BUYING AND CARING FOR YOUR FURNITURE

PREPARATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS ALMOST ALWAYS INCLUDE, REARRANGING FURNITURE, PAINTING AND BUYING NEW ITEMS. FOR THOSE CONSUMERS BUYING FURNITURE THIS CHRISTMAS, THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS COMMISSION WISHES TO ASSIST YOU SO WE STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU ASK AND HAVE ANSWERS PROVIDED FOR THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU BUY:

• USE - HOW WILL I USE THE PIECE OF FURNITURE?

• SPACE - WHERE WILL I PUT THE ITEM? AND WHAT SIZE CAN I ACCOMMODATE?

• BUDGET - HOW MUCH DO I WANT TO SPEND? HOW MUCH CAN I AFFORD TO SPEND?

• LABEL - IS THE ITEM LABELLED? ARE THE FOLLOWING CLEARLY STATED ON THE LABEL:- COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, TYPE OF MATERIAL AND ITS CARE, WEIGHT MAXIMUM ( FOR PLASTIC CHAIRS)?

• DURABILITY - HOW STRONG IS IT? DOES IT WOBBLE?

WHILE IN THE STORE, SQUEEZE THE ARMS OF SOFAS AND CHAIRS TO FEEL FOR ADEQUATE PADDING. EXAMINE PATTERNS & SEAMS TO SEE IF THEY MATCH AND ARE STITCHED WELL. ALSO EXAMINE FINISH FOR CRACKS AND OR BUBBLES AND SEE HOW PIECES OF WOOD ARE JOINED.

• MATERIAL - WHAT TYPE OF MATRIAL IS USED? DOES THE DESCRIPTION MATCH THE LABEL? IS IT TREATED OR UNTREATED?

• FABRIC - WHAT TYPE IS IT? IS IT WORN? IS IT DURABLE? IS IT EASY TO CARE FOR?

• FINISH OF WOODEN AREAS - IS THE ITEM SMOOTH TO THE TOUCH? ARE THERE ANY ROUGH/ JAGGED EDGES? ARE THERE ANY SHARP OBJECTS PROTRUDING? ARE THE CORNERS ROUNDED? ARE JOINTS PROPERLY GLUED AND/OR PINNED/TACKED?

*NOTE THAT METAL FURNISHING SHOULD BE SOLID AS OPPOSED TO HOLLOW WITH LACQUER FINISH AND IRON PIECES SHOULD HAVE AN ANTI-RUST FINISH AND PLASTIC FOOT GUARDS IN PLACE.

REMEMBER TO SHOP AROUND FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE DEAL AND ASK ABOUT THE VENDOR’S AFTER SALE SERVICE.

BUYNG A NEW OBJECT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO ADD A FRESH LOOK. THE CAC KNOWS THAT A PROPERLY RESTORED PIECE WILL EVEN LOOK BETTER THAN NEW. SO FOR THOSE:

• SCRATCHES: - USE A STAIN MARKER (A FELT-TIP PEN CONTAINING WOOD STAIN) TO COVER SURFACE SCRATCHES. THESE MARKERS ARE AVAILABLE IN A RANGE OF STAINS TO MATCH MOST WOODS. DEEP SCRATCHES SHOULD BE FILLED WITH PASTE WAX FIRST.

• CANDLE WAX: - PLACE AN ICE CUBE ON TOP OF THE WAX, AND SIMPLY LIFT IT OFF WITH A RAZOR BLADE.

• CIGARETTE BURNS: - SQUIRT A SMALL AMOUNT OF LEMON OIL ONTO A PIECE OF SANDPAPER, AND CAREFULLY SAND THE MARK UNTIL IT'S GONE

• PERMANENT MARKER: - POUR A SMALL AMOUNT OF NAIL POLISH REMOVER ON A CLOTH, AND USE THE CLOTH TO WIPE OFF THE MARK. USE NAIL POLISH REMOVER ONLY ON POLYURETHANE FINISHES AND NOT ON ANTIQUE FINISHES.

• WATER SPOTS: - BUFF OUT WHITE WATER SPOTS WITH LEMON OIL POURED ON A PIECE OF FINE STEEL WOOL. BLACK WATER SPOTS, CAN BE REMOVED ONLY BY SANDING AND REFINISHING THE WOOD.

• SPLIT CHAIR SEAT: - POUR WOOD GLUE INTO THE SPLIT. CLAMP THE SEAT TOGETHER. IN LIEU OF A CLAMP, USE A PIECE OF ROPE AND A STICK. TIE THE ROPE AROUND THE OBJECT, INSERT THE STICK BETWEEN THE ROPE AND THE CHAIR, AND TWIST THE STICK TO TIGHTEN THE ROPE. SECURE THE STICK WITH A SMALL LOOP OF ROPE OR STRING. LET THE GLUE DRY FOR 24 HOURS.

CARING FOR FURNITURE CAN PRESENT ANOTHER CHALLENGE, THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE HERE IS THE TYPE OF FINISH ON THE WOOD, NOT THE TYPE OF WOOD, THIS IS WHAT DETERMINES HOW THE ITEM IS CARED FOR, CLEANED AND REPAIRED. FROM OUR DATABASE HERE AT THE CAC THE FINISHES MOST OFTEN SEEN ON OUR MARKET ARE LACQUER, VARNISH AND PAINTED.

LACQUER IS HARD, GLOSSY AND BRITTLE SO IT MAY BE DENTED OR CHIPPED. TO CARE FOR THIS FINISH DUST REGULARLY WITH A SOFT, DRY CLOTH AND APPLY LIQUID WAX OCCASIONALLY TO MAINTAIN A GLOSS. VARNISHED FINISHES SHOULD ALSO BE CLEANED REGULARLY WITH A SOFT DRY CLOTH. THESE SURFACES MUST BE PROTECTED FROM WATER, ALCOHOL, OTHER LIQUIDS, FOODS AND COSMETICS. TABLE PADS, GLASS TABLETOPS AND OTHER COVERINGS MAYBE USED.

PAINTED FINISH FURNITURE REQUIRES REGULAR DUSTING WITH A DAMP CLOTH. WHEN VERY SOILED WASH WITH A SOLUTION OF MILD, NON-ABRASIVE DETERGENT AND WARM WATER. WRING A CLOTH NEARLY DRY AND WORK ON A SMALL SECTION AT A TIME, THEN RINSE WITH CLEAR WATER. DRY THE SURFACE BEFORE CONTINUING.

PAINTED SURFACES CAN BE CAREFULLY TOUCHED UP WITH MATCHING PAINT BUT THE RESULTS OFTEN LOOK PATCHED. WHERE POSSIBLE TRY TO REMOVE SPOTS AND SCUFF MARKS BY WASHING OR CLEANING WITH HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS. IF EXTENSIVE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE, THE PIECE WILL NEED REPAINTING.