Care & Maintenance Guide

At Flokk we pride ourselves on the high quality of the furniture we produce, designing durable products to last longer. With out guarantee against wear and tear through normal use, we ensure a lasting product that you can connect to and rely on in your daily work. But like a trusted friend, your furniture needs love and care to perform at its best.

Regular cleaning and maintenance is the best way to prolong its lifetime and ensure your furniture retains its attractiveness. It can also reduce the cost for renovation and repair, replacement and disposal. Protecting your furniture from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, avoid parts scraping against hard or sharp surfaces and watch out for clothing that can discolour or damage any upholstery or soft surfaces.

We want you to enjoy your Flokk design for as long as possible. These are our general guidelines and recommendations to help you keep your furniture as long as it deserves.

cleaning & regular maintenance

Regular cleaning prevents dust and dirt from wearing down the furniture, and also keeps its properties intact. When it comes to upholstery, Regular gentle vacuum cleaning also helps to preserve colour and appearance. 

 

We recommend frequent vacuum cleaning, ideally every week, on a gentle setting with a soft or brush nozzle where appropriate.

Stain and dirt removal

A general rule is to always remove stains as quickly as possible. As long as you act fast, most spots and impurities can be easily removed with clean, lukewarm water or if needed, the addition of a neutral detergent (PH-neutral dishwashing detergent).

 

See below for our specific cleaning recommendations for each material category.

The most common textiles used on our upholstery are wool and polyester. They both share properties related to good strength and durability, moisture and stain resistance, high levels of comfort and shape retention. This makes them ideal for use on furniture, especially seating.

Stain removal

• Remove stain spots as quickly as possible – before they penetrate the fibers.
• Dry wet spots with a piece of kitchen roll or a clean white cotton cloth.
• Scrape up dry, attached spots with a spoon and remove by vacuuming.
• Test if possible where it will not show before applying the neutral cleaning agent.
• Use only small amounts of cleaning agent at a time and dry up with absorbent paper as you work. (Avoid soaking as this can damage the material under the fabric.)
• Use clean water without any detergent for the final clean.
• Make sure to dry the fabric fully before use. (If necessary use a hairdryer to avoid leaving edge marks.)

If the spot does not disappear using water and neutral detergent, follow the instructions in the guide to spots or contact a professional dry cleaner.

We use a range of quality fabric suppliers, if you still have a problem they will be able to provide a wealth of specific information on their websites for your specific problem.

WOOL

Due to wool's genuine natural properties, wool fabrics are easy to maintain. 

Wool is naturally antistatic and attracts dirt to a lesser degree than other fibers do. It is also water-repellent so spillages are slower to penetrate. 

 

For wool-based fabrics we encourage you to only use detergents recommended for use on wool. Remove greasy stains by using appropriate detergents or solvents as recommended. 

 

To avoid the build-up of dust and dirt, especially on chairs, we recommend regular gentle vacuum cleaning using an upholstery attachment.

SYNTHETICS

Mostly polyester and Trevira CS fabrics are easy to maintain and spots can be removed easily. Some microfiber fabrics feature antistatic fibers and are to a high degree, water and oil-repellent, thereby making them more resistant to dirt and stains.  

 

Polyester & Trevira CS fabrics can be washed at a maximum of 40-60 degrees by hand or by machine if the covers are removable. Both can be disinfected with ethanol at a recommended concentration between 70% and 85% (by volume). 

 

Polyurethane fabrics may also be wiped with a dry or moist cloth. 

Leather has a unique character. Preserving its natural properties and benefits requires the right care. To treat and maintain leather upholstery in a proper way will ensure a lifetime of enjoyment of the beauty and character of natural leather. 

 

Our standard leather is a semi-aniline. A slight colour layer is applied after a drum-dyeing process, covering some of the natural imperfections, leaving the leather less sensitive but still breathable and with a genuine feel to it. Leather has limited elasticity. This means that when stretched, it does not completely return to its original shape, and the leather may become looser over time. Properly cared for leather will last longer and become more beautiful over time. 

