{"id":343810,"date":"2024-12-19T08:31:04","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T08:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michaelmurphy.ie\/?p=343810"},"modified":"2024-12-19T08:31:04","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T08:31:04","slug":"winter-furniture-maintenance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/winter-furniture-maintenance\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Furniture Maintenance: How to Make your Furniture Last Longer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ahh, winter in Ireland\u2014chilly (foggy) mornings, dark evenings, and the cosy warmth when you finally give in and put the heating on. The Chase<\/em> is on the telly and there’s a bottle of Baileys calling your name. But did you know that winter can bring its own share of challenges for your furniture? From fluctuating temperatures to the ever constant damp weather, your furniture can suffer if left unchecked. Not to worry, we’ve got some simple tips to help keep your furniture in tip-top shape over the winter months!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Humidity<\/h2>\n

Despite what they say, it’s not the humidity that kills you, but rather the lack of it! In the winter, our radiators are working overtime, which can lead to drier air indoors. Unfortunately, wood furniture, even if well-looked after loves stability in the atmosphere, and that’s just not a feature Ireland came with. Sudden drops in humidity can sometimes cause wooden features in furniture to dry out, warp, or crack.<\/p>\n

So, how can you solve, or even prevent this issue? If you know your home is prone to drying out, consider using a humidifier to balance out the humidity in the air, especially if lots of your furnishings are made from wood. The best setting to keep your furniture protected against any damage is around 40-45%. However, if you’re not looking to invest in a humidifier just yet, a small bowl of water placed in a room can also help to combat dry air.<\/p>\n

Another useful tip is to keep your wooden furniture from being directly in contact with a heat source, like a radiator or fireplace. Too much heat can dry out the wood, and<\/em> it’s a fire hazard!<\/p>\n

Humidity (cont.)<\/h2>\n

This is also a common affliction for leather furniture, though it does need a little bit more special attention, or TLC during the winter months than sturdy wooden pieces. Sunlight, on top of dry air and heat can cause leather to crack or fade, especially if not looked after.<\/p>\n

Our recommendation is to use a good leather conditioner every few months to keep it supple and hydrated. Try not to leave your leather pieces by a drafty window too\u2014this small effort goes a long way in maintaining your furniture! Try our Revive & Care Leather Care Kit to keep on top of your winter maintenance.<\/p>\n

Another way to keep on top of your leather furniture maintenance over the winter months is to regularly wipe the surfaces with a slightly damp microfibre cloth to stop dust from gathering on the surface.<\/p>\n

Don’t take this to mean you shouldn’t open your windows at all during the winter! Your furniture really does benefit from some ventilation, to prevent things like mould and mildew. Let in some fresh air at least once a week, but if you can, open your windows in the morning to let some air in and prevent any musty smells.<\/p>\n

2. Light<\/h2>\n

It’s no secret that daylight in the winter is a valuable commodity, and there certainly isn’t enough of it. Did you know that the shorter days can also impact your furniture? We tend to open our blinds and curtains as long as we possibly can in the winter, and for good reason\u2014vitamin D is hard to come by in Ireland! However, the harsh brightness of a low winter sun can cause furniture to fade if left exposed to it for too long. A good way to combat this is to use your blinds to create some cosy, ambient lighting. Another way to diffuse the light in a room without having to resort to using the big light is to position some mirrors in darker rooms, where they can reflect light and brighten the space without direct exposure to furniture.<\/p>\n

3. Flooring<\/h2>\n

A natural consequence of more time spent indoors and seasonal gatherings, your flooring can take the brunt of the winter. A quick and easy tip (thanks Mammy!) is to add protective felt pads to table and chair legs to prevent scratching and wear\u2014for both the furniture and flooring! Make sure to check them regularly, as they’re not a permanent fix, and can wear down over time, especially with heavy use. For larger pieces that don’t move often, like your sofa, bed, or dresser a quick check will suffice!<\/p>\n

While we all agree that winter in Ireland can be magical, it can also be tough on your furniture if you don’t know how best to combat the effects of the colder months and heating systems combined. More time indoors can lead to natural wear and tear, but it shouldn’t have any more adverse effects on your furniture aside from that. With a little seasonal care, your furniture will make it to the brighter months of Spring no worse for wear.<\/p>\n

At Michael Murphy Home Furnishing, we believe that the right care can make furniture last a lifetime.<\/p>\n

Check our product guarantee for more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ahh, winter in Ireland\u2014chilly (foggy) mornings, dark evenings, and the cosy warmth when you finally give in and put the heating on. The Chase is on the telly and there\u2019s a bottle of Baileys calling your name. But did you know that winter can bring its own share of challenges for your furniture? From fluctuating","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":347382,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-343810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-michael-murphy-home-furnishing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=343810"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343810\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=343810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murphyhome.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=343810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}