For over 4 decades, Adriatic Furniture have been providing quality sofas with an assurance of unparalleled comfort and support. An Adriatic sofa is an investment and a lifestyle expression. To ensure maximum life and enjoyment from your fabric furniture, it is vitally important to maintain it correctly. All fabric products require regular maintenance, which includes vacuuming or spot cleaning. All Adriatic sofas purchased and delivered come with an Information and Care Advice Guide, and we highly recommend you take the time to read and understand more about the upkeep required for your sofa. Correct care and use will extend your fabric furniture’s life and value.
There are many factors which contribute and determine the life expectancy of your fabric furniture. Some of these variables include colour and composition, weight, and fibre content. While there are many variables, it must be noted that some fabrics may require specific, specialised cleaning solutions or procedures. Hence it is impossible to provide a single cleaning code for all fabrics.
All Adriatic sofas are designed and made to wear in and it is normal for there to be variations in looks and feel to the display model you saw on the day of purchase. On accepting your new sofa, the seats may feel firmer, the fabric may look tighter in certain areas or there may be some variations or wrinkles, rest assured it is completely normal as your fabric sofa is new. Remember, sofas and most furniture are one of the last products made by hand so don’t be alarmed if there are some variations.
In the first few weeks and months as you begin to use your sofa, the polyurethane foam in the seats, arms, and back cushions will soften and lose resiliency, the fabric will stretch in these high usage areas and your new sofa will begin to wear in. Foam is specifically designed to soften and like a new pair of jeans with regular use your new sofa will begin to tailor to you. This first few months of use is known as the initial use period where your sofas begin to tailor to your lifestyle and household environment so don’t be alarmed if through this settlement period there are wrinkles in the seats and backs. These occurrences and changes are all normal natural characteristics of a fabric sofa. If your sofa has been made with a fibre and or feather filling in the high usage areas, you will need re-model or re-dress them to ensure they return to their initial look. This type of seating composition gives a more relaxed sit in style of comfort, and through use there will be puddling/wrinkling.
Some sofa designs are made with a polyester wrap around the foam which will provide some softness on impact when the sofa is sat in. This feature can minimise the amount of puddling / wrinkling by allowing the foam to breathe when used in conjunction with a high-density foam. However please note that this is not a guarantee to reduce puddling/wrinkling, it may only minimise this natural occurrence. In terms of the back cushion, most designs of an Adriatic sofa are made with a knife edge or box type, where there is a continuous stitch/seam through the middle of the cushion. This is dependent on design and specifics such as seat and back width determines these design features. Also depending on design, sofas can have a suspension system in the seats which typically will include high strength webbing or sinuous-steel springs which provides the base layer of support to the seat cushions.
Upon final inspection and prior to your sofa leaving the factory, it will enter the prepacking and the packaging process where it will wrapped for container transport. This process ensures it is well protected and will minimise movement whilst in transit from the factory to your home. Upon delivery and once unpacked, there may be some compression in certain areas of the sofa which may require “dressing” which involves plumping up the back cushions and the arm pads of each sofa. As foam is designed to stretch or recover sometimes your sofa may just need a few weeks or months to breathe and with some redressing will return to the original condition. The frames of all Adriatic sofas are correctly load bearing engineered from various timber and timber composites. Timber products, such as structural grade plywood’s, are featured in appropriate areas according to the requirements of the design. Where required, joints will be reinforced with corner blocks for added strength.
The fabrics Adriatic Furniture uses to create beautifully upholstered soft furnishings must perform to withstand the living environments of today’s modern family. The upholstery fabrics used in our exclusive fabric range primarily utilise man-made synthetic fibre yarns. These synthetic fibres are made by forcing chemicals through and into fibre strands. This process can make them more durable and more resistant to staining and fading than natural fibres. In saying this, synthetic fibres are just as likely to develop pills. Pills are small balls of fibres which develop on the surface because of normal daily wear and should not be considered a fault. Typical synthetic fibres used in modern day upholstery include polyester, acrylic & nylon. The advantages of using these types of fibres or a combination of these include that they can be easier to clean, they may repel stains and can be longer wearing and can feel like natural fibre without an inexpensive price tag. Natural fibres can generally be softer and tailor well for upholstered furniture, but we must remember that as they are natural, they are prone to fading in direct sunlight, and will be susceptible to pilling. Natural fibres include Wool, Silk, Linen, and Cotton. All Adriatic fabrics are tested to General Domestic/Light Commercial application, and we don’t use fabrics unless it meets this level of durability.
