5 Simple Furniture Restoration Tips for Long Lasting Furniture

When it comes to buying furniture, you’re oftentimes investing in a piece of furniture that is meant to last more than just a few years. Unlike buying a blanket, which is generally thrown out after a few years of heavy use, you want to get the most bang for your buck. Why throw something out when you can take a few precautions along the way to extend its life?

Furniture restoration may seem daunting, but it’s actually a perfect weekend or rainy day project. With a few simple tips, we’ll have you questioning whether or not you’re Martha Stewart’s protégée in no time.

Regular Cleaning

When it comes to upholstered furniture, one of the easiest furniture restoration tips for prolonging furniture life is just giving it a good ol’ cleaning. In practice, it’s best to vacuum couches, or anything upholstered, once a week. But who has time for that? Seriously though, at least try to do it once every other week, or even once a month. We suggest this because every time you sit on that cushion, you’re pushing dirt and grime further into the surface, making it harder to retrieve with just a normal vacuum. And while you’re in there getting those popcorn crumbs (don’t lie to yourself) out of the crevices of the couch, go ahead and rotate the cushions. This will help distribute the weight across the cushions and prevent one spot from getting more worn than the rest of the couch. This is especially important if someone in your family prefers to sit in the same spot all the time. Sometimes, that worn-out couch cushion just needs a little deep steam cleaning to bring it back to the glory days.

Stain Guarding

Stain guarding a piece of furniture is worth doing even if you don’t have children or pets. Say you’re living the single life and have some friends over for a wine night. Worst-case scenario, someone spills red wine all over your furniture. What happens then? Well, if you took proper precautions and applied a stain protectant to the piece, you won’t need to stress as much about having a giant, permanent red stain.

Sometimes, couches or upholstered pieces of furniture are treated with a stain protectant during the manufacturing process. If this is the case, you’re in luck! Generally, pre-treated fabrics will come with a multi-year warranty upon purchase. These warranties will cover the vast majority of stains (beverages, food, blood, etc.) but sometimes won’t cover things like pet urine or nail polish.

Of course, we could always suggest restricting food and beverage consumption to other pieces of furniture, like the dining room table or kitchen island. But realistically, most people like to snack while binge watching their favorite shows — and we absolutely relate to that! Before snacking though, make sure to check for any manufacturing warranties, apply a stain protectant on your own, or have a professional service apply a commercial- grade one.

Fix the Backboard

If a cabinet or bookcase seems like it’s slanted or uneven, this is a pretty easy tip to not only fix the situation, but also greatly extend the life of your piece of furniture. In some cases, simply fixing a detached backboard will bring a cabinet or bookcase to its upright position once again. To do so, reattach the same board, or a new one, with brads or screws.

Keep Wood Glue Around the House

Finally, wobbly chairs can be both annoying and unsafe. But there is a simple fix that will prevent you from spending money on either a new chair, or an entire new set of chairs. When a chair joint is loose, it’s because the glue is starting to lift from that particular chair leg. To fix it, simply flip the chair upside down and apply a mixture of water and vinegar to the glue to remove it. Test the leg to make sure it still fits snuggly in the joint. If it does not, glue a little piece of cotton on the inside of the joint to help create a more secure space. Then, reapply glue to the leg and use a clamp to hold the leg in place while it dries.

If you’re ever unsure about how to tackle a furniture restoration project, always make sure to reach out to a certified professional who will be able to guide you in the right direction.