Furniture in daily use is exposed to various strains caused by external factors, for
example body oils, perspiration, general wear and tear and color transfer from jeans.
Ekornes wants you to understand what you need to do to preserve your furniture’s good
looks for as long as possible. Furniture leather is neither self cleaning nor self-maintaining. Leather absorbs moisture. Spills can leave marks and must be dealt with
immediately.
- Leather has limited elasticity. This means that when stretched, it does not
completely return to its original shape. Therefore, when leather furniture is used
more or less intensively, the leather may become looser over time. - Leather like any other natural material can fade when exposed to direct sunlight
over a long period of time. Royalin, being one of our more natural leathers, is
being particularly sun sensitive. Therefore to minimise fading, avoid placing your
furniture in direct sunlight. - To maintain the surface properties of the leather, we recommend that you keep a
minimum distance of 30cm between your furniture and any source of heat. - Leather is not resistant to animals. Do not allow pets on your leather furniture.
Their claws may scratch the leather which can lead to an expensive repair. Their
saliva is acidic and may also attack the leather finish. - In order to avoid stubborn stains protect your leather when using household
chemicals e.g., (most) domestic detergents such as window cleaners, bleach and
finger nail polish, nail polish remover, glue, shoe polish, paint, corrosive
materials. Avoid domestic detergents and ALL products containing solvents and
oils, as they may destroy your leather surface. Do not use any traditional
household products to remove stubborn stains. Many of these are harsh and
cannot be guaranteed safe for use on leather. Do not use a steamer to clean the
leather. - Certain cosmetics and body care products contain solvents and oils. These
products are not beneficial to leather, as they may weaken the leather finish over
time. Avoid using your leather furniture with wet hair or with freshly applied hair
care products or cosmetics. To avoid build-up of these products, please clean
regularly the leather as described. - All leathers last longer and look and perform better when preventive maintenance
is practiced. - Maintain surface appearance and texture by gently wiping your leather once a
week with a clean dry cloth or vacuum with a soft brush. This will remove dust.
The leather for our furniture is a natural material that comes from cattle hides:
When the hide has gone through a tanning process and further processing to
achieve the correct utilisation properties, it is called leather. One characteristic of hide is
that it is marked by nature, vegetation and the care the animal has been subjected to.
Cattle spend most of their lives outdoors and will therefore be marked by external
influences like insect bites, tears, scars, wrinkles, stretch marks, etc.
The following are some of the properties of leather that you should be aware of:
Leather is a natural product and is a beautiful and lively material used in furniture
making. Each hide is unique in its structure, appearance, nuance and size. Ekornes
may use several hides when making your furniture. This, together with the leather’s play
of colors and natural marks, makes each piece of furniture unique. In time, the leather
will age and gain patina. It is important that you are aware of one thing: Although leather
furniture can withstand a lot of wear and tear, its appearance will change with the years.
The following applies to all types of leather used by Ekornes:
Hide absorbs dyes differently and therefore the leather may have color nuances. These are due to
dissimilarities and different fibre structures, which affect the coloring of the hide and how the hide absorbs the dyes during the tanning process. All our leather qualities are deep dyed, but there could always be a deviation between the basic color of the hide (the color of the side that faces the upholstery side of the furniture), and the color of the grain side (the external side) i.e. the color of the outer
layer. This is normal. It is possible to use the same basic color for leathers with different
top colors. Dyes and dyeing methods may vary between the different leather colors and leather
qualities. Therefore the basic color and the color of the top layer (which forms the wear
layer and the final desired color of the finished product) of a given leather quality may
differ. Some of the leather dyes have a two-tone color effect (shadow/antique effect). Leather
dyed with a two-tone effect may change character faster and wear more unevenly than
leather with just one color. This applies in particular to areas of the furniture that are
exposed to harder wear such as armrests, seat cushions and neck supports.
The top layer protects the leather and simplifies cleaning, but is nonetheless vulnerable
to soiling and wear. If the top layer/top colour is destroyed, the leather may deteriorate
faster. Penetrating spills/damage/scratches are normally irreparable and may result in
the top color changing character, cracking or peeling off.
Denim clothes and hard textiles such as dungaree jeans expose the leather to strong
wear and may leave color on the leather which is difficult to remove without risking
destruction of the top color of the leather. Light leather colors in particular are vulnerable
to such color contamination. All furniture leather sold by Ekornes is resistant to light, but changes in color may occur as a result of use and extensive exposure to light. Consequently, furniture should not be
exposed to direct sunlight or direct heat from heaters and other sources of heat. Leather
is vulnerable to exposure to oils from direct contact with human skin (especially of the
neck and hands).
Remember: leather has a relatively long life-time but can easily be destroyed by
incorrect handling.
Some of these marks are important because they give the furniture individuality. Others
may mar the appearance, and are hidden on the furniture, or not used at all.
Ekornes has stringent, fixed rules for choice and use of leather. Here are the types of
natural markings that may be found, and where you can find them on the furniture.
Type 1: Used on surfaces subject to wear and other highly visible parts of the
furniture
- Healed scars.
- Fat folds and neck wrinkles.
- Veins.
- Uneven grain.
- Color differences resulting from leather varieties.
- Insect bites.
Type 2: Used on less visible parts of the furniture
- Salt stains.
- Clusters of healed scars/bites/scratches.
- Warts.
Type 3: Used on hidden or less visible parts of the furniture
- Fertiliser stains.
