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Bean Bags versus Traditional Sofas
by: Claire Calkin
Why bean bags chairs are better than traditional furniture
When you are looking for new furniture for your home and not ready to commit yourself to an entire lounge suit, or maybe you are trying to find something to brighten up a living room or child’s room, don’t always dismiss what may be right in front of you. For whatever reason you are buying furniture, you should consider the prospect of bean bag chairs over contemporary furniture. A bean bag chair, if you haven’t heard of them before, are a large cushion like shape filled with polystyrene beads or beans.

The history of the “beans”
They were first invented by workers who use to throw polystyrene off cuts into bags at the end of a work line. A Company that expanded on this idea later developed this in 1969. They brought a pear shaped leather bag called a Socco, this idea didn’t work so after alterations on the name and design it became a smash all over the world. Now, bean bag chairs are finally back in fashion as the latest craze in home decor. Brought back from the 1970s’ as a comfy option for indoor seating and have come back in style just in time to give you peace of mind when buying furniture. With such a variety of options to suit your home, you can now choose your favorite colors, sizes, fabrics and styles. Best of all, they are made with strong, UV protected, water resistant fabric, so you can take them outside with you whether to the boat or by the swimming pool.

Bean Bags vs. Traditional furniture
With most traditional furniture you couldn’t dream of sliding them outside to lounge by the pool (if you are strong enough to), as some lounge suites can run up to thousands of dollars and you wouldn’t dare think of ruining the beautiful lounge leather. A convenient and easy way to take a comfortable and lightweight chair is to make a bean bag chair your new best friend. They will help you relax and are especially great for easing back or neck pain. Think of it as your own personal masseuse.

Health benefits of the bean bag
They are a healthy investment and comparatively cheaper than a lounge suite too, as they are ideal for pregnant women as they provide a comfortable and supportive seating. They are also great for students, parents, children, pregnant women and sufferers of back conditions. Students can use beanbags as a lightweight seating in a dorm room and are so inexpensive that it doesn’t matter if they spilt a mess on them, as they are relatively easy to clean. Choose any sport and you will find a beanbag that is shaped in your favorite ball or animal. Great for kids as they provide a soft place for your children to site while watching TV, reading or playing a video game.

Things you need to know about bean bags
As great as they are, there is also a safety issue to be address when using bean bags in your home. If you do decide to by yourself or someone else a bean bag chair make sure you remove the pull tag once the bag is filled with polystyrene beans. This is done to prevent a choking hazard for children. A liner that slides between the bag cover and the beans can also be purchased as an extra child hazard prevention. Once you have you bean bag and have filled it with beans, it is finally the best part: the experience itself. The best way to approach a bean bag is to back yourself into one, sit down, let the bag support your body and shape to you then sit back, relax and enjoy!

About the author:
Claire Calkin operates several websites offering advice to people on decorating and enhancing their homes.

http://www.custombeanbags.com


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A Guide to Good Furniture Care
 by: Holly Linington

During my long career in the furniture business I’ve often been asked, “What is the proper way to care for my fabric?” After all, you’ve purchased your dream furniture piece but you’re terrified to use it out of fear of damaging it. But you don’t have to live in fear! After extensive research and testing I have found the following guidelines and suggestions to be helpful.

Upholstered Furniture

Because of the wide variety of fabrics and fiber combinations, there is no guarantee that these methods will be completely successful and I recommend that a professional upholstery cleaner be contacted in particular cases. However, these simple solutions will keep your new upholstery crisp and clean for years!

• Vacuum at least once a week to remove grit that can cause abrasion, and be sure to dust vacuum the top surfaces as often as possible. Professional cleaning is the best way to make a slightly soiled sofa look new again, but weekly vacuuming will make professional cleaning a less frequent event. (Never brush any fabric with a stiff fiber or metal brush, since they’re destructive to the fibers. Instead, use your vacuum attachments like the upholstery brush or the attachment for dusting draperies and furniture. The latter brush has longer bristles and is less abrasive to your upholstery fabric. It may be your best option if your fabric deserves a softer brushing.)

• Reverse the cushions each week after vacuuming. Rearrange the furniture occasionally to ensure even wear of the cushions and other areas.

Cushions and pillows filled with down or similar cushioning material should be hand-fluffed and reversed regularly to retain their original softness and resiliency.

• Protect fabrics from the sun. Fabrics should not be placed in direct sunlight because the ultraviolet light will cause the fibers to degenerate and colors to fade. Occasionally dyes can fade from impurities in the air as well, but protection from the sun is a good way to prevent premature loss of color.

• Keep pets off the furniture. Pet urine and pet body oil can be difficult to remove.

• Use proper care with structural weave fabrics (where the design is created by the weave) to protect against snags. These fabrics may be cleaned by sprinkling dry powder cleaner over the fabric, spreading it uniformly and letting it stand for the recommended period before vacuuming with gentle suction. (However, I do recommend professional cleaning with stains on a woven fabric.)

• Caution those wearing clothing with transferable dyes, such as blue jeans, that the dye could transfer onto light-colored furniture.

Fabric Cleaning Guide

Today’s new fabric treatments improve the chances of your fabric’s survival. Fabric protection products are usually applied by the retail store for an additional cost. Most of the various brands work the same way by causing spills and soil to sit on the surface of the fiber instead of migrating to the fiber’s interior.

Today’s fiber protection products are free of ozone damaging chemicals, and most are hypoallergenic and invisible to the eye. Some even provide additional UV protection from color fading caused by intense light. One of the greatest benefits of fabric protection products is that they come with specific written warranties that provide peace of mind.

Whether your new upholstery has been fabric protected or not, you should follow the same basic guidelines in cleaning liquid spills or surface soil that can’t be brushed off (such as newspaper ink).

Fabric Cleaning Codes

Before attempting to clean a spill or spot on your furniture, you should identify the fabric and the correct cleaning method recommended by the manufacturer. This information is represented by a cleaning code (W, S, WS, or X) often found under a cushion, on the bottom of the furniture or on the manufacturer’s tag. If you cannot find this information, contact your salesperson at the furniture store where the item was purchased.

W – Spot clean only with water-based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner.

S – Spot clean only with water-free cleaning solvent. Do not overwet. DO NOT USE WATER.

WS – Spot clean with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild detergent, or a mild dry cleaning solvent. Do not overwet.

X – Clean only by vacuuming or light brushing with a non-metallic brush. DO NOT USE WATER OR DRY CLEANING SOLVENTS. Do not use a foam or liquid cleaner of any type.

Never apply cleaning solutions to visible areas of your upholstery fabric without first testing on areas that are not visible. It is important to pretest for color loss and fabric compatibility.

Cleaning Instructions

As a general rule, when a spill occurs, it is important to clean the fabric immediately. The longer a spot remains, the harder it is to remove. It may even become permanent.

Blot, don’t rub. If the spill is still “fresh”, use a clean, dry and very absorbent 100% cotton cloth. Should you have to use paper towels to blot out spills, be sure the paper towel (or cloth) is white, as colors in the towel may, when applied to a wet surface, fade onto the upholstery. Color from one fabric can rub off onto another fabric, even when dry -- a process known in the industry as “crocking”.

If blotting with a dry cloth doesn’t quite finish the job and you have cleaning directions from the furniture manufacturer, follow those. If none are available, use the instructions provided here.

I hope this information has been insightful. Use these tools when necessary, but most importantly, enjoy your upholstered piece -- it was meant to be used!



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