Caring for Tailored by OKA furniture

Tailored by OKA Upholstered Furniture

Our Tailored by OKA upholstered furniture is handmade to order in the UK, with the exception of our customisable Staffords, which are hand finished in the UK by a team of highly skilled craftspeople.

From start to finish, each piece is created with the utmost care and attention to produce distinctive designs constructed to high standards from carefully selected materials. With the correct care and maintenance, your Tailored by OKA furniture will provide you with years of comfort and satisfaction – please take some time to read how to care for your item properly.

Fabric Features

Our Tailored by OKA range of upholstered furniture is available in a selection of linens, velvets, leathers and wools. Each fabric has different characteristics, which require different methods of care to keep them looking their best. Every effort is made to ensure that the products supplied correspond as closely as possible to the display items in our stores, fabric swatches, and images used in our magazines and on our website; however, variations may occur during normal manufacturing between each batch of fabric and due to the unique characteristics of natural materials.

Clever Linen

• Our clever linen has the typical look and feel of natural linen, but with extra benefits due to the synthetic additions woven into the yarn. It is partly moisture wicking with high light fastness and rub count.

• Wash Clever Linen loose covers at 40 degrees, do not use bleach. Tumble dry on a low setting and iron on a high temperature to remove creases. Alternatively, dry clean professionally.

• As a loose cover it is machine washable; the colour will not fade due to the way the yarn is dyed.

• For fixed covers, dab spills with a damp cloth immediately – do not wipe or leave the stain overnight.

Fine Basket Weave

• Dry clean only.

Bouclé

• Dry clean only.

• Iron on a low temperature if necessary.

Boiled Wool

• Dry cleaning recommended.

• To maintain the fabric, all cushions should be regularly turned to avoid uneven wear.

• Frequent light vacuuming will greatly extend its life.

• We do not recommend exposing this fabric to sunlight as it may cause some fading.

Heirloom Leather

• Dust absorbs moisture and will cause your leather to dry out. To avoid this, periodically dust with a dry cloth.

• Blot stains immediately with a dry cloth to absorb all the moisture. Do not rub the leather as this may spread the liquid and cause larger marks.

• Spot clean with a mild soap and water solution; mix three parts water with one part mild soap. Do not use chemicals or abrasive cleaning agents. The stain will look its worst at the time of the incident but will begin to disperse and look like a part of the fabric.

• To remove scratches, use the heat of your hand or a hairdryer to smooth it out. The natural waxes and oils in the leather should shift and move to cover the scratch.

• Avoid positioning your leather furniture in direct sunlight as this will cause it to fade. If this is unavoidable, try draping a throw over the exposed leather to protect it.

• Never place leather items directly against a radiator as the heat will dry out the leather and cause it to crack. Applying leather conditioner can reduce the rate of damage over a prolonged period of time.

Loose Covers

Loose-covered furniture offers optimum practicality without compromising on style. Loose covers create a more casual look for your furniture than fixed covers, and can be easily removed for cleaning. They are available for our linen fabric options, and should be professionally dry cleaned.

• Loose covers have an allowance for up to 3% shrinkage (which will vary from fabric to fabric) when cleaned and may not fit tightly at first. However, they are designed to fit perfectly over the frame, so make sure the cover is pulled taut in all directions.

• The covers are supplied separately to the frame so your furniture will require dressing upon arrival. This may mean that some of the covers are slightly creased, but the creases will drop out naturally with time and use. A light steaming will remove the creases. Regular redressing will be required to keep loose covers neat and tidy once in use.

• When removing loose covers for cleaning, please ensure that all covers are laundered at the same time to avoid colour variation.

Seat Cushions, Fillings & Seat Covers

Our Tailored by OKA seat cushions contain high quality fillings carefully calculated to give the ideal loft for each range. All seat and back cushion fillings will compress when used, just like a pillow. The appearance and performance of your cushions can be preserved by regular maintenance. Follow these simple steps as soon as your furniture is in use:

Foam with Fibre Wrap

• This is a firmer and more supportive filling than fibre, which softens with use.

• Due to small tolerances in the polyurethane foam manufacturing process, the hardness of the foam may vary from cushion to cushion within the same product or order; however, the variance may reduce with use over time.

• Plump cushions firmly on the outside borders occasionally to restore air between the fibres and maintain the shape.

• Seat cushion covers should be rotated, and redressed regularly to realign the seat edges.

Fibre Or Feather

• This is a soft and comfortable filling that requires frequent maintenance to keep it looking plump.

• At the end of each day, plump cushions firmly on the outside borders to restore air between the fibre or feather; this will maintain the look and comfort, and help prevent fibres or feathers binding or flattening.

Complete the maintenance below at least once a week; the more often this is carried out the better the filling will perform.

1. Place the cushion on one of its outside edges and beat the opposite border of the cushion inwards with the flat of your hands. The more vigorously you do this, the better.