- Comb marks.
- Marks caused by mechanical treatment during tanning or production.
Type 4: The following are not used
- Barbed wire marks.
- Large scars or scars from open wounds.
Stressless Leather Cleaner
Stressless Leather Cleaner is a mild, water-based cleaner that can be used on all pure
aniline and pigmented leathers. It will remove soil as well as most water-based stains.
Stressless Leather Protection
Stressless Leather Protection is a water-based protection product for all types of leather
except nubuck and suede. Stressless Leather Protection protects against oil, water and
alcohol stains as well as everyday dirt and grime. It will also keep your leather lovely
and soft, and when used regularly in combination with Stressless Leather Cleaner,
prevents pigmented leather from cracking.
We recommend your leather furniture is cleaned and re-protected at least every six
months. Ekornes disclaims all liability if you maintain your leather furniture with other products
than Stressless® Leather Care.
MAINTENANCE OF UPHOLSTERY FABRICS FROM EKORNES:
Please read this manual carefully.
Daily used furniture is exposed to stress from external factors such as body oils, hair,
grease, acidic perspiration, general abrasion and dye transfer from blue jeans. In order
to keep your furniture looking great for a longer period of time, Ekornes wants you to
understand what you need to do to preserve your furniture’s good looks for as long as
possible. Upholstery Fabrics are neither self cleaning nor self maintaining. Spills may
leave marks and must be dealt with immediately. Be aware of these fabric
characteristics:
- Fabrics
Fabrics made of natural fibres such as cotton, linen and wool, or made of artificial fibres
such as viscose, offer a remarkable feeling of comfort because they breathe and absorb
perspiration. These fabrics are hydrophilic, which means they attract and absorb water
and anything that contains water such as drinks, food, medication, syrups etc. These
fabrics are also oleophilic, which means they absorb oils and grease such as the fatty
acids from perspiration. Fabrics made of synthetic fibres such as polyester, polyamide
and acrylic offer remarkable mechanical resistances. These fibres are hydrophobic,
which means they repel water and other liquids. Stains resulting from spilled liquids or
water-based products are not absorbed by these fibres and those stains are therefore
easier to remove. However, these fibres are oleophilic, which means they absorb oil and
grease. Fabrics made of mixed fibres (various combinations of natural, artificial and
synthetic fibres) offer high resistance to stains and excellent comfort. - Microfibers
Microfibers are very thin synthetic fibres – about a thousandth of the thickness of a silk
thread. Their characteristics are similar to synthetic fibres: they repel water but attract oil
and grease. Dinamica is an upholstery fabric that offers remarkable resistance and is
well-suited to a family environment associated with children, pets and so forth. Please
be aware of the fabric your Stressless furniture is made of, so that you know its basic
characteristics. Fabric has limited elasticity. This means that when stretched, it does not
completely return to its original shape. Therefore, when fabric is used more or less
intensively, the fabric may become looser over time. Fabric, like any other material, can
fade when exposed to direct sunlight over a long period of time. To minimize fading,
avoid placing your furniture in direct sunlight. Fabric is also not resistant to animals. Do
not allow pets on your fabric furniture. Their claws may damage the fabric, leading to an
expensive repair or fabric replacement. Their saliva is acidic and may discolour fabric.
In order to avoid stubborn stains and protect your fabric when using household
chemicals (e.g. most domestic detergents, window cleaners, bleach, finger nail polish,
nail polish remover, glue, shoe polish, paint and corrosive materials). Avoid domestic
detergents and ALL products containing solvents and oils, as they may destroy your
fabric. Do not use any traditional household products to remove stubborn stains. Many
of these are harsh and cannot be guaranteed safe for use on fabric. Do not use a
steamer to clean synthetic fibres or microfibers. All upholstery lasts longer and looks
and performs better when preventive maintenance is practiced. Maintain the surface
appearance and texture by gently wiping your fabrics once a week with a clean, dry
cloth or vacuum with a soft brush. This will remove dust. - Regular care
All fabrics in natural, artificial, synthetic or microfibres will benefit from certain simple
routines, enabling you to preserve their beauty. - Dusting
All fabrics are subject to abrasion from the regular use of the furniture. You will need to
dust your upholstery weekly in order to avoid microscopic dust sticking to fibres and
increasing the damage to them from abrasion. If this is not done, it will accelerate wear.
We recommend dusting with your vacuum cleaner using a curtain or upholstery brush
attachment. - Cleaning
Frequently used fabric upholstery must also be cleaned regularly, even when it does not
look soiled. If this is not done, soil and sweat will penetrate the fibres and over time
cause discoloration and reduce the resistance of the fibres. Start cleaning your fabric as
soon you see that regular dusting is no longer adequate. Use the fabric cleaner that
comes in the Stressless Fabric Care Kit. Do this to avoid soil and grime penetrating the
fibres of your fabric which makes cleaning more complicated. At least once every 3
months, clean all parts of the furniture that come in contact with the body. - Removal of stains
The removal of stains from fabrics is a simple and efficient operation using the
Stressless Fabric Care Kit. The vast majority of fresh stains can be removed. The
Fabric Care Kit contains specific products for all stains. Do not use other products for
cleaning or removing stains from your Ekornes fabric. Ekornes will decline all
responsibility in case you used products other than those approved by Ekornes.
Stressless Fabric Care Kit can be purchased at your Ekornes dealer.