Product TLC
Our furniture is made by craftsmen whose aim is to produce gorgeous numbers which we’d be happy to have in our own homes.
Each item is handcrafted using traditional furniture-making techniques, a great deal of skill and a whole lot of love. Finishing by hand ensures each piece is truly unique and individual, so here are some top tips for keeping them that way (and ensuring any warrantees we offer are not invalidated through improper use):
Wood
Spills should be removed immediately using a damp cloth, then dried straight away with a lint-free cloth. We recommend regular dusting with a nice soft cloth and occasional wiping with a mild, wood-friendly detergent solution. Dry with a lint-free cloth. Try to avoid using silicon-containing polish as over time it will alter the appearance of your piece. Direct sunlight will cause the colour of real wood to change, even if it is stained, painted or lacquered. So if you don’t want your beautiful wood to get a tan (sun damage), don’t place it under a window or in a conservatory.
A few things you might not know about wood
Wood is a natural living thing, which makes it beautiful. It is important to understand its unique properties (which should not be mistaken for flaws!) so here is a quick guide to wood in all its glory and imperfections.
Wood shading, grain and splits
Each piece of wood has its own unique grain pattern, which means you can sometimes get a slight variation in colour, shading and grain between different products and within the same product. Small splits are a normal feature to all natural wood furniture and will only add to the character of the piece!
Knots and joint lines
These occur naturally in all real wood furniture and will sometimes be visible through a painted surface. However, this should merely enhance the beauty of the product. It does not affect performance.
Expansion
Unlike a shiny new computer all timber moves from season to season because of changes in atmospheric temperature and humidity. This occasionally may make drawer movement a little stiff. To get those babies running nice and smoothly again simply rub a little candle wax on the drawer runners. Easy.
Upholstery
Most of our fabrics are woven from natural fibres and will sustain normal wear and tear. However, for the occasional small spill or mark you can use warm water and a mild soap solution. Never rub the area vigorously as this may leave an ugly bobbling effect. Gently dab the area and rinse with cold water. For more stubborn stains or dirt, we recommend you have them professionally cleaned by a certified company who will come to your house - unless you have a removable cover and can pop to the dry cleaner. All our lovely upholstered products conform to the very strict UK standards for domestic fire retardancy. One thing worth noting is that viscose (which is in some of our linen fabrics due to domestic UK fire regulations) is a totally natural material originating from plants and trees.We recommend that all our textiles and fabrics are dry cleaned only.
Mattresses
Although our No Turn mattresses do not need to be turned over every few months, they should be “rotated” every few weeks so that the head end becomes the foot end. This is especially important in the first few weeks of use when the snug top layer begins to settle. Failure to do this could result in uneven dips appearing. We also strongly recommend the use of one of our mattress protectors not just for maximum comfort, but to protect your mattress from spoiling. Please note that you should not put anything wet or damp in direct contact with the mattress.
Special notice for our lifting ottoman storage beds!
Please note that when there is no mattress on our ottoman beds, there is the possibility that the metal frame can spring upwards. This is what it's designed to do, but you should take care and make sure your chin doesn't get in the way! To ensure you get many years of use out of the lifting mechanism and that it doesn't bend from incorrect use, you should place one hand either side of the centre of the metal frame (as you face the bed head-on from the footboard) and then gently lift upwards. These mechanisms undertake huge force, so a little TLC over the years will keep the bed doctor away - and save you some money! Most bed companies never tell you about this and then try and charge you a load more money to replace the mechanism a few years later once it starts to bend. So as well as mentioning it here we've also written about it clearly in our instructions which come with your bed. And finally, the lifting mechanism is only tested using our own mattresses. We strongly recommend you use our mattress (we're not trying to bleed you dry here, we promise!) as we cannot guarantee that the lifting mechanism will work with other ones.
Regulations
Our beds and mattresses are designed and tested to comply with domestic use UK fire regulations only.
Take care!
Dragging furniture across the floor will cause damage to the joints, not to mention your lower back and floor! Leaning backwards on two legs of a chair or stool may weaken joints –and is apparently bad manners (though we’ve never quite understood why). Please make sure your shiny new wooden flooring is protected from possible marking by feet or legs. And last but not least, please 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 ideal.
Follow the above and you’ll be alright.
With love and thanks,
The Sleep Room x
