When asked how to clean furniture, the answer would be dependent on what type of furniture needs cleaning. Are you cleaning wood furniture or leather furniture? Is it painted or not painted? The first step in cleaning furniture is to classify it according to the material that the object is made out of. It's not good to use wood furniture cleaning products on leather furniture. This will damage the furniture. Although self-explanatory, the importance of classifying the furniture needs to be reiterated.
Painted
The easiest furniture to clean is painted ones. All you have to do for everyday care is to wipe it clean with a damp cloth. When cleaning, make sure that you do not leave water spots and dry them right away as it could leave a permanent mark on the furniture. If there is a need for you to repaint the furniture, try to match the same color if possible. You can also use an oil finish for further protection.
Leather
The most asked question though is how to clean furniture that is made of leather. This is probably because genuine leather furniture is expensive to buy as well as expensive to repair when damaged. Some pieces of leather furniture are even hard to repair because the type of leather used can be hard to match or simply unavailable. That is why it is recommended to position your leather furniture at least 2 feet away from heat sources and definitely away from direct sunlight as this will cause cracking and drying out.
So how to clean furniture made of leather? For daily cleaning, you can wipe it with a damp sponge or you can use a soft cloth. When using a cleaning solution, avoid those that have oils, silicones or waxes as it can damage the leather finishing. The most common mistake is to use baby wipes for cleaning – never do this! Baby wipes have a strong alkaline component which is not good for the leather.
Wood
Wood furniture is the most common type of furniture in many households. That's why many are also asking about how to clean furniture if it's made of wood. The first thing you have to know when cleaning wood furniture is the type of finishing used on the wood. There are different types of cleaners, polishers and wood conditioners available on the market that are made for specific types of woods and finishes. As a general rule, always wipe the furniture in the same direction of the grain of the wood.
For shiny looking wood furniture, you can use a furniture polish. It is imperative that you use the same type of furniture polish every time you clean the wood furniture. This will avoid causing polish smudges. You have a choice of oil based wood polish or wax based wood polish. Both are effective in maintaining shiny looking wood furniture. Apply them regularly to avoid further questions like how to clean furniture when it looks old and beaten.