Your home can harbour hundreds of germs and harmful bacteria. Whilst we are all aware of the bugs that lurk in our bathrooms and on kitchen worktops, often we miss other areas of the home that are just as susceptible to causing harm to our health. Carolyn Barnett, technical expert from Furniture Medic, advises that furniture especially is often overlooked when it comes to keeping a healthy home.

Wooden Furniture
Carolyn Barnett; “We regularly visit customers to restore antique furniture to discover it has developed mould and mildew. This is as a result of either being placed in an unventilated area, against an exterior wall or having been stored in a damp basement. Mould and mildew are dangerous for your health as the airborne spores can cause allergic reactions and can be especially harmful to infants and the elderly. Even if your furniture appears to be mould free, unchecked areas such as the backs and underneath of chairs and sideboards can harbour germs.

This can be prevented by regular cleaning, however once it has set in it must be tackled professionally. Furniture Medic will treat mould damaged wood with an environmentally – friendly, specialist anti-bacterial lacquer, (incorporating Hygienilac), which not only kills harmful germs and bugs including E-Coli and MRSA and mould and mildew, but promises to keep them away for the lifespan of the lacquer which can be up to five years. Furniture Medic is the only furniture restoration experts in the UK approved to use this treatment on furniture.”

Leather and Upholstery
Gary Butler is Furniture Medic’s upholstery expert. He says: “Leather furniture often gets neglected as people don’t know how to care for it. A well used piece of leather furniture develops creases and crevices due to the nature of the material. These are ideal breeding grounds for bugs, especially as dropped food crumbs can become trapped, leading to the development of bad bacteria and dust mites. A good cleaning routine can prevent this.

Gary advises: “Clean your leather furniture monthly using a good leather cleaner. This should be applied using circular motions with a soft brush such as a new shoe brush. Blot the surface using paper towels and allow to dry. Finally, apply a leather conditioner and make sure your sofa is completely dry before using. It is advisable to find out what type of leather your sofa is and buy an appropriate product. Your local Furniture Medic specialist can also offer more advice on products and furniture care.

Damp leather however, like wood, is also susceptible to mould and mildew and again, once it has set in it is best to let the experts deal with it. Furniture Medic can clean it and treat it with their own special fabric protector – Fabritec, which will provide up to 12 months anti-bacterial protection for all fabric and leather furniture affected. Its low water solubility means that it does not wash off, so it lasts for longer.

With 15 years of specialist restoration and repair experience, Furniture Medic will come to the rescue and very often make invisible repairs, thus providing a cost effective alternative to replacement. To find a Furniture Medic near you call 0800 021 3071 or log onto www.furnituremedic.co.uk.