleaning is easy; simply wipe with a soft, damp cloth. If it’s considerably grimy, use a mild mix of washing-up liquid and warm water. Wipe the surface with a clean cloth and dry thoroughly. Do not use any household cleaner on it, or you will damage the surface.

MARBLE CARE

Marble is a timeless and distinctive material; every piece is unique and can bring extra intrigue to a piece of furniture. It's frequently incorporated into our contemporary designs. The dense marble structure makes it very durable. Still, if not correctly cared for, the marble is at risk of being stained, scratched, etched, or broken. Minimal care of your marble will ensure that it lasts for a long time. 

• Dust your marble-top clean with a soft, dry cloth every week.
• If you need to damp the surface to remove more stubborn marks, like fingerprints, use only water – preferably distilled or purified.
• Do not place hot objects directly on the marble surface.
• Use protective felt pads on the bottom of your items for end tables and consoles displaying art, vases, or other hard objects to prevent the marble surface from scratching.
• Never stand or sit on your marble tabletop and avoid placing heavy items on it. Marble is not flexible and won't react well if burdened with a considerable load; it can crack or break along its natural lines and veins.
• Always mop spills up instantly, even if it's just water. Acidic and alkali substances can stain or etch the surface, such as wine, coffee, lemon juice, vinegar, carbonated soft drinks, or toiletries. Wipe them away with a clean, colorless sponge or cloth to avoid color transfer or smearing. Dry the surface directly afterward with a clean, soft cloth or chamois leather.
• To prevent driving dirt into the marble when cleaning up a stain, refresh your cleaning materials regularly and wipe up any drops or residue right away.
• We recommend Guardsman's 3-step system of 'Clean-Seal-Polish'* for total stone care, specifically formulated to care for marble. Although it is a 3-step system, each Guardsman Stone Care product can be used individually with equal product effectiveness. Do not use domestic cleaning products like detergents, furniture polish, soaps, bleach, or multi-purpose sprays. They leave chemicals or a residue on the surface that will damage, discolor, or dull the marble over time.

*Before applying any product, we strongly recommend you test a small area in a discrete place to ensure it does not react adversely. 

PROFESSIONAL CARE

If you treat your Boston Mills furniture with essential care, there should be no need to reach out to a professional for help. However, sometimes accidents happen, and when they do, it is best to let a professional find you the best solution. Boston Mills recommends Guardsman for any service you may need on your furniture. Click here to schedule a Guardsman Service Request.