Product Care Instructions
FURNITURE
At Dwella, furniture is handcrafted with great care and attention to produce distinctive pieces that will bring pleasure for years to come. Each item of furniture is hand finished and uses traditional techniques to ensure strength and longevity and this together with natural features such as knots, grain and colour variation ensures that each piece is individual. With careful use these finely made pieces will give many years of satisfaction. To prolong the life of the furniture you buy from Dwella we advise the following:
CLEANING
To maintain the appearance of your furniture we recommend regular dusting with a soft cloth. It may occasionally be wiped with a soft cloth very lightly dampened with a mild detergent solution and dried with a lint-free cloth.
A bees wax furniture polish from a reputable supplier may also be used on wood.
The repeated use of a wooden polish containing silicone is not recommended, as it will lead to a buildup of a silicone film altering the appearance of the piece. Glass or mirrored panels should be cleaned using a non solvent based glass cleaner and soft cloth, carefully avoiding contact with wooden or painted sections.
Any upholstered seats should be maintained regularly with a soft brush and/or gently vacuuming and periodic cleaning is required to maintain appearance and prevent premature fading and wear. You can also use professional dry cleaning services for the same.
Spills should be removed immediately by blotting with a dry white cloth. If the spillage has caused staining on fabric we recommend you contact your dry cleaner who are equipped to deal with such occurrences.
CARE
We recommend that you protect delicate flooring from potential marking by feet or legs. Dropping furniture onto corners or feet will cause damage to the frame and/or legs.
Leaning backwards on two legs of a chair will weaken joints.Take care to prevent sharp objects such as toys, buckles and heels from coming into contact with your furniture.
Avoid contact with any chemicals such as hair & makeup products, perfume etc as these may affect the finish.
If your furniture becomes stained, scratched or chipped or suffers other damage we recommend professional help is sought to restore it.
Following the guidelines above will ensure product performance is maintained. Dwella is not responsible for defects caused by the misuse of your product.
EXPANSION AND TIMBER MOVEMENT
All woods will display movement from season to season because of changes in atmospheric temperature and humidity. This may occasionally make moving parts a little stiffer to operate. On drawers, to ease movement simply rub a little candle wax on the drawer runners attached to the carcass of the furniture drawer. Dwella does not recommend locating products in excessively high or low temperatures, or where the environment is often damp as this may cause product issues.
LEVELING, ASSEMBLY AND MOVING PRODUCTS
It is essential that your furniture is positioned on a level surface to ensure that the doors hang correctly and open smoothly.
Products with doors have either adjustable hinges or wedges to square the doors if the floor is not leveled.
If doors fail to operate smoothly, or the product is moved, leveling should be re-checked; either re-adjust the doors or level the corners (any suitable packing material may be used).
Take care when moving products. We recommend they are lifted by two persons as dragging items across the floor will cause damage to the joints.
Large items which are assembled on site from multiple sections should be disassembled before relocation to a new position. Self Assembly items should be assembled at the intended location and lifted carefully into position.
SUNLIGHT AND HEAT
Avoid exposing your furniture to excessive heat e.g. by placing it in front of a radiator, as this can cause cracking. A minimum 30cm clearance from heat sources is advised. Direct sunlight will cause the colour of real wood to change, even if it is painted or lacquered, this will be more readily apparent if the furniture is placed under a window.
Leaving items such as vases or ornaments in one place on a piece of furniture in sunlight may leave a mark when it is removed. Such marks should blend in with time. Never place hot dishes directly onto wooden or painted surfaces, we recommend you use table-mats and coasters.
Prolonged use of hot electrical equipment, such as a laptop, on top of furniture may also cause scorching.
FEATURES OF NATURAL WOOD
Wood is a beautiful natural material. It is important to understand its unique properties; which should not be mistaken for flaws:
Wood Shading and Grain: Each piece will have a slightly different grain pattern. Variation in colour, shading and grain between different products and within the same product can occur; this is a normal feature of all natural wood furniture.
Knots: Knots are a natural property of all real wood furniture; they do not affect performance, and add interest to each piece.
Medullary Rays: These markings are created where wood is cut across the grain producing interesting features such as growth rings and flecks.
FABRIC UPHOLSTERY
To help prolong the life of your upholstery fabric or leather please consider the following:
With most upholstery, periodic cleaning of the entire piece is essential to maintain appearance and prevent premature fading and wear.
Clean coordinated items at the same time, as some colour loss may occur.
Always allow for 3% shrinkage upon the first wash or dry clean.
To remove everyday household dust and dirt, clean regularly by gently vacuuming fabric.
Remove all spills immediately. Blot liquid spills with a clean, dry, white cloth, work towards the center of the spill. Do not rub or use abrasive cleaners as this may damage the furniture. Should the piece become stained or suffer other damage we recommend professional advice is sought.
Apply specialist cleaning care products only as directed on the container and try first on a hidden area of your sofa.
To remove atmospheric dust and dirt that could cause premature wear, clean regularly with a soft cloth or brush.
