At Sun Republic, we take pride in handcrafting each piece of furniture to the highest standards using sustainably sourced new and recycled materials. To ensure that you enjoy your furniture for years to come, it's essential to understand the unique characteristics of the materials used and follow proper care guidelines.
Initial Cleaning and Care
Congratulations on your new furniture piece from Sun Republic! Before you start enjoying the beauty and functionality of your new piece, we recommend taking a few moments to ensure it's clean and ready for use in your home.
Why Initial Cleaning is Important
While we prioritize quality and cleanliness throughout our processes, it's sensible to give your furniture a final clean before use. Our furniture pieces undergo a journey from creation to delivery to your doorstep. Hand-crafted with precision by skilled artisans, they traverse through various stages of production, packaging, and fluctuating atmospheres while in transit.
During this journey, your furniture may accumulate dust or residue from packaging materials, as well as become susceptible to mould spores due to exposure to wet and humid climates during sea transport. Although we take every precaution to maintain the cleanliness and integrity of our products, performing a final cleaning step upon arrival in your home ensures optimal hygiene and enjoyment.
Recommended Cleaning Method
To prepare your furniture for its new home, follow these simple steps:
- Gentle Wiping: Using a soft microfiber cloth, gently wipe down your furniture piece to remove any dust or residue that may have accumulated during transit and storage. This quick step ensures a clean surface for immediate use.
- Optional Refreshment: For an extra touch of cleanliness and a pleasant aroma, you may consider to use diluted clove oil sparingly on the cloth, as it offers natural cleansing properties and a pleasant aroma.
- Enjoy Your Space: With your furniture now clean and refreshed, it's time to bask in the comfort and style it brings to your space. Relax and relish in the beauty of your new addition.
Thank you for choosing Sun Republic, We're committed to providing you with quality pieces that elevate your home environment, and we hope your new furniture brings you years of comfort and style.
Regular Care and Cleaning
Maintaining the beauty of your furniture is simple with regular care and cleaning.
Regular Dusting: Use a soft dry or slightly damp microfiber cloth to dust your furniture regularly. This helps prevent the accumulation of dirt and dust.
Cleaning Spills: In case of spills or for a deeper clean, use a damp microfiber cloth with mild soap and warm water. Wipe in the direction of the grain to avoid scratching the surface. Immediately dry with a soft, clean microfiber cloth to prevent spotting.
Avoid Harsh Chemicals: Refrain from using harsh or abrasive chemical cleaners, steel wool, sandpaper, bleach, chlorine or acidic cleaners on surfaces, as they may damage the finish.
Protective Measures: To prevent damage from daily use or heat, consider using coasters, mouse pads, or placemats under objects. Periodically move items like flower pots or vases to prevent marks on the surface. Ensure any excess water or dampness is promptly wiped dry to prevent marking.
Additional Care Instructions:
- Avoid dragging furniture across the floor to prevent damage to the legs or feet, and the protective coating and floor marks. Always lift furniture when moving.
- Protect furniture from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, heating/cooling vents, or fireplaces to prevent damage or discoloration of the wood/finish, and to avoid cracking or bowing.
Outdoor Teak Care Products
Ensure the longevity of your teak furniture with Golden Care's Teak Shield, Cleaner, and Protector.
Teak Shield: Creates an invisible barrier to prevent stains, moisture, and mildew growth, maintaining the natural silver patina grey colour.
Teak Cleaner: Removes dirt, grime, and stains while restoring the original colour of teak wood.
Teak Protector: Preserves the honey brown colour of teak wood and shields it from fading, staining, and deterioration.
Materials
American Oak
Your American Oak furniture is finished with two coats of Osmo Poly X Raw, a pigmented hard wax oil, which provides a natural colour and protection against stains. While this finish offers some resistance to spills, immediate cleaning is essential to prevent any staining.
Teak Wood (Indoor)
Our indoor Teak wood products come in either a fine sanded finish or a clear-coat matte polyurethane finish. The polyurethane coating not only enhances durability and provides protection but also preserves the wood's natural appearance. While it may result in a slight yellowing of the original natural teak raw colour, this effect is minimal, does not significantly impact the overall beauty or aesthetic of the natural timber.
Table tops may have a slightly different appearance than the legs due to variations in coating thickness due to usage levels.
Teak's natural characteristics, such as grain variations and knots, contribute to its unique charm but also mean that it may change colour over time in response to fluctuations in humidity and temperature as it adjusts to its new environment. It's important to note that all wooden timber products including Teak can be susceptible to marking, so prompt cleaning of spills is advisable to prevent staining.
For long-term maintenance, our raw fine-sanded finish products can be refinished with Golden Care Teak Shield, available on our website.
Teak Wood (Outdoor)
Our Outdoor Teak products are crafted from high-grade solid Teak wood to withstand outdoor elements. High-grade Teak wood contains a high-oil content which provides a natural lubricant to assist in the prevention of cracking and splitting. Outdoor Teak wood products feature a fine sanded, raw finish.
