Caring for your sofa and sofa bed

Your piece was built by hand in our North York workshop to last for decades. A few minutes of care each month keeps the frame tight, the cushions even, and the fabric looking the way it did on delivery day.

Everyday habits

Most wear on upholstery comes from the same three things: grit, sunlight, and sitting in the same spot every day. All three are easy to manage.

• Vacuum weekly with the soft brush attachment. Dust and crumbs act like sandpaper on fibres every time you sit down. Get into the crevices between the seat and back, and under the seat cushions.
• Keep it out of direct sun. UV fades every fabric and dries out leather. If the sofa sits by a window, close the blinds during the brightest hours or rotate the piece seasonally.
• Keep it away from heat. Leave at least a metre between the sofa and radiators, baseboard heaters, fireplaces, or heat vents. Dry heat shrinks fabric, cracks leather, and dries out foam.
• Sit across the whole sofa. Everyone has a favourite seat. Switching it up spreads the wear so one cushion does not soften faster than the others.
• No sitting on the arms or backs. Arms are padded for comfort, not built to carry a person's weight, and it is the fastest way to loosen a joint.
• Watch for dye transfer. New dark denim, printed towels, and coloured throws can leave dye on light upholstery, especially on leather, vinyl, and pale performance fabrics.
• Pets. Trim claws, keep a washable throw on their spot, and vacuum hair before it works into the weave.

Cushions

Cushions are the part of a sofa that shows wear first, and the part you can do the most about.

Reversing and rotating fabric cushions

On fabric sofas, every loose cushion is upholstered on both sides so it can be flipped. Reversing shares the compression between the two faces, and rotating shares it between the seats.

1. Flip each seat and back cushion top to bottom.
2. Rotate cushions of the same size to a different position. On a three-seat sofa, move the left cushion to the right, the right to the middle, and the middle to the left.
3. Do this every two to four weeks for the first six months while the foam settles, then monthly after that.

Fluffing and shaping

• Feather and down-wrapped cushions need a firm plump every few days. Grab opposite corners, pull outward, then punch the middle to redistribute the fill. Feathers settle; this is normal and not a defect.
• Foam cushions need less attention. A quick shake and a smooth of the cover after flipping is enough. Foam will soften slightly in the first few months and then hold; this initial break-in is expected.
• Cushion covers with zippers are there so we can service the cushion. They are not an invitation to remove the cover for washing unless your fabric care code specifically allows it. Most covers will shrink or lose their shape in a washing machine.

Tight-back and bench seats

If your sofa has fixed cushions, there is nothing to flip. Vacuum, smooth the fabric back into place after sitting, and let us know if you notice a section going soft; foam can be replaced without reupholstering.

Fabric care by type

Every fabric we use carries a cleaning code from the mill. It is on the care tag under a seat cushion or on the deck, and it tells you what is safe to use. If you cannot find the tag, email us with your order number and we will confirm it.

Whatever the code, always test on a hidden area first (the underside of a cushion or the back deck), use as little liquid as possible, and never rub. Blot.

Performance fabrics (polyester, olefin, solution-dyed acrylic)

The workhorses. Colour is locked into the fibre, so they resist fading and most household stains wipe off with a damp cloth.

• Blot spills right away with a clean white cloth; most come out with water alone.
• For set stains, mild dish soap in water, applied with a cloth, then rinsed with a clean damp cloth and air dried.
• Diluted bleach is often tolerated on solution-dyed fabrics, but only if the mill tag says so. Never assume.
• They pill less than natural fibres, but a fabric shaver will tidy any pilling from clothing friction.

Linen, cotton, and natural blends

Beautiful hand, breathable, and the most sensitive to water and sun.

• Wrinkling and a soft, relaxed look over time are part of the character of linen, not a flaw.
• Blot liquids immediately. Water can leave a ring on some linens, so feather the edges of any damp area outward with a barely damp cloth so it dries without a hard line.
• These fabrics fade fastest in sunlight. Keep them out of direct sun.
• Book a professional cleaning once a year rather than attempting deep cleaning at home.

