Tips for keeping sofas in top condition

Sofas are a common fixture in hospitality businesses, such as a hotels, bars, or restaurants, where customer comfort is a high priority. They are also often used in offices for breakout spaces, meeting rooms, or areas where a more relaxed atmosphere is required. 

In these locations, they will see a lot of daily use by a range of people, from staff to visitors or customers, all of whom will have their own standards of how they treat furniture. For owners or managers of these businesses, it can be a challenge to keep sofas that are so widely and regularly used in a condition that reflects well on their firm. 

With this in mind, below are my top tips for keeping the sofas in your hospitality business or office in good condition: 

Protect your leather or fabric

The best way to cut down on the time that you spend cleaning up stains or spillages on your sofas is to protect the upholstery from day one. 

For leather, there are specialist protective creams available that, when applied regularly, will help the material to resist damaging wear or stains. This is particularly essential for semi-aniline or pigmented leathers, where the cream will bolster the protective coating that has been applied. 

Fabric upholstery may require more specific attention, as there is a lot more variation in the properties of different materials — it’s always best to seek advice from the manufacturer about the best way to protect it if you aren’t sure.

Plan ahead

If you are buying new sofas, it is worth considering where they will be situated and how much use they will see. If, for example, you are thinking about buying new furniture for a pub seating area, it is likely they will be frequented by casual diners or drinkers, where spilled food or drink is more likely. Therefore, it would make sense to choose a fabric or leather that is easily cleaned and resistant to stains.

With more natural light now being integrated into the design of buildings, it is important that you place your sofas in a place that is away from direct sunlight, which could cause fading in the leather or fabric. Plan where you will place upholstered furniture carefully to avoid this outcome. 

Ensure your staff have the knowledge and products needed

You should also make sure that any cleaning or housekeeping staff that will be cleaning your sofas are aware that they should do so on a regular basis. Although a deep cleaning is not required every day, a simple wipe down and hoovering with a soft brush attachment will do wonders for stopping stains from accumulating over time.

Spillages can occur at any moment, and many require quick action to clean effectively. By making sure that you have a supply of cleaning products at hand, your staff will be able to take care of the problem swiftly should the worst happen. This is important for avoiding permanent stains that could reflect poorly on your business in the eyes of customers or visitors in the future.

Take these tips into account when you are choosing your sofas and planning your cleaning regime and you will find it much easier to maintain the condition of your upholstery in a busy working environment.

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