Most of us practically live in our offices! Tired, worn furniture filling our office space is the last thing we want. It certainly doesn’t project the right company image.
Obviously furniture is subject to wear, especially in a busy office environment. But keeping furniture in the best condition possible is vital. It creates a respected reputation and impressive reviews from clients. Nobody wants to sit in a dirty armchair, with torn fabric and ominous stains. The way your furniture looks can say an awful lot about you and your work ethic.
However, not many of us can afford to replace our furniture regularly either. After I had to do just that (at a very large cost!) for my office space in Cambridge a few years ago, I devised these simple steps to keep my new furniture looking customer friendly for longer!
Leather Furniture Care
Leather is a good choice, in my opinion, for office furniture because it actually tends to look better with some signs of wear. It’s a popular choice for offices because it has a professional appearance and is also an easy furniture material to maintain. All it needs is a thorough rub down with a damp cloth once a week to remove any dirt. You can also buy suitable stain resistant sprays to further protect your furniture as it is regularly used. Your office cleaning crew will always thank you for purchasing leather furniture!
Fabric Furniture Care
The most important piece of advice for the care of fabric furniture that I can think of is to ensure that any stains are taken care of immediately. Don’t leave them to become a part of the furniture! Always keep some effective stain removers handy in your office. You’ll also need to vacuum regularly to stop dust from accumulating.
Wooden Furniture Care
Because it is a natural material, wood is very efficient when used for furniture. There is only problem with wood and that is that it can show very clear signs of wear and tear. Even the temperature can have a detrimental effect on the appearance and quality of wood. If you want to make sure your wooden furniture maintains an attractive appearance, you need to regularly dust the surfaces. You should also oil or wax the wood roughly twice a year to treat the material. Keep your shelves and desks looking happy!
Metal Furniture Care
Here’s another low maintenance material for office furniture. All you really need to do with metal furniture is wipe it on a weekly basis to keep it looking fresh. Dirt tends to build up in the corners of metal furniture, so they might need a scrub occasionally.
Cleaning is Caring!
There is absolutely no reason why you can’t keep your furniture looking attractive for years to come – so long as you treat it right! As you’ll be spending a lot of time there, you want to make sure your office isn’t somewhere that you dread spending time in. Your surroundings can have an incredible effect on the way that you work and how productive you are. You need to keep it clean!
Having said that, office cleaning is something that you can easily find is neglected when you’re so swamped by your business related tasks. I found I was letting my cleaning standards slip, just because I was so inundated with work. In the end I found it was more cost effective to employ an office cleaner. The average rate for an office cleaner in Cambridge is £12 per hour and I found my needs could be accommodated with just a couple of hours a week. So annually I pay £1248 to have my furniture maintained (as well as other things) . . . which is a lot cheaper than the cost of replacing it!