Martha Stewart: Flawless furniture

Take care cleaning up your act
If you have a particularly busy household, especially one with children and pets, you should do a weekly routine cleaning of your wood and upholstered furniture to keep it looking fresh.

Vacuum cushions and chair and sofa frames once or twice a week, using an upholstery tool.

Once or twice a month, gently beat dust from cushions with your hands. Take the cushions outside first, so that dust doesn’t settle on floors.

When it comes to cleaning the fabrics used for upholstery, draperies and slipcovers, follow manufacturers’ care labels.
These labels will be marked with a letter indicating the type of cleaning agent (or agents) recommended.

The letter ‘W’ means to spot-clean the upholstered fabric using foam from a water-based cleaning agent, such as a mild detergent, or a commercial nonsolvent upholstery shampoo. Use it sparingly.

The letter ‘S’ means to spot-clean the upholstery with a mild, water-free solvent or dry-cleaning product. Use sparingly and in a well-ventilated room. Never use a water-based solvent cleaner, which could cause spots or excessive shrinkage.

The letters ‘WS’ mean to spot-clean using either a water-based detergent or solvent-based upholstery cleaner. An ‘X’ means only vacuuming or light brushing, and that no cleaner is safe.

Giving wood a great finish requires the right start
Bare wood is absorbent and marks easily, so furniture is sealed with a finish when it’s manufactured to protect it from scratches and spills, to give it shine and to enhance its natural beauty and color.

A finish is any clear coating that is either “on the wood,” which means it sits on the surface, or “in the wood,” which means it soaks into the wood in such a way that you can still see and feel the grain.

Most commercially manufactured furniture made since the 1930s is finished with clear lacquer, which is a hard, durable and flexible coating that is scratch-
resistant and impervious to most household cleaners and spills. Vintage and antique pieces, on the other hand, are often finished with varnish, oil or shellac, which are less durable than lacquer and benefit from a yearly coat of wax.

Regular polishing of wood furniture — using one of the many liquids, creams or aerosols designed to dispel dust or generate a shine — is unnecessary and can even damage the wood.

For all wood furniture, dusting is the only necessary maintenance. Simply wipe the furniture weekly with a soft cloth lightly dampened with water.

If a surface is particularly dirty or sticky, dampen the cloth with a solution of water and mild dishwashing liquid, wring it out, and wipe the surface well, being careful not to saturate the wood. Rinse the cloth and follow with another cloth and clean water. Always wipe dry with a soft, clean cloth.