FADING & COLOUR FASTNESS: Generally, we understand that there can two common causes of fading of upholstery fabrics. Like leather, UV and sun damage causes fading, more so of bright colours which can depend on the degree of exposure to sun or light. Light is intensified when it passes through glass so avoid having direct or indirect sunlight on your fabric furniture. If you constantly expose your fabric upholstery to indirect or direct sun the result will be a breakdown of the fabric, causing them to fade in turn making them brittle and more prone to splintering and breaking down. While all fabrics are tested for colour fastness, it must be noted that no fabric and its fibres are 100% colour fast. It is impossible to prevent any type of colours fading if the correct precautions are not taken in your home. Taking simple protective measures such as blinds or sun sheers, can minimise this occurrence.
The most damage can occur from the winter sun when curtains may be left open to warm the room. Fumes from Chimneys or open fireplaces whether open or gas produce a sulphuric acid which is absorbed or sits on the surface of your furniture / fabric. This can cause and contribute to fading, discolouration and damage your fabric upholstery prematurely.
The fabrics used in the ‘Adriatic Outdoor Collection’ are SUNBRELLA fabrics and can withstand and resist mould and mildew. You can find more information about the outdoor Sunbrella fabric here: The Home of Sunbrella Fabrics
Pilling – Is the result of normal use whereby ‘Pills’ or small balls of fibre develop on the surface. As the fabric surface is rubbed, a single or small group of fibres begins to twist upon itself, forming tiny balls or ‘pills’ on the surface. This is not and should not be considered a fault. Some factors which can cause and prompt pilling including climate conditions, living and user environment as well as atmosphere purity. At the same time certain types of clothing can transfer pills from the clothing to the fabric of your furniture. In many cases, often the trigger that starts piling is a foreign fibre or particle of dirt. Piling does not affect the durability of the fabric, where the excess loose fibres naturally move to the surface, where they are subject to friction, causing them to twist into small balls or pills.
The quickest and most effective way to remove the loose fibre pills is to use a battery operated piling device, which can be purchased from most haberdashery stores such as:
Spotlight: Birch Battery Operated Lint Remover (spotlightstores.com)
Target: Philips Fabric Shaver GC026 | Target Australia.
If pilling re-occurs, we recommend de-pilling again where the pills will diminish.
Pets & Fabric – While we know pets love our leather and fabric sofas, they can cause common problems with staining and breakdown of the surface. If a pet is allowed to sleep or rest on your fabric furniture there is a high risk of body oil and perspiration transfer into the surface. Most pets are fed highly processed foods, and this causes the natural oils within the animal’s skin to react with the and be absorbed into the fabric. Over time, the fabric will begin to break down and discolour. It must be said we DO NOT recommend pets sitting or sleeping on fabric furniture for prolonged periods of time.
Direct Skin Contact – Generally speaking, the average PH of the human body is acidic (6 to 7.5). Therefore, prolonged direct contact with fabric may cause discolouration or staining. Additionally, human sweat is very acidic and will even further accelerate this process. That’s why we highly recommend cleaning the high usage areas of your sofa every 3 months. A basic clean and maintenance regime will remove the excess build-up of dirt particles, body oils and grim which will prolong the life of your fabric furniture. Normally, leather may discolour in areas that have been in direct contact with human skin, so a good maintenance regime will ensure lasting protection.
Saltwater or Chlorinated water from swimming pools will cause discolouration and is very harmful to your fabric furniture. We do not recommend directly sitting on your fabric sofas from a swimming pool. It must be avoided as this will cause discolouration very quickly.
