- Visit us
- Contact us
- Virtual consultation
-
Live chat
- Join the team
- Trade
Product TLC
A few things to note about our fabrics
- Most of our fabrics are woven from natural fibres and colours may differ ever so slightly from one batch to another. This is normal and part of what makes them unique and lovely. Rest assured that all our suppliers carry out ongoing visual checks to ensure they meet our exacting standards.
- Our fabrics are designed to sustain normal wear and tear.
- All our upholstered products conform to strict UK standards for domestic fire retardancy.
- From time to time our sofas and armchairs may have a slight chemical smell when first delivered. This comes from a special flame-retardant coating used to treat and protect our upholstery. This is normal and the smell will soon disappear within a couple of days, although in very rare cases it can take up to two weeks.
Quick care tips for upholstery
Hoover your upholstery: You can give your upholstery a new lease of life by hoovering it, which will help to remove dust and dirt and refresh the colour of the fabric. The small but wide attachment for your hoover (the one with a small velvety strip on it) is intended for upholstery. For the arms and any pleats, you can try a soft, clean brush too.
Mop up spillages as quickly as possible: Use a dry, absorbent kitchen towel or clean cloth. Place this over the spillage and press gently to absorb as much of the spill as you can. No rubbing or scrubbing please! This can make the stain worse. Adding more liquid to the stain can result in watermarks or discolour the dye in the fabric, so avoid this too. If you use a cleaner, always pre-test it on a less obvious part of the furniture such as the back or under a cushion.
Get the professionals in for tricky stains: If stains just won't budge we recommend contacting a certified company that can send professional upholstery cleaners to your home. They will see the symbol which indicates which chemical wash and method to use. The little bar under the circle reminds them that our products need to be treated with a milder process (than standard) to stop any shrinkage.
Keep upholstery out of sunlight and heat: They can cause lovely bright colours to fade and reduce the lifespan of fabric.
Rotate and plump cushions to maintain their shape: To keep our feather, foam and eco fibre cushions at their comfy best, make sure to rotate them
- Pick the cushion up from the corners and give it a good whack on each side to get the feathers moving.
- Give the centre of each cushion a good bash so it's nice and neat. Then sit back and relax!
Keep bums on seats: Avoid perching on the edge of the cushions or the arms as this may cause the fillings or fabric to lose their shape.The same goes for kids - shoes off and try to avoid bouncing on the sofa! Be careful of sharp things that may catch on your sofa too. If you find a snag, carefully snip the loose thread with a pair of scissors.
Don't forget the feet: All woods have a unique grain pattern and shades may vary a little. It's part of their natural charm. Wooden feet don't need much TLC but keep free from dust by wiping with a clean cloth every now and then. Steer clear of spray polishes or solvent cleaners as these may damage the wood (or fabric if spilled).
Quick care tips for different upholstery types
Velvet upholstery: Velvets are prone to mark a little under pressure. Most pressure marks are easily removed by gently steaming and brushing the velvet with a soft brush.
Upholstery with removable covers: If your sofa or armchair is fitted with removable covers, please don't put them in your washing machine - head to a dry cleaner. Our Clever Slubby Cotton is naturally dyed so this one will need to go to a professional upholstery cleaner.
Upholstery with fixed covers: This includes your seat, scatter and back cushions. Get a professional upholstery cleaner in, they can clean your sofa in situ.
Leather upholstery: Leather is a natural product so no two hides are the same so you can expect some variation. Our extremely hardy leathers look even better and get softer with time.
Dust weekly using a clean soft cloth and clean quarterly by
wiping over with a lukewarm, mild solution of a pure soaping agent
such as Lux Flakes. Opt for a slightly damp cloth and always make
sure that you don't over-soak the cloth. Please don't use saddle
soap or any other specialty cleaning products, we can assure you
your leather upholstery won't like it. If you spill something, blot
(never rub) the spot immediately with a dry absorbent cloth.
Be careful with sharp objects, like belt buckles, as they can
scratch the leather.