Care & cleaning recommendations

• Protect leather from direct sunlight. As with any natural material, leather will fade when exposed to direct sunlight over a long period of time.
• Too much heat will harm the leather; keep a minimum distance of 30cm between your chair and any source of heat.
• Protect the leather from sharp objects.
• Zippers and rivets may scratch the surface.
• Always remove contaminants as quickly as possible in order to avoid residue on the leather.
• Regularly wipe the leather with a damp cloth.
• Do not use microfiber cloths as they can damage the top finish of the leather.
• Wipe leather in a circular fashion with a cloth moistened with a very mild soap solution.
• Dry and polish the leather with a dry cloth.
• Too much moistness will harm the surface, do not saturate the leather.
• Avoid chemical cleaning agents with solving agents such as alcohol or benzene.
• Generally, test all cleaning agents in an inconspicuous location.
• Never rub a specific location with great pressure (otherwise the surface may be damaged).
• Please be aware that certain cosmetics and body care products contain solvents and oils which are not beneficial to the leather surface.
• Especially light coloured leathers tend to take colour from jeans, these contaminations are difficult to remove.
• Please contact the nearest specialist company in case of severe chemical contaminations with lubricating oil, tar, or dyes.

Our wooden furniture and surfaces are lacquered for UV protection and resistance to wear and tear. To keep the natural properties intact it is important to dust regularly.  

 

For more thorough cleaning of wood furniture use a wood cleaning detergent or preferably soap flakes dissolved in warm water. For harsher stains, place a few drops of white vinegar into a cup of water for a diluted mixture and dip a microfiber cloth in the liquid. Be sure not to soak the wood surface as you clean.

 

Many of the same rules for cleaning applies to laminate, veneer or solid wood furniture. Make sure to clean surfaces regularly, avoid harsh chemical cleaners and don’t expose surfaces to extreme conditions such as hot temperatures and excessive moisture. 

Laminate

Due to its scratch and stain-resistant properties, laminates are easy to maintain. Still, you should regularly dust your furniture and keep it clean. Be aware not to leave hot or cold containers directly on laminated table surfaces as it can leave permanent marks (this also concerns all other wooden materials described above). 

 

Use a microfiber cloth dampened in warm water and as you wipe the surface make sure to move with the grain. If necessary, follow up with a dry microfiber cloth to soak up any excess moisture. This usually removes most dust and dirt, but for harsher stains use mild soap and warm water or a non-ammonia-based glass cleaner. 

 

The most important thing to remember is to avoid using ammonia-based cleaners on laminate and veneer surfaces. These chemicals can cause damage and create a cloudy look on the surface.

Our most commonly used plastic - polypropylene is durable, lightfast and easy to maintain. For slightly soiled areas, clean with a cloth or sponge moderately moistened with warm water. For more serious dirt removal, a mild detergent or neutral cleaner can be added to the water. When using soap always remove it immediately with clean water and finish with a clean, dry cloth.

Our metal ranges from painted, lacquered or tumbled steel and polished or coated aluminium - all carefully treated to ensure their durability and resistance to wear and tear. 

 

To keep aluminium and steel look pristine, clean regularly to remove any build-up of dirt. If left for an extended period of time, grime can cause staining. Use mild soaps or detergents (eg, pH-neutral liquid hand dishwashing detergent) in warm water and clean with a sponge or a soft cloth. After cleaning, the aluminium or steel should be washed with clear water thoroughly and dried to prevent streaking.  

 

Our linoleum tabletops feature a water-based lacquer, a finish adding a durable and easy-to-maintain surface. Combined with its positive natural material properties such as robustness, being antistatic and resistant to water, greases and oils,  linoleum is easy to preserve.

 

For daily care remove dust and fingerprints using a moist microfiber cloth. For more thorough cleaning use a clean cloth wrung in a solution of hot water and a lenient universal cleaning detergent (ammonia acceptable).  Wipe the tabletop off with a clean, dry cloth. Severely soiled surfaces should be cleaned wet.  

To avoid marks and stains be cautious with placing cups with liquids - be aware to always use coasters. Possible ink stains can be removed with turpentine or spirit, but if any dull spots occur you should use a polish and cleaning agent specified for linoleum. 

On a daily basis wipe off dust with a dry soft cloth. For removal of stains use a soft cloth dampened in lukewarm and mild soapy water. When using specific cleaners for glass always use non-ammonia based glass cleaner.