Show wood should be kept clean with a lightly damp cloth rinsed in warm water, never use detergents.
SUNLIGHT & HEAT
All upholstery and leather fabrics can be affected by light, so we recommend it is positioned away from direct sunlight and heat to protect it from fading and premature wear.
At least a 30cm clearance from heat sources such as radiators is advised to prevent colour change or permanent marks occurring.
You should not place hot items such as cups, laptops or hot water bottles on leather as this may mark the leather, causing it to darken.
We do not recommend locating products in excessively high or low temperatures, or where the environment is often damp as this may cause product issues.
CARE
Take care to prevent sharp objects such as toys, buckles and heels from coming into contact with your furniture as they may cause damage. We recommend you discourage domestic pets from climbing on or clawing upholstery.
Avoid air pollution such as cigarette smoke and cooking fumes, which can cause leather to fade or change colour.
Take care to avoid hair preparations and other cosmetics coming into contact with the fabric or leather as this is likely to damage the surface.
LEATHER UPHOLSTERY
UNDERSTANDING LEATHER
It is important to understand the features found on all good quality leathers. The following are natural characteristics of leather (not faults/defects):
Scars: Scars can be recognized as dark lines in the leather; they will vary in size, shape and texture and do not affect the durability or performance.
Neck, Growth Marks and Body Moulding: These lines are caused by stretching in the hide during its lifetime and may look like creases in the leather, these are features of leather and do not affect performance. After a time all leathers will relax and mould from use, this is quite normal with leather upholstery and will not reduce comfort.
Shade Variation: Every hide will have a slightly different grain pattern, and variation in colour and grain within the same hide can occur. Four hides are needed to make one large sofa, so variation in colour and texture may occur between the different parts of a piece.
Pull Up: Leather must be stretched taut for perfect upholstery; this causes it to appear lighter in colour especially across tighter areas such as arms. This effect will be more obvious on wax and oiled finishes.
Scratches: On some wax finished leathers, characteristic scratch type marks may occur during the tanning and tumbling processes, these will be under the wax and quite normal. Wax and oiled finishes may scratch in use, however these surface scratches can be reduced by massaging the leather to redistribute natural oils.
SUNLIGHT AND ENVIRONMENT
If your upholstery is exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time, the colour and leather will deteriorate. Use in hot and sunny conservatories is not recommended.
At least a 30cm clearance from heat sources is advised to prevent colour change
or permanent marks occurring.
You should not place hot items such as cups, laptops or hot water bottles on the leather as this may mark, causing it to darken. We do not recommend locating products in excessively high or low temperatures, or where the environment is often damp as this may cause product issues.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS
To help prolong the life of your leather upholstery Dwella advises the following:
CLEANING
Apply specialist leather care products only as directed on the container and try first on a hidden area of leather. Do not use leather soap, saddle soap, hide food, or any polish other than that recommended by a reputable retailer. Suitable leather care kits can be obtained from reputed retail stores and online.
To remove atmospheric dust and dirt that could cause premature wear, clean regularly with a soft cloth or brush. Avoid using a vacuum cleaner on leather.
Show wood should be kept clean with a damp cloth rinsed in warm water, never use detergents.
Polish periodically with a natural wax.
Remove all spills immediately. Blot liquid spills with a clean, dry, white cloth, work towards the centre of the spill. Do not rub or use abrasive cleaners, solvents or detergents as this may damage the furniture. Should the piece become stained or suffer other damage we recommend professional help is sought.
LEATHER CARE
Avoid sitting on the arms or edges of furniture as this may cause distortion or damage. Pushing feet against or placing them on the arms may cause damage to the arm or frame.
Please do not allow your furniture to be jumped on, as this will damage the springs and frame, and invalidate the warranty.
Take care to prevent sharp objects such as toys, buckles, garment studs and heels from coming into contact with your furniture as they may cause damage.
We recommend you discourage domestic pets from climbing on or clawing upholstery.
Avoid air pollution such as cigarette smoke and cooking fumes, which can cause leather to fade or change colour
Take care to avoid chemicals such as hair preparations, fake tans, insect repellents and other cosmetics coming into contact with the leather; as this is likely to damage the surface.
Take great care when unzipping covers and replace them correctly, never force a zip, and avoid trapping fabric when fitting, or lifting items by the zips.
Following the guidelines above will ensure product performance is maintained. Dwella is not responsible for defects caused by the misuse of your product.
We offer leathers to suit all tastes. Some of our leathers have extra character with distressed and wax finishes. These create more significant variances in textures and colours, with enhanced markings under the wax. Pull up will be evident especially on waxed finishes and the crackle effect will vary for a truly individual look . Some of our leathers have had the surface texture removed and a finish applied giving a more uniform appearance, although characteristics may still be visible.
True beauty comes with maturity. With a little care leather can only improve with age. Occasionally the odd mark or scratch can occur, body shape moulding will happen and colours may mellow, but this does not affect durability, it will simply enhance the unique appearance of your piece and add extra character.
