UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE

Regular maintenance

To keep your William Yeoward Furniture looking good, we recommend vacuuming your upholstery occasionally, using a soft brush attachment. If you have feather seat interiors – brush the cover with a soft brush, to avoid the risk of a vacuum pulling the feathers into the cushion fabric. Dust and dirt can accumulate over time leading to colour dullness and premature wear. We also advise that you avoid exposing your furniture to direct sunlight or heat for prolonged periods of time as this may lead to colour fading. It’s also important to shake and flip cushions regularly to help maintain shape and comfort.

Cleaning

It is difficult to provide exact advice as different fibres and fabric construction combined with local environmental factors require specialist cleaning techniques. We recommend that you contact a professional upholstery cleaning company.

Spots & Spills

In the event of a spillage, we recommend that you act as quickly as possible. Do not rub, soak the material or allow the stain to dry and set. Absorb the spillage using white kitchen roll or a white bleach free dry absorbent cloth. Where solids are concerned, scrape up with a blunt knife or spatula, being careful not to spread the stain further. Treat wine, spirits or coffee stains with distilled water only. For oil and grease marks, use a proprietary cleaning fluid.

Some stains respond better to removal whilst they are still wet. Before tackling the stain with any cleaning fluid, we recommend that you test it on an unexposed part of fabric to ensure no further damage is caused. If in any doubt, please seek help from a professional upholstery cleaning company.

HARDCASE FURNITURE

Removing dust and dirt

Dust using a soft lint-free dry cloth in the direction of the grain.

To remove dirt, wipe with a soft lint-free cloth wrung out in warm water. Dry thoroughly with a soft lint-free dry cloth in the same direction as the grain. For more stubborn marks or grease, a very weak solution of pure soap washing-up liquid in water may be used.

Spills of any kind should be wiped clean as soon as possible. For polished nickel surfaces, we recommend simply using a soft lint-free cloth to burnish.

Never use any silicon-based product or other spray polishes when cleaning. These will cause deterioration in the appearance of the furniture over time.

Do not use abrasives or chemical cleaners such as metal polish, which may damage the surface. The use of wax polish onto modern lacquered finishes is not recommended.

Avoiding scratches and dents

Avoid placing handbags, briefcases or other sharp objects onto furniture. Always lift and never slide items across furniture (such as lamps or candlesticks). When writing or using laptops, furniture surfaces should be protected by a pad.

Temperature & Humidity

Crockery containing hot or very cold food or drinks should always be placed on heat-resistant mats.

Avoid placing furniture in direct sunlight or near any other form of heat, such as radiators. Please be aware that underfloor heating can also affect stability.

In order to prevent adverse shrinkage and movement, and to maintain the stability and finish quality of our furniture, you should aim to keep the relative humidity in the room at 45-50% (+/-5%).

The relative humidity needs to be maintained at a constant level regardless of season. Any sudden change can cause shrinkage or splitting of the timber elements and could result in metallic inlays becoming detached or distorted.

Do not place wet objects onto furniture (flower vases, wet clothing etc.)

Do not leave liquid spillages on the surfaces of the furniture. Wipe away immediately.

BRONZE

The best way to clean your hardware is to wipe it with a damp or dry cloth. If you open and close a handle regularly, the abrasion from your hand will change the colour of the hardware. This is normal and very natural.

NICKEL

Lightly buff with a silver cloth to remove any polish residue to create a high sheen. Do not use liquid polish.

LIGHTING

Clean with a damp cloth and wipe gently (do not use cleaning detergents of any kind)

ART GLASS

Do not clean your crystal in the dishwasher or use abrasive or acidic agents. Hand wash only with a mild detergent and warm water and dry with a soft cloth.

Carefully handle, making sure to avoid surface scratching and chipping and avoid contact with hard and sharp objects.

CUSHIONS

Dry clean only. Avoid direct sunlight.

RUGS

To best care for your rug, we recommend that you lightly vacuum it on a regular basis using the nozzle attachment. Avoid using brush attachments as these can harm the rug fibres and remember to always vacuum in the direction of the pile.

It is normal for a new rug to ‘shed’ some fibre at the beginning and you may therefore find that you have to vacuum a little more frequently. This will diminish relatively quickly.

As far as possible please ensure that you avoid placing the rug in direct sunlight for sustained periods of time as this can lead to colour fading.

If you are concerned about the rug slipping, we recommend that you use a rug hold underlay.

We always recommend treating your rug with our bespoke extra rug protection and cleaning by a specialist rug cleaner. However, if a spillage occurs, blot immediately with a clean dry white cloth, making sure not to rub the spillage into the pile. Do not use harsh detergent. It is important not to walk or place items on the rug until it is completely dry to prevent lasting damage.

Wool Rugs - Wool fibres have their own natural thin, protective layer, which repels dirt. This will allow you to act quickly if a spillage occurs on your rug by cleaning the spot lightly with a damp cloth or an absorbing paper towel. Be careful not to rub.

Viscose and Tencel Yarns – These fibres are plant based and more delicate. Use a clean white cloth or paper towel to absorb the spill, gently blotting the area starting from the edge of the spot and working your way to the centre. Be careful not to rub. Once the liquid has been blotted, use a clean cloth lightly dampened by water to dab the stain. If possible, use a fine comb to raise the pile in direction with the remainder of the rug pile and try to dry the pile with a low-heat hairdryer whilst continuing to comb as quickly as possible.