Shearer upholstery: Sheepskin is naturally robust and durable, but a little extra TLC goes a long way to keep it looking tip-top. Make sure not to put your shearer upholstery anywhere damp (be careful if you're putting it in storage for example) as this can damage the natural pelt.
If you drop food, scoop it up quickly and try not to smush it further into the wool pile. For spills, treat shearer as you would other upholstery - blot the area with a damp cloth (never rub) but also give it a brush. We recommend brushing regularly when dry too.
A few things to note about our mattresses
- Your new mattress will need to breathe a bit when it arrives. After unwrapping it, leave it uncovered for a few hours to allow any condensation and initial odour to escape. Carefully dispose of the protective polythene covers as they can pose a danger to small children.
- All our mattresses are handcrafted in Wiltshire. Handcrafted mattresses can vary slightly in size from one to another. A variation of +/- 3cm is normal and is not considered a fault.
- During storage and transit the springs can nestle into each other, temporarily reducing the width or length. The mattress should regain its natural dimensions with use over the first 6-12 weeks.
- Mattresses that contain generous amounts of upholstery fillings tend to 'settle' naturally. This settlement will be more noticeable in areas under the most body weight - this is normal.
- Your new Loaf mattress is suitable for use on a bedstead, as long as the gap between the bedstead slats is no greater than 7cm. A wider gap could affect the comfort of and even damage your new mattress.
- Ideally, your bed frame should be slightly larger than your mattress. This ensures that the mattress is evenly stressed and prevents sagging or damage to the edges. The right amount of space also makes it easier to change sheets and allows for good hygiene as air can circulate around the bed.
- If you've purchased a Muffin Top mattress, make sure you remove packaging straps and clips before use. The corners of this mattress will have been clipped down to avoid damage in transit. Simply cut the clips with scissors, but be careful not to catch the mattress fabric.
Quick care tips for our mattresses
Rotate your mattress regularly: This will keep it in pristine condition and will allow for even filling settlement and comfort. A heads up, our pocket sprung mattresses are heavy so we advise that turning, rotating or moving the mattress be a two-person job! Some of our mattresses have handles to assist with this.
We recommend rotating our Muffin Top, Perfect, Kids and
Spare mattresses every two weeks (no need to flip) to keep
them at their Loafy best.
Our Top Dog mattress should be rotated every two
weeks. It also has two sleeping sides, so we suggest flipping it
once a week for the first three months and then once a month
thereafter, to keep it in tip-top condition.
The mattresses on our sofa beds are double-sided so flip and rotate them regularly for even wear to both sides.
Use a mattress protector: We also strongly recommend using one of our mattress protectors, not just to maximise comfort, but to protect your mattress from any damage or discolouration. A heads up that any stains will void your 10-year guarantee.
Don't fold your mattress: The spring unit inside your mattress could be damaged and the tufts may pull through the cover if it is bent or rolled. As well as invalidating your guarantee, it won't be as comfy.
No trampolining, please: Jumping on the mattress can damage the cover, springs and divan.
Don't use your mattress on old divans: This will affect the comfort and even damage your new mattress.
Don't sit on the edge of your mattress: Sitting
on the edge for prolonged periods causes compression of the
mattress fillings and damage to mattress walls.
Clean your mattress regularly: Your new mattress
should be brushed every month to keep it fresh. If you have a
tufted mattress we advise you pay particular attention to the tuft
buttons, as dust tends to settle there.
Something to note about our wooden and upholstered beds
Should your bed develop a squeak, please check the bolts and retighten as necessary.
Something to note about our sofa beds
Whip off bed linen from the mattress before closing away the sofa bed to help avoid damage to the mechanism.
A few things to note about our storage beds
- When the mattress is removed from our ottoman beds, there is the possibility that the bed platform can spring upwards. This is exactly what it's designed to do, but please take care!
- To ensure you get many years of use out of the lifting mechanism and that it doesn't bend from incorrect use, you should place one hand either side of the centre of the bed platform (as you face the bed head-on from the footboard) and then gently lift upwards. These mechanisms are subject to a lot of force, so a little TLC will save you having to get it fixed later down the line.
