Here are some step-by-step, simple and affordable tips from Home and Furniture Care Expert Sue Harman on preparing your home for the holidays. After reading the tips below, be sure to read on for my thoughts on the products.
Transform your HOUSE into a holiday haven:
Step 1: Dust
- Start at the surface and pay special attention to the easy-to-miss, must-dust places such as cabinetry, shelving units, window treatments and appliances. To avoid scratching surfaces, Harman recommends using Guardsman Ultimate Dusting Cloths.
“Most dust cloths simply snow plow dust off surfaces, into the air and onto the floor,” says Harman, “Whereas the reusable Guardsman Ultimate Dusting Cloths are specially treated to pick up and hold on to dust.” Harman adds, “The cloths also do not use aerosols, which can leave a residue that attracts dust.”
Step 2: Clean
- Once the household dusting is complete, the next step is to care for the wood furniture and accessories around your home. Bring back the clarity in your wood furniture, framing and cabinetry by using Guardsman Wood Cleaner. Dirt and oils, especially in the kitchen, build up over time, creating a dull, dingy look on wood finishes.
“Many people think that a dampened cloth with mild detergent and water will do the trick, but this is definitely a myth” says Harman. “Guardsman Wood Cleaner is the solution – it removes tough stains without having to rub aggressively and potentially dull the finish of the wood.”
- To treat rings or marks on your finished wood surfaces, use the Guardsman Water Ring and Mark Remover. It eliminates minor blemishes caused by water, alcohol, heat, paint, cosmetics or moisture.
- Next stop – those pesky stains on your couch that just won’t seem to come out! Whether it’s fabric or leather, the Guardsman brand of products has the answer. “In my home, finding new furniture stains has become part of our annual holiday tradition, so I keep Guardsman Fabri-Kleen Upholstery Cleaner on-hand all year round,” notes Harman. It thoroughly cleans and removes food, beverage and cooking oil stains from water-cleanable fabric upholstery (including microfiber) and carpet.
“For leather furniture, I recommend the Guardsman Leather Cleaner Wipes. This unique cleaning tool won’t leave a residue like some cleaning solutions or soap and water, which can harm leather’s flexibility.”
Step 3: Protect and Maintain
- After all surfaces are clean, it is time to update and refresh the look of your home by restoring and protecting your furniture. Start by applying wood polish to all wood surfaces. Guardsman Wood Polish is formulated to enhance wood furniture and surfaces and, since it contains no abrasives, waxes or silicones, it will not leave a greasy residue, harm a wood finish or leave an artificial gloss that can change the look of furniture.
Available in aerosol, trigger and concentrate formats, wood or lemon scented, Guardsman Wood Polish caters to all polishing preferences. It is also available with a UV inhibitor which protects the woods original color, making the wood color less likely to lighten when exposed to UV rays from sunlight in the home.
- Complete the wood renewal process by repairing edges, corners and frequently used surfaces that show wear with Guardsman Touch-Up Markers. Combining light, medium and dark shades in a single package available for black and brown furniture, these markers can be layered and blended to match most wood finishes across the home.
“The Guardsman Touch-Up Markers are a must-have for every home and can be used in more ways than you can imagine,” says Harman. She adds, “The fast-drying, non-toxic markers offer a long-lasting color replacement to wooden surfaces such as cabinets, furniture, floors, molding and wooden accessories.”
- Lastly, preserve the clean and refreshed look of your fabric and leather furniture. Apply the odorless Guardsman Fabricoate Fabric Protector to keep fabric furniture cleaner for longer, shielding againt many damaging soils, spills and stains, while still maintaining the original look, feel and breathability of fabrics.
For your leather pieces, use Guardsman Leather Protector Wipes. The wipes protect against penetrating stains and premature aging of leather furniture while still preserving the original feel and color of the leather.
“Protecting furniture is the last, but certainly one of the more valuable steps in the overall furniture care process,” says Harman. “Guardsman Fabricoate Fabric Protector and Guardsman Leather Protector Wipes help you create an invisible barrier on your furniture, which not only makes future cleaning easier, but also safeguards your fabric and leather furniture for years to come.”
What we think…
I’ve been using the products for almost 2 weeks now and I am really impressed. All of the products are easy and convenient to use. The thing that I want to talk about is the Guardsman Fabri-Kleen Upholstery Cleaner.
Emma is a sneaky sneaky child. The other day she took an ink pen and colored the entire side of the couch. It’s a Micro-Fiber couch. There was blue ink pen everywhere! First I tried alcohol and was able to get a little bit off, but it was still really bad. I was near tears until I remembered the Guardsman Fabri-Kleen Upholstery Cleaner. I mixed up one package of it. With a clean rag I worked it in to the stain. Oh. My. Gosh. It worked! There are still some faint spots and I plan on working those spots again with the cleaner. I am just so impressed at what a difference it made!
I think all of the products we tried were fantastic. The only one I have not been able to try is the Leather Cleaner. The furniture polish made our dining table look amazing. Normally we just wiped it down with regular cleaners. Now I am realizing the difference it makes to use products that are made for wood. You can purchase the products directly from the website.
I received samples of the Guardsman products to facilitate my review. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.
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What a great review! I’ll confess that the neatness faerie kinda sorta bypassed my house and so anything that helps in making things look spiffy is a Good Thing indeed!