Velvet

Velvet's pile shows pressure marks and crushing, which is normal and brushes out.

• Vacuum with the brush attachment, always moving in the direction of the pile. Never use a rotating brush head.
• Blot spills with a dry cloth; do not press liquid into the pile.
• To lift crushed areas, hold a steamer a few inches away, then brush gently with a soft clothes brush in the pile direction. Do not soak.
• Cotton velvet is more delicate than polyester velvet; treat it as an S or X code unless the tag says otherwise.

Chenille, bouclé, and textured weaves

The loops and soft yarns that make these fabrics feel good also snag easily.

• Keep jewellery, pet claws, and zippers off the fabric. If a loop pulls, do not cut it; push it back through with a blunt needle or call us.
• Vacuum on low suction with the brush attachment. Strong suction can pull loops.
• Blot spills; rubbing will fuzz the surface permanently.

Wool

• Naturally stain resistant thanks to the lanolin in the fibre. Blot quickly and most spills lift out.
• Use cold water only. Warm water can felt the surface.
• Vacuum regularly; wool attracts moths if left dusty and undisturbed.

Leather and vinyl

Both are wipe-clean surfaces, and both are upholstered on one side only, so the cushions must not be flipped.

Leather

• Dust weekly with a soft, dry cloth or vacuum with the brush attachment.
• Wipe monthly with a cloth barely dampened with distilled water. No soap, no household cleaners, no wipes with alcohol.
• Condition every six to twelve months with a leather conditioner made for furniture. Apply a thin coat, let it absorb, buff off the excess. Dry Toronto winters pull moisture out of leather, so late fall is a good time for this.
• Blot spills straight away. Oil and grease should be blotted, not wiped, and left alone; leather often absorbs the mark over a few weeks.
• Keep at least a metre from heat sources and out of direct sun. Heat and UV are what cause cracking.
• Natural markings, scars, and colour variation are the grain of the hide and are not defects. Aniline and semi-aniline leathers will develop a patina and darken slightly where hands and heads rest.
• Rotate same-size seat cushions between positions monthly so one seat does not stretch ahead of the others.

Vinyl and faux leather

• Wipe with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, then wipe again with clean water and dry.
• No solvents, no abrasive cleaners, no alcohol, no conditioners meant for real leather. They soften and craze the surface.
• Dye transfer from new denim is the most common problem we see on light vinyl. Wash new dark jeans a few times before sitting, or keep a throw on the seat.
• Vinyl is more sensitive to heat than leather. Keep it well away from radiators and out of hot direct sun, which can make it stiff and eventually crack.
• Do not flip the cushions. Rotate same-size cushions between positions instead.

Spills and stains

1. Act right away. Every minute a spill sits, it wicks deeper into the cushion.
2. Blot, never rub. Press a clean white cloth or paper towel onto the spill and lift. Repeat with fresh cloths until nothing more transfers. Rubbing spreads the stain and damages the surface.
3. Scrape solids off with the edge of a spoon or a dull knife before blotting.
4. Check the cleaning code before using any liquid.
5. Work from the outside in so the stain does not spread.
6. Use as little liquid as possible and blot dry afterwards. A soaked cushion can take days to dry and may develop a musty smell or watermark.
7. Air dry. No hair dryers or space heaters, which can set the stain and shrink the fabric.

If a stain will not lift, stop and call a professional upholstery cleaner. It is far easier to remove a stain than to fix a fabric that has been over-cleaned.

Sofa bed mechanism

Our sofa beds use a steel tri-fold mechanism with a sprung deck, bolted directly to the hardwood frame. It is built to be opened thousands of times, but it is a machine, and machines like to be used correctly.

Opening and closing

1. Remove all seat and back cushions and set them aside. Never open the bed with cushions on the seat.
2. Clear a metre and a half in front of the sofa.
3. Grip the fabric pull strap at the front of the seat deck, or the front bar if there is no strap, and lift straight up and toward you in one smooth motion. Let the mechanism do the work; it is counterbalanced.
4. Continue pulling out and down until the legs touch the floor and the deck lies flat. Check that the mattress is flat and not folded under at the foot end.
5. To close, lift the foot end, fold it up and back toward the sofa, then push the whole assembly down and in until it latches. You should feel and hear it seat into the frame.