- The lifting mechanism is only tested using our own mattresses. We strongly recommend you use one of our mattresses, as we cannot guarantee that the lifting mechanism will work with other ones.
Something to know about our wooden furniture
Each piece of wood has its own unique grain pattern, which means you can sometimes get a slight variation in colour, shading and grain between different products and within the same product. Small splits are a normal feature of all natural wooden furniture, likewise, knots and joint lines will sometimes be visible through a painted surface. It all adds to the character of your wooden piece.
Quick care tips for our wooden furniture
Rub down and dust regularly: Use a nice soft cloth. If you're using detergent, a mild, wood-friendly solution works a treat too. Dry with a lint-free cloth. Avoid using polishes that contain silicone as these can spoil the wood finish over time.
Deal with spills immediately: Remove spills from your wooden piece right away using a clean, damp cloth and then dry immediately with a lint-free rag.
Use candle wax if drawers are a bit stiff: Changes in atmospheric temperature and humidity make all timber expand a little. So you might find the drawer movement gets a bit stiff. You can get drawers running nice and smoothly again by rubbing a little candle wax on the runners.
Keep your wooden furniture away from direct sunlight and heat: Exposure can stain, discolour, crack or warp it.
Avoid dragging furniture across the floor: It will cause damage to the joints, not to mention your floor.
Don't lean backwards on two legs of a chair or stool: This can weaken the joints, and won't get you any points for manners (for some reason!)
A few things to know about our rugs
- Our rugs are handmade using the finest quality wools and natural fibres, so should sustain normal wear and tear caused by day-to-day life.
- Our rugs aren't designed for outdoor use.
- As our rugs are made from natural materials, they may have an odour when you first roll them out. This will fade after a few weeks.
- If it looks a little fluffy when you first roll it out, that will just be excess fibres. They can be easily removed by hoovering without a brush roller.
Quick care tips for all our rugs
Keep away from direct sunlight and moisture: Exposure can result in fading and discolouration.
Snip, don't pull, loose threads: If you find the odd loose thread, just snip it off with a nice, sharp pair of scissors. Tuck any loose ends back into the weave to prevent fraying.
Hoover regularly: This will keep your rug in tip-top condition. Avoid using a rotary brush as it can pull up the fibres and make the surface look fuzzy.
Quick care tips for different rug types
Jute rugs: Avoid beating your jute rug as this upsets the natural fibres. Try not to get your jute rug wet - never wet shampoo or steam clean it. If you do spill something, spot-clean as soon as possible, using a clean cloth to soak up spills by blotting(not rubbing) the area. Pro tip: work from the outside toward the centre of the spill.
Wool rugs: To clean your wool rug, use a carpet cleaner and blot stains with a clean cloth (no rubbing please). If it's a really stubborn stain, we recommend you get the professionals in. Bobbly, loopy textured rugs and plush pile rugs are not suitable for use with wheeled furniture as the wheels are likely to catch the rug fibres and damage the rug. If you are using the rug in areas where wheeled furniture like office chairs we recommend purchasing a flatter tightly woven rug.
Linen and sheepskin rugs: If you do spill something, spot-clean as soon as possible, using a clean cloth to soak up spills by blotting (not rubbing) the area.
Quick care tips for furniture with metal legs
Steer clear of metal polishes: They'll damage your product's protective coating.
Make sure to wipe down with a clean cloth: Avoid using a cloth you might have used on other furniture, as it could be impregnated with the polishes we've advised not to use. Buff with a lint-free rag for shine.
Quick care tips for metal, marble, glass and terrazzo stone pieces
Clean carefully and regularly: Use a slightly damp cloth to wipe down and then dry with a non-abrasive cloth. Avoid harsh cleaners as they can damage the surface.
Protect your surfaces: Always use coasters or placemats for your drinks as stains and watermarks from food or drink can be permanent. Don't forget that glass and marble surfaces can shatter, so protect them from any heavy impact.