Recommended Cleaning Company

Having worked with this company for many years, we recommend Ace Carpet Cleaning Ltd for the cleaning and maintenance of all William Yeoward Rugs. Please note that William Yeoward is not responsible for any work done by Ace Carpet Cleaning Ltd.

Ace Carpet Cleaning Ltd

London: 020 7820 0108
Kent: 019 5954 1325
Surrey & Essex: 018 8334 1653
Email: [email protected]

FABRICS

Careful and regular maintenance is the key to prolonging the life and retaining the appearance of soft furnishings. The following notes are offered as a brief guide on the care and cleaning of fabrics.

The principal causes of soiling are airborne dust, cigarette smoke, gas or open fires and accidental spillage or staining. Most of these can be avoided or at least reduced; others can be remedied by timely and appropriate maintenance. The regular use of a vacuum cleaner with an appropriate attachment can significantly extend the life of furnishings. Curtains and upholstery should be vacuum cleaned once a week.

Always follow the recommendations given by the care symbols in price lists and pattern books.

Washing

Wash fabrics regularly and do not wait until heavy soiling has occurred. It is important not to wash large items such as full-length curtains or loose covers in a domestic washing machine as the abrasion resulting from too large a load will cause colour loss, shrinkage and/or creasing. Follow the fabric manufacturer’s recommendations in relation to temperature, wash method, drying and ironing procedures. These are all indicated by the Care Symbols, a key to which can be found below. Never use bleaches when washing soft furnishings. Remember also that almost all washing powders contain bleach or optical brightening agents. Do not soak fabrics for prolonged periods of time, or leave in a washing machine while still damp, as migration of colour can occur.

Dry Cleaning

Where dry cleaning is advised make sure the cleaner is made aware of the appropriate process. Many types of fabric require careful treatment with reduced agitation, and specific solvents. This is indicated by the Care Symbols. It is generally inadvisable to use proprietary spot-cleaners or dry-cleaning aerosol sprays, except when specifically approved for certain fabric types: it is better to use professional on-site cleaning contractors.

Light Fastness

Printed or dyed furnishing fabrics nowadays have good inherent resistance to fading in light, but all fabrics do fade eventually. Curtains and blinds should always be lined and, if possible, drawn right back from the windows during daylight hours.

WALLPAPERS

Full hanging instructions are printed on the reverse of the labels which are enclosed with every roll. Please read and follow these instructions carefully. When buying wallpaper be sure to order enough to complete a particular job, because there can be differences in shade from batch to batch. Always state the batch number if it is necessary to order extra paper.

Wallpapers are made from natural materials and may contain small blemishes. This is normally not a problem as isolated marks can be cut round without undue wastage. Be sure to use the correct adhesive and use according to the manufacturers instructions. We always recommend the use of a pre-mixed tub adhesive. Do not handle the paper more than is necessary or rub it with a cloth or rag. Although wallpaper has a protective finish, it is vulnerable when still wet and can be damaged by excessive rubbing. It is important to avoid brushing out the paper too vigorously when hanging as this can cause overstretching, which may result in unsightly gaps between lengths when the paper dries out.

When papers have dark backgrounds it may be desirable to disguise the joins with a suitably coloured crayon or chalk. Certain types of wallpapers, such as non-wovens, require a paste the wall technique. This will be indicated in the hanging instructions on the wallpaper label.

Paper Wallpapers

Please check that batch numbers are the same and there are no visible defects. Check design direction prior to hanging. Stop hanging wallpaper if after three lengths you see faults; supplier’s responsibility is limited to cost of replacement wallpaper. Prepare walls so they are dry, clean, and free of old wallpaper and paint. Absorbent surfaces must be sized with a primer/sealer. Line walls with good quality lining paper. Use a good quality pre-mixed adhesive for both lining paper and wallpaper. Paste the reverse of the paper generously, loosely fold adhesive side in and allow to soak for 4–5 minutes until pliable. Hang the wallpaper taking care to match the pattern. Smooth the paper using a brush or plastic spatula. Trim top and bottom with a sharp knife or scissors. Immediately remove any paste from the surface with a damp, clean cloth to prevent discolouration.

Non-Woven Wallpapers

Please check that batch numbers are the same on all rolls and there are no visible defects. Check design direction prior to hanging. Stop hanging paper if after three lengths you see faults; the supplier’s responsibility is limited to cost of replacement paper. Prepare walls so they are clean, dry and free of old paper or paint. Absorbent surfaces must be sized with a primer/sealer. Cross line walls horizontally with good quality lining paper. Use a good quality pre-mixed adhesive containing fungicide for both the lining paper and the wallcovering. Paste the wall with a generous coat of adhesive. Hang the wallpaper carefully with butt joins, taking care to match the pattern. Smooth out the paper using a brush or plastic spatula. Trim top and bottom with a sharp pair of scissors. Remove any surplus paste from the surface immediately with a damp cloth to prevent later discolouration.

Key to Care Symbols

Please see Designers Guild