Extending the life of your furnishings

by: Luke Smith, 2014-08-22 13:55:48 UTC
Sustainability Aspects: Extending the life of your furnishings will save time and money to replace and will avoid sending items to landfill, saving the environment.

The Story

in need of cleaning

Extending the life of your furnishings

It is a fact that if you take good care of your furnishings they will last much longer, saving you the time and expense of replacing them, not to mention the environmental benefits of avoiding sending a lot of items to landfill. Furniture is not cheap, especially if you choose to purchase new furniture rather than used items, so replacing worn out chairs, tables, carpets, and other items could be an endless trail of expense if you do not take adequate care.

Choose furnishings carefully

It is important to choose the right furniture to begin with. You need items that are designed to last. If you want wooden furniture, avoid composite woods and chipboard items that will soon show signs of wear and tear. These are more susceptible to water damage and you will find that they need to be replaced often. Solid wood furniture is the best option as it is strong and will be able to deal with many daily challenges!

Consider the type of life the furniture is going to have. Are there children and pets in the home? Dogs and cats may scratch the furniture and children do have a tendency to draw on things that they shouldn’t! If this is the case then you need to be sure that the items that you choose will be able to survive this and more. The same applies to carpets. Choosing carpets that can withstand whatever is thrown at them will help to avoid the need to replace them too often.

Caring for furniture

Regular cleaning of furniture is a must in order to keep it in tip-top condition. If a child spills something on your polished wood or on the carpet, clean it up as quickly as possible to avoid staining and possible damage. Wooden furniture can be kept in good condition by using the right cleaning agents, polishes and waxes. In some cases, linseed oil can be used – this will ‘feed’ the wood in order to maintain a healthy color and shine on it.

Carpet life can be prolonged by calling in a professional service such as Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaning every once in a while. It is no longer the case that harsh chemicals need to be used to keep carpets in good condition – there are also environmentally-friendly services available that will do the same job without a harmful effect on the planet. Regular vacuuming is also essential for the longevity of a carpet, particularly if there are pets in the home.

By caring properly for furniture and carpets, the interior of the home will continue to look as good as new and you will not have to think about redecorating for a long time. If you purchase quality items to begin with, taking care of them will ensure that they last and you can save money over the long term. A few minutes a day is all it will take to ensure that your interiors continue to look good for years to come and you will not have to worry about damage to the environment.

Product: Furnishing protector
Designer: Luke Smith
Manufacturer: Green furniture
Category: Furniture
Websites: www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-furniture.html

Images

6740c910-0c4b-0132-9bf8-4040823e9e3d
in need of cleaning
6740c910-0c4b-0132-9bf8-4040823e9e3d
in need of cleaning
by Carpet Cleaning Ottawa

Comments by our Users

Be the first to write a comment for this item.

Welcome

@ D4S, a platform by designers for designers, sharing ideas and knowledge on sustainable design
Learn more |  Leave Feedback
We are not-for-profit and want a trustworthy, independent site without advertisements.


If you like to use D4S please donate to enable us to pay hosting fees and extend the site. Thank you for your support!
Join us on LinkedIn