It’s been four and a half years since we took the leap and purchased several pieces of Restoration Hardware furniture. I know some thought I was crazy for purchasing “white” pieces, but after giving it significant consideration, I felt confident in our decision. We wanted timeless pieces that could transition with our style and family, so we were willing to make an investment. One of the most commonly asked questions I receive is how we keep our furniture so white, so I thought I’d share the details of how we clean Restoration Hardware furniture. We purchased Belgian linen slipcovered sofas and dining chairs so that we could easily clean them or if worse came to worst, we could replace them. Thankfully, to date we haven’t had to do either! I’ve been incredibly pleased with how easily they spot clean with water. We’ve spilled wine, soda, mac and cheese, had chocolate faces rub against them, etc. At nearly five years, I feel like its time to clean our love seat, which gets the most use.

There are no stains, but the arms are starting to look a little dingy overall. I’m a little scared to wash it in fear of the massive steam that will likely follow, so I’m going to start with a mild upholstery cleaner. We’ve had great success using it on our deconstructed chairs, which have required routine cleanings, the fabric has been less forgiving than Belgian linen. How to clean Restoration Hardware linen furniture:It keeps dust particles out of the fabric, making it appear brighter. Soak up the stain with a white cloth by blotting {don’t rub}. Spot clean with {distilled} water and a white cloth. Use a mild soap, water and a white cloth. {I was told this over the phone from one of their representatives} Dry clean or machine wash on cold and hang to dry. Note that you should do all pieces in the set so that the color is consistent. One thing to keep in mind about cleaning your Restoration Hardware furniture beyond vacuuming and spot cleaning is that doing so will remove the protective finish that we’ve come to love and appreciate.

I can only hope that they’ll bottle it and share it with us someday, but until then, we live in our home and enjoy our furniture. We don’t live in a museum, nor do we treat our home like one. I am not my mother’s daughter when it comes to furniture, protecting it with a blanket until company arrives. I also embrace the look of linen rather than stress about steaming it. If wrinkles bother you, I’d avoid the linen fabrics because they almost always look less than perfect. Our dining chairs are always a hot mess because the girls love hiding under them and where the fabric is tailored at the leg of the sofas, we brush past frequently and they tend to curl. If you have Restoration Hardware linen furniture, I’d love for you to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. High concentrations of dust mite allergens are a significant risk factor for the development of allergies and related diseases such as asthma and rhinitis (hay fever). Eighty percent of children and young adults with asthma are sensitive to dust mites.

And studies at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) suggest that more than 45 percent of U.S. homes have bedding with dust mite concentrations that exceed a level equated with allergic sensitization. Dust mites are microscopic creatures (smaller than 1/70 of an inch) that thrive in warm, dark, moist places with temperatures of 68° to 84°F and humidity levels at 75 to 80 percent. dry carpet cleaning las vegasThey thrive in bedding because that is where they find their biggest meals: They thrive on sloughed-off human and animal skin.best carpet cleaner for red mud Under the microscope, dust mites appear as sightless, spider-like arachnids. carpet cleaners reading maThey breathe through their skin, and while in dormancy, they are impervious to poisons, so insecticides are worthless if you choose to use them.

You can also find dust mites in dust ruffles and bed curtains (because they trap dust easily) and on feathers, furs, protein-based textiles, and other organic fibers. Polyester bedding is also a well-known haven for dust mites because it traps moisture from perspiration. It’s the feces and body parts from the dust mites that are the allergens, so simply killing the mites won’t remove the allergen, although reducing populations is always a considerable help. To minimize mite populations, you need to make changes in your daily living and cleaning routines. While you may not be able to do all of these things, just implementing a few of these techniques will reduce the number of mites in the bedroom. Direct sunlight kills dust mites, so hang bedding in the sun whenever possible. (Be mindful, though, that outdoor allergens can collect on bedding hung outside.) Dust mites die when the humidity falls below 40 to 50 percent; use a dehumidifier if the weather is humid.

Wash bed linens once a week in hot water — the water temperature should be 130°F or higher — to kill mites. Steam-cleaning carpets considerably lessens dust mite populations and deters population growth. A study in Glasgow, Scotland, found an 87 percent drop in the concentration of dust mites per gram of dust after carpets were steam-cleaned. Vapor steam-cleaning (using a small machine that heats surfaces with dry steam) kills fungus, dust mites, bacteria, and other undesirables. This is a good way to clean bedding that you can’t launder, such as mattresses. Vapor contains only 5 to 6 percent water (conversely, most steam cleaners use lots of warm water to clean), so the vapor steam doesn’t contribute to a moist environment. Vapor steam deeply penetrates whatever it is cleaning, and it is great for upholstery, couches, carpets, and mattresses. The natural lanolin in wool repels dust mites — another reason to buy wool bedding. Studies at NIEHS found significant reduction of dust mites when allergen-proof covers were combined with properly laundered bedding, dry steam-cleaning, and vacuuming.

Vacuuming alone didn’t work as well as the combination of vacuuming with dry steam-cleaning of carpets and upholstery. Buy a new pillow every 6 months (dust and dust mites live in pillows). Eliminate wall-to-wall carpet (especially over concrete floors because concrete generates moisture/humidity). Decorate with washable throw rugs instead. Freeze stuffed animal toys in the freezer (in a tightly closed plastic bag), and shake vigorously outside after removing them from the freezer. Or, wash stuffed toys often. Keeping a bedroom clean is important for mite control. Use a HEPA vacuum in the room, and run a HEPA air filter near the bed when the room isn’t occupied. Make sure the bedroom curtains or window coverings are washable. Horizontal venetian blinds can be wiped clean with a damp cloth (but they do collect a lot of dust), and if you have shades that can’t easily be washed, they should be of a type that’s easily vacuumed. Be sure to avoid fuzzy fabrics and bed linens and fluffy pillows;