2. Turn the cushion round a quarter turn onto the next side and repeat until all four sides have been beaten.

3. Finally, give the cushion a shake and replace.

4. Remove the filling interiors from their covers occasionally to plump them.

All our duck feathers are ethically sourced.

All Cushion Fillings

• Fillings which are not maintained correctly from the beginning will bind and become difficult to restore, losing comfort and shape.

• Swap reversible cushions around and turn where possible to ensure equal wear.

• Selected Tailored by OKA ranges have cushion covers which are not fully reversible. Non-reversible fibre-filled cushions should have the pad removed from the cover and turned over occasionally.

• Cushions are likely to have moved during transit and, because they need time to settle, may cause slight lifting of the back pads. Redressing may be required so that they sit correctly. Ensure the cushion pads are positioned well back, squarely and flat on the seating platform so the backs sit flush with the seat.

• The feel of the seat will vary depending on the fabric and size chosen; different fabric compositions can either give a more relaxed or firmer feel to the seat when in use. Larger versions of a range have more cushion surface area for air to escape, so may become more compact and feel different to smaller options in the same range.

Fire Retardancy

• All foam is manufactured to meet stringent flammability regulations; additives used to comply with this standard may occasionally give rise to a slight odour which will dissipate over time once the product is unwrapped, aired and in use.

Frames, Legs, Feet & Levelling

All Tailored by OKA frames and legs are crafted using sustainably sourced hardwood, using the traditional screw and dowel method for maximum durability. The removable legs are made from solid oak or beech, and are available stained to an Ebony or Greyed Oak finish.

Furniture must be positioned on a solid, level surface to ensure the product does not rock and damage the frame; use felt pads on the feet or castor cups to assist if the floor is not level and to protect wooden and delicate flooring from possible marking.

Removable legs that screw in may loosen with use; check monthly that they are secure by gently turning, but be careful not to over tighten.

Avoid dragging or dropping your upholstery onto corners or feet, or leaning back on two legs as this may cause damage. Always lift furniture with two people and place down gently.

To clean the wooden legs on your furniture, use a clean, damp cloth. They can be polished occasionally with natural wax. We recommend that you do not use household detergent or cleaning products on them.

Corner Units

Protect connecting brackets by maintaining stability, especially on hard slippery surfaces.

Sunlight & Environment

If upholstery is exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time, it will cause the colour and fabric to deteriorate. Use in hot and sunny conservatories is not recommended.

We advise leaving at least a 30cm clearance from heat sources such as radiators to prevent colour change or permanent marks occurring. Likewise, keep furniture a safe distance away from working fireplaces.

Do not place hot items such as cups, laptops or hot water bottles on the fabric as this may leave a mark.

We do not recommend keeping products in excessively high or low temperatures or where the environment is often damp, as this may cause issues.

General Maintenance Instructions

To help prolong the life of your upholstery, we advise the following:

Cleaning

• Regular cleaning with a soft brush and/or gently hoovering helps keep your furniture looking its best, as accumulated dust will accelerate the wear of covers.

• Periodic cleaning of the entire piece is essential to maintain appearance and prevent premature fading and wear, as ground-in dirt will damage the fabric.

• All upholstery products should be professionally cleaned in situ unless otherwise stated. We recommend using a reputable specialist upholstery care professional and request that they perform a colour fastness test on an inconspicuous area before cleaning, as OKA cannot take responsibility for third party actions.

• Do not dry clean or wash covers unless it is specifically stated that you can, as doing so could result in a loss of fire-retardant properties and cause fabric durability issues.

• Remove all spills immediately. Blot liquid spills with a clean, dry, white cloth, working towards the centre of the spill. Do not rub or use abrasive cleaners as this may damage the furniture. Should the piece become stained or suffer other damage, we recommend professional help is sought.

• For wooden components, use a lightly damp cloth rinsed in warm water. Do not use a detergent. Polish periodically with a natural wax.

Care

• Avoid sitting on the arms or edges of furniture as this may cause distortion.

• Pushing feet against or placing them on the arms may cause damage to the arms or frame.

• Please do not allow your furniture to be jumped on as this will damage the springs and frame.

• Take care to prevent sharp objects such as toys, buckles, garment studs and heels from coming into contact with your furniture as they may cause damage.

• We recommend you discourage domestic pets from climbing on or clawing upholstery. If snags do occur, do not pull them; instead, thread them back in gently. If you share your furniture with pets, we would advise you to clean any loose covers regularly to keep them looking their best.

• Avoid air pollution such as cigarette smoke and cooking fumes, which can cause fabric to fade or change colour.

• Avoid contact with chemicals such as baby wipes (except for use on clever velvets), haircare and skincare products, fake tans, insect repellents and other cosmetics, or household cleaning materials other than those recommended as these are likely to damage the surface.

• Take great care when unzipping covers and replace them correctly. Never force a zip, and avoid trapping fabric when fitting or lifting items by the zips.