• Open and close it gently. Do not drop the deck, throw it back, or let children swing on it.
• Never fold the bed with bedding, pillows, or anything else still on the mattress. Loose items jam the hinges and stretch the mattress.
• Do not sit or stand on the foot end of the open bed; that section is not braced for concentrated weight. Sit toward the middle.
• Do not drag the sofa while the bed is open.

Mechanism maintenance

• Every three months, open the bed fully and look it over. Check that the mounting bolts where the mechanism meets the frame are snug. If one has worked loose, tighten it by hand with a wrench; snug, not cranked.
• Vacuum the mechanism and deck while it is open. Coins, hair ties, and pet hair collect in the pivots and are the usual cause of a bed that sticks or squeaks.
• If it squeaks, apply a small amount of dry silicone spray or a PTFE lubricant to the pivot points and slide rails. Wipe off any excess. Do not use household oil or grease; they attract dust and can stain the mattress and fabric.
• Check that the legs of the deck are straight and the rubber feet are in place. A missing foot lets a metal leg scuff the floor and puts the deck out of level.
• If the bed will not latch closed, do not force it. Open it again, check for something caught in the fold, and try once more slowly. If it still resists, contact us.

Sofa bed mattress

A sofa bed mattress spends most of its life folded inside the frame with no airflow. That is a very different environment from a bedroom mattress, and it needs a bit more attention.

Let it breathe

• If you know the bed will not be used for a stretch, set a reminder to open it on the first of each month. Twenty minutes with a window open makes a real difference.
• After a guest leaves, strip the bedding and leave the bed open for a few hours before closing it, especially in humid summer months.
• Never close the bed with damp sheets or a mattress that has been spilled on. Let it dry completely.

Protect and rotate

• Use a fitted, breathable mattress protector. It keeps the mattress clean, and you can wash the protector instead of the mattress. Choose a thin one; bulky quilted protectors can stop the bed from latching closed.
• Rotate the mattress head to foot every three months if it is a loose mattress. If it is strapped in, rotate it when you air it out and re-fasten the straps.
• Spot clean with a barely damp cloth and mild soap. Never soak a mattress; foam holds water and will not dry inside a closed sofa.
• Vacuum the top of the mattress each time you air it out.

Frequent use

If the sofa bed is someone's everyday bed, open and close it fully each day rather than leaving it permanently open. The mechanism and mattress both hold their shape better with the change in position. Foam mattresses used nightly can be replaced independently of the mechanism when they eventually soften; get in touch and we can supply a new one cut to size.

Care schedule

Every week

Vacuum with the brush attachment. Plump feather cushions. Dust leather.

Every month

Flip and rotate fabric cushions (rotate only on leather and vinyl). Wipe leather with a damp cloth. Open the sofa bed and let it breathe for a few hours if it has not been used.

Every three months

Open the sofa bed and inspect the mechanism: check bolts, vacuum the pivots, lubricate if squeaking. Rotate the sofa bed mattress head to foot.

Every six to twelve months

Condition leather. Book a professional cleaning for natural-fibre fabrics or any fabric with an X or S code.

First six months of ownership

Flip and rotate cushions every two weeks while the foam settles in.

When to call us

We built your sofa and we can repair, re-foam, and reupholster it. Get in touch if you notice any of the following, and we will tell you whether it is a quick fix or something to bring in:

• A cushion that has gone noticeably softer than the others and does not recover after flipping.
• Creaking, movement, or a gap where the arm or back meets the seat.
• A sofa bed that sticks, will not latch, or has a bent leg or deck.
• A pulled loop, seam separation, or a zipper that has failed.
• A stain you could not lift and want advice on before calling a cleaner.
• You are moving and want the sofa broken down, wrapped, or reassembled.

Email us with your order number and a couple of photos. Most questions are answered the same day.