Product TLC
A few pointers 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 though that all our suppliers carry out ongoing visual checks to ensure that nothing too extreme gets through the net.
- Our fabrics will sustain normal wear and tear.
- All our lovely upholstered products conform to the very strict UK standards for domestic fire retardancy.
- From time to time our sofas may have a slight chemical smell when first delivered. This comes from the special flame-retardant coating used to treat and protect our sofas. 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.
- One thing worth noting is that viscose (which is in some of our linen fabrics due to domestic UK fire regulations) is a totally natural material originating from plants and trees.
Download our PDF guide for upholstery.
Cleaning it up
Sunlight: Our fabrics don't much care for the sun, so keep them out of direct sunlight or heat.
Removable covers: If your sofa is fitted with removable covers, please don't put them in your washing machine. Beautiful fabrics need a little love and these ones should only be cleaned in situ by a specialist dry cleaner.
Hoovering your sofa: Dust is one of the biggest culprits for causing a fabric to look tired and old. By hoovering your sofa you can remove the dust and dirt and bring the fabric and colour back to life. The small but wide attachment for your hoover (yes that one with a small velvety strip on it) is actually intended for upholstery. But please take care with hard plastic nozzles, as these can leave marks on velvet and other upholstery.
Flat velvet: If your velvet is looking a little too crushed, then you can buy a velvet brush to bring the pile back to life. And some clever types claim they can achieve the same effect with a velvet swatch.
Stains or dirt: If they just won't budge we recommend contacting
a certified company that can send professional upholstery Cleaners
to your house. They will see the 
symbol which
will tell them 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 pesky
shrinkage.
Leather love
If you've gone for one of our lovely leather pieces, be sure to look after it. Our leather doesn't like belt buckles and sharp objects, neither does it really care for the sun - so do keep it away from direct sunlight or heat. Blot (never rub) spillages with a dry absorbent cloth and please, please, please don't use saddle soap or any other speciality cleaning products.
How to plump our squishy cushions
To keep our feather, foam and eco fibre cushions at their squishy best and help them maintain their shape, just give them a plump now and then.
- 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 it tip-top
It is important to rotate your mattress. This will keep it in pristine condition and will allow for even filling settlement and comfort.
- 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.
We also strongly recommend the use of one of our mattress protectors - not just to maximise comfort, but to protect your mattress from spoiling. You should not put anything wet or damp in direct contact with the mattress.
Download our PDF care guide for mattresses.
Should your bed develop a squeak, please check the bolts and retighten as necessary.
Storage beds
Please note that when the mattress is removed from our ottoman beds, there is the possibility that the metal frame can spring upwards. This is exactly what it's designed to do, but you should take care and make sure your chin doesn't get in the way! 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 metal frame (as you face the bed head-on from the footboard) and then gently lift upwards. These mechanisms undertake huge force, so a little TLC over the years will keep the bed doctor away - and save you some money! Most bed companies never tell you about this and then try and charge you a load more money to replace the mechanism a few years later once it starts to bend. So as well as mentioning it here we've also written about it clearly in our instructions which come with your bed. And finally, the lifting mechanism is only tested using our own mattresses. We strongly recommend you use our mattress (we're not trying to bleed you dry here, we promise!) as we cannot guarantee that the lifting mechanism will work with other ones.
With a bit of love, you can keep your Loaf wood pieces looking gorgeous forever. Here are one or two tips for looking after yours…
Keeping it tip-top
- Wood needs a regular rub-down and dust off with a nice soft cloth. Occasional wiping with a mild, wood-friendly detergent solution makes it feel a little more loved too. Dry with a lint-free cloth.
- Changes in atmospheric temperature and humidity make all timber expand a little. So you might find drawer movement gets a bit stiff. You can get them running nice and smoothly again by rubbing a little candle wax on the drawer runners.
- 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 and will only add to the character of the piece!
Things to avoid...
- Using polish containing silicone as it can spoil the finish over time.
- Direct sunlight or heat which can stain, discolour, crack or warp it.
- Dragging furniture across the floor. It will cause damage to the joints, not to mention your floor and your lower back!
- Leaning backwards on two legs of a chair or stool. It may weaken joints - and is apparently bad manners (though we've never quite understood why).
Cleaning it up
Remove spills from your wooden product straight away using a clean, damp cloth and then dry immediately with a lint-free rag. Job done.
A whole lot of love goes into ensuring each of our floor-fillers is unique and beautiful. To keep your new rug looking gorgeous forever, we've got a few tips...
Keeping it tip-top
- Our rugs are handmade using the finest quality wools and should therefore sustain normal wear and tear (and by 'normal', we mean it probably won't survive being trampled by a herd of elephants...)
- If you find the odd loose thread, just snip it off with a nice, sharp pair of scissors. If it looks a little fluffy when you first roll it out, that will just be excess fibres that can be easily removed with a quick hoover.
Things to avoid...
Direct sunlight. Try to keep your new rug out of really sunny spots to avoid colour fading.
Cleaning it up
If someone spills something (the horror!) simply use a wool-friendly carpet cleaner and blot the stain with a clean cloth (no rubbing though, please!). If it's a real toughie, we recommend you get the professionals in.
Each piece is painstakingly laid by hand so every bone inlay table top or mirror is unique and full of character. Here are a few tips to keep yours looking blinkin' lovely…
Keeping it tip-top
- Unlike wood, bone will have a natural tendency to yellow over time. To counter this, place your bone inlay beauty where there is sufficient and even sunlight.
- Keep it looking bright and breezy by giving it a polish from time to time with some colourless natural beeswax.
Cleaning it up
- Remove spills from your bone product straight away using a clean, damp cloth and then dry immediately with a lint-free rag. Easy.
- Bone is a touch on the sensitive side so stay clear of any off-the-shelf cleaning products.
Keeping it tip-top
Our top tip: stay clear of metal polishes. They'll damage your product's protective coating and spoil its good looks.
Cleaning it up
- Give it a wipe with a clean cloth and buff with a lint-free rag if needed.
- Be sure to avoid using metal polishing cloths that might have been impregnated with any of those metal polishing compounds we're trying to steer clear of.
If you've ordered a product with one of our metal finishes, please remember these tips for giving it a bit of love. Note that zinc is a soft metal, so it will earn the odd mark or dent over time. But a 'distressed' look is what we're going for here, so they tend to come with the territory!
Keeping it tip-top
- Our metal table tops are all finished with a light wax, but you can smother yours in a light layer of clear wax (we like Briwax) every now and then to lock in the lustre.
- Watermarks and stains from acidic food can be permanent so you might want to invest in a few fancy coasters and placemats.
Things to avoid...
Strong sunlight or heat sources: our metal products are cool customers and can warp at high temperatures... which would take the 'distressed chic' thing much too far!
Cleaning it up
Clean your metal lovely with a nice clean cloth and some gentle detergent (avoid yucky chloride-based ones and metal polishes).
How to plump your Squidger
Next time you need to release some tension, just get stuck into your Squidger. We recommend giving it a good bash from time to time to keep the air circulating inside and prevent clumping:
- Roll your Squidger onto its side and give it a good pummeling to push the marshmallowy foam chips into the centre.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Then flip your Squidger onto its back and give it the same, high-energy treatment.
Hopefully you'll both be feeling much better now!