Medication can cause the ph. of the human skin to alter and become more acidic. With prolonged use and direct contact in the high usage areas, over time this can cause the fabric in the high usage areas to breakdown discolour and stain. The most common high usage areas are the headrest where the back of the neck makes direct contact with the headrest area. If taking medication, it is important that you clean your sofa every 2 weeks or even place a protective measure on the headrest area of your sofa.
Sharp objects such as jewellery, belt buckles, shoes, watches can all cause harm to your fabric furniture. Care must be taken when using fabric furniture to ensure nothing sharp will catch or penetrate the surface which may cause damage. A maintenance regime with regular cleaning at 4-6 times a year, with an Adriatic approved fabric cleaner, regular vacuuming is advised particularly if the furniture is in regular use.
Here are some simple tips to follow:
1. Vacuum your fabrics regularly.
– If you allow dust and grit to sit on the fabric it allows:
a) friction wear which can lead to a more rapid deterioration of the fabric condition and appearance.
b) the dust to join with natural body oils and acids and lead to soiling as well as a more rapid wear of the fabric.
2.We highly recommend rotating your seating position, which will allow a more even wear across your sofa/s. This will also minimise the amount of puddling and loss of resiliency in the high usage areas. It is normal for all leather and fabric to stretch, and develop puddling in the seats, backs, and arms which are considered high usage areas. This is the result of normal daily use.
3. If a spill, or a stain, happens:
a) attend to it immediately.
This will make the cleaning easier and prevent the stain from “setting in”.
b) clean up spills as quickly as possible using a clean dry cloth.
c) clean up dry stains by using a damp cloth. Water that has been previously boiled and cooled is best as it has fewer impurities.
d) never rub fabric to clean it. Endeavour to use a clean white cloth and use a dab, twist action to clean. Rubbing can damage fabric.
e) always use a fabric cleaner supplied by the furniture store and not a general purpose cleaner that may have harsh chemicals in it that could cause damage to your furniture.
f) always test cleaners in an inconspicuous area such as the back of the sofa to check for colour fastness.
g) always refer to manufacturers care label and instructions.
4. Fabric Protection is highly recommended as it:
a) prevents spills from penetrating the fabric; spills “bead up” on most fabrics.
b) prevents soiling from penetrating the fabric; makes cleaning much easier.
c) helps to prevent friction wear on the fabric
Maintenance and Care Products
1. Ultimate Fabric Everyday Cleaner
250ml bottle of fabric shampoo that is perfect for everyday stains such as drink spillages, liquid and food stains.
2. Ultimate Fabric Care Kit Large
Consisting of: 1 x 250 ml Ultimate Fabric Everyday Cleaner. For everyday spills and stains.
1 x 125 ml Ultimate Ink Remover. For biro, ink stains and lipstick
1 x 50 ml Ultimate Grease Remover.
For stubborn stains such as grime and grease.
1 x sponge
1 x white cleaning cloth
3. Ultimate Fabric Care Kit Maxi
Consisting of: 2 x 250 ml Ultimate Fabric Everyday Cleaner. For everyday spills and stains.
1 x 125 ml Ultimate Ink Remover. For biro, ink stains and lipstick
1 x 50 ml Ultimate Grease Remover.
For stubborn stains such as grime and grease.
1 x 125 ml Ultimate Wine Remover. For wine and stubborn drink stains
2 x sponge
2 x white cleaning cloth
Piling
Pilling is a normal occurrence with all fabric upholstery and is the result of normal daily use. Piling is an natural characteristic of fabric, where excess surface fibres begin to gather in small round balls on the surface of the fabric. This must not be considered a fault or defect.
Piling does not affect the durability of the fabric, where the excess loose fibres naturally move to the surface, where they are subject to friction, causing them to twist into small balls or “pills”.
How Do I Remove Piling?
The quickest and most effective way to remove the loose fibre pills is to use a battery operated piling device, which can be purchased from most haberdashery stores such as:
Spotlight: Birch Battery Operated Lint Remover (spotlightstores.com)
Target: Philips Fabric Shaver GC026 | Target Australia.
If pilling re-occurs, we recommend de-pilling again where the pills will diminish.
Ultimately, if you notice that your furniture is developing pills, don’t be alarmed. It is easily remedied, and does not mean your furniture is made of poor quality fabric.
