You’ve made a big investment in your furniture and you want to keep it looking as fabulous as the day you brought it home. You want it to serve and delight you for years to come. That’s why you dust and polish and quickly clean up spills. However, although you take care of your valuable furnishings throughout the year, they still need that occasional deep cleaning.

The spring season, when you open up the house and let the season’s newfound freshness in, is the ideal time to give your tables, chairs and sofas their thorough annual once-over. Here are a few pointers for taking care of the wood and the upholstery.

Spring Cleaning for Wood Furniture

Springtime is the right time not only to clean but also to make sure everything’s in tip-top order. Start by checking to see that furniture is structurally sound. Look for loose legs and tighten them. Inspect leg glides and clean as necessary, and replace felt pads if needed. If you haven’t been using these protectors, it’s a good time to start. They prevent scratching your floor and reduce indentations in your carpet.

A big spring furniture cleaning task, though, is cleaning the wood:

• Start with a good dusting. You need to completely remove the dust from the surface. Don’t just move it around or lift it into the air where it’s likely to fall back down. A slightly damp cloth, such as a microfiber cloth, will help. The emphasis is on slightly damp. Too much water can cause wood to swell and warp.
• Clean with water only. Use a damp cloth, not a wet one, to prevent water from standing on the wood. Rinse the cloth often and squeeze it out well. Do not use a paper towel, as they can scratch the surface.
• Always wipe with the grain.
• Dry the furniture thoroughly with a separate dry cloth.
• For textured wood, you can use a vacuum to get the dust out of the crevasses.

This is a great opportunity to update your supply of the coasters, trivets and pads you use to protect your surfaces from spills, heat and scratches. If you haven’t been using them faithfully, then springtime is the ideal time to make a resolution to start. If some are wearing out, replace them. Even if they aren’t worn, it’s an inexpensive way to give your tables a freshened look!

Spring Cleaning for Upholstery

A professional cleaner has the best knowledge of how to clean a couch thoroughly while keeping the upholstery safe. However, there are a number of things you can do yourself as part of spring cleaning.

Start with the cushions. Rotate them where you can, either by flipping them over or swapping positions. Vacuum them with repetitive, quick strokes. If there are slipcovers or pillowcases, remove them and wash them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

You can loosen and remove dirt from pillows and cushions by taking them outside and beating them. An old (but clean!) tennis racket works well for this. Have a clean sheet available to lay them on, then bring them back inside.

A thorough vacuuming of the entire chair or sofa completes the task. Use the same quick strokes you used on the cushions.

If your upholstery is truly dirty, then the best move is to engage a professional cleaner. If you do try to clean it yourself, carefully note the letters on the cleaning instruction tag. W stands for water, S stands for solvent, WS or SW allows either. X or DC means dry clean only. For W, WS or SW fabric, you may use a few drops of dish soap in a bucket of tepid water. Brush evenly with a soft-bristled brush. Make it damp; don’t soak it. Wipe it with a clean damp cloth and let it dry. Let one side of the cushions dry overnight before cleaning the other.

For upholstery marked S, water is damaging. You’ll need a dry cleaning solvent. Be careful, read the instructions and have plenty of ventilation. Better yet, leave the job to that professional!

Think About Next Year’s Spring Cleaning

Resolve to keep up your furniture maintenance throughout the year so that next year’s spring tasks will be routine. Immediately wipe spills from wood and blot them from upholstery. Always use coasters, pads and trivets so you’re not setting objects directly on your wood. Your furniture will reward you with years and years of service!

Nice work! Keep an eye out for more posts in our Spring Cleaning series, including information for cleaning your rugs, carpet and flooring, as well as organization tips.