12 ways to make your furniture last longer

Never drag or push. Not only can this damage your furniture, it can also scrape or scratch your flooring. When moving heavy pieces of furniture such as a sofa, ask for help to lift and move it to the desired location.

Follow these tips for moving heavy furniture.

With regular use, furniture joints can become loose, so be sure to tighten screws regularly. If a chair is wobbly, take it out of service until you can fix it.

Avoid polishes that contain ammonia, since it could cause corrosion. Use a polish with a mild abrasive. And when polishing brass hardware or furniture, protect the rest of the finish with masking tape. Or remove the hardware before polishing. This will make your hardware on furniture last longer.

Regularly dust, vacuum and clean furniture to maintain its appearance. Tiny dust particles can accumulate and cause your furniture to look old and faded. Be sure to treat stains as soon as possible. Clean furniture and fight odours without harsh chemicals.

Avoid any “all-purpose” cleaners when cleaning to make your furniture last longer. There are specific cleaners for specific types of furniture. For wood, use a cloth and a quality wood polish. Leather requires certain products for stain removal. Some cleaners are not safe on fabrics.

Here are 13 dumb cleaning habits to avoid.

If left in sunlight, the sun can damage furniture. Make your furniture last longer by covering fabric as it’s especially vulnerable to sunlight. If avoiding sunlight is a problem, use window treatments to control the amount of sunlight that enters the room.

Whether it’s no eating on the couch or no permanent markers at the dining table, don’t be afraid to set rules when it comes to making your furniture last longer. And make sure children don’t jump on furniture or throw cushions as it can cause the furniture to break down or collapse.

To help prevent stains, consider slip covers. Covers are especially useful for those with young children or during a party. Slip covers will help to make your furniture last longer as they will act as an additional safety barrier.

If a spill does happen on a slip cover, try these stain removal tips.

If your furniture is still in good shape but looking a bit dingy, try painting or refinishing. A little paint, varnish or stain can give old furniture a whole new look.

Follow these five rules for fixing timber furniture.

Scratches will not go away on their own. You can mask shallow scratches and claw marks with stain or varnish. Your furniture last longer by refinishing and masking these scratches.

Learn more about removing scratches from wooden furniture.