To maintain their appearance, we recommend using Golden Care Teak Protector for refinishing and Teak Cleaner for removing discolouration. Proper care and regular cleaning will help preserve the natural beauty of your outdoor Teak furniture.
White Cedar/Mindi wood
Our white cedar/mindi wood products features either a stained finish or is finished with a clear matte polyurethane. These finishes should last you for years to come. These finishes help to protect the wood from staining.
Iron (Positano Collection)
Our iron pieces are powder-coated and feature high-density foam cushions with removable, machine-washable covers. To protect the fabric over time, we recommend covering cushions when not in use and gently cleaning powder-coated surfaces with a soft cloth and mild soap.
Stone
Table tops: Our Amalfi stone tops, are crafted for both indoor and outdoor undercover use. While these items are highly durable, proper care is essential to maintain their longevity and appearance. Here are some guidelines to ensure the preservation of your stone items:
Daily Cleaning:
- Clean the tops with a damp cloth and mild soap for daily maintenance.
- Rinse the surface immediately with warm soapy water if it encounters acidic substances such as vinegar, sodas, citrus, or fruit juices.
- Avoid using bleach on the surface as it can permanently stain the finish.
Scratch Resistance - Normal Day Use:
- Avoid placing heavy metal trays, chairs, or sharp objects directly on the surface to prevent scratching.
- Do not cut directly on the surface and refrain from dragging objects across it.
Use Trivets:
- Always use trivets under hot items to prevent burns or discolouration of the surface.
- Use trivets when placing pots, planters, or liquid vessels to avoid absorption into the product.
Stain Resistance - Normal Day Use:
- Immediately clean spills with a soft cloth and warm soapy water.
- Avoid harsh cleaning chemicals such as acids, bleaches, or potent cleaners.
Water Resistance:
- Wipe off any spills or water immediately to prevent absorption.
- Avoid placing liquid vessels directly on the surface to prevent water damage.
Outdoor Use in Covered Areas Only:
- Do not expose the table top to direct sunlight to prevent heat-related damage.
- Cover the product with a protective cover when not in use to maintain its integrity.
Additional Tips:
- Avoid hard objects coming into contact with the edges to prevent chipping or cracking.
Basins and Baths Care:
- After each use, wipe or rinse the surface with water or soapy water, followed by drying.
- Prevent mineral or soap scum build-up to preserve appearance.
- Use a soft, damp cloth to remove dust or dirt.
- Address stubborn stains with a mild abrasive cream cleanser, rinsing thoroughly afterward.
- Avoid using sharp objects or harsh chemicals to prevent damage.
- Test new products in an inconspicuous area before use.
- Empty bathwater after each use and dry the surface to prevent build-up and maintain the warranty.
Caring for Your Outdoor Cushions
Outdoor furniture cushions are made from specific materials to ensure that they can cope with environmental factors like rain, sun and dust. Like anything there are a variety of options and different fabrics offering different advantages. We choose to use Sunbrella.
Sunbrella -A high performance outdoor fabric used extensively worldwide in the outdoor furniture and marine industries as well as for awnings and umbrellas. Sunbrella is what is known as a “solution dyed” material.
One of the best ways to keep any outdoor fabric looking good is to address any spills as soon as they occur and keep the surfaces clear of dirt and grime. This will stop it being embedded in the fabric and restrict mildew growth as it requires dirt to grow on. This is required of anything left outdoors.
Teak Oil Leaching - All of our solid wood outdoor furniture is hand-crafted from A-Grade Teak wood. The high oil content in this timber helps to prevent the furniture from splitting, warping, moving and checking. Teak oil leaching or transference onto fabrics that are in constant contact with the timber is expected and is not deemed a fault. These teak oil marks are wholly cleanable by following the methods outlined below.
Cleaning Sunbrella - When cleaning Sunbrella cushions we highly recommend keeping the cushion slips on the cushion, do not remove the fill or the foam. This makes it far easier to clean and helps maintain the integrity of the cushion, the cover and the zips. Small amounts of dirt or spills will require no more than a brush or a hose off. But for easy maintenance of your Sunbrella fabric that may require a little more attention than a just a brush or a hose:
1. Brush off loose dirt.
2. Spray on a cleaning solution of water (not hot) and mild soap.
3. Use a soft bristle brush to clean from one side to another, not in circles.
4. Allow cleaning solution to soak into the fabric.
5. Rinse thoroughly until all soap residue is removed. A hose is recommended.
6. Air dry.
Removing Mould or Mildew - Sunbrella fabrics do not promote mildew growth, however if mildew has formed on dirt or other foreign substances it can be easily cleaned. To remove mould or mildew: ·
Prepare a solution of 1 cup of bleach and a quarter of a cup of mild soap per 4 litres of water (not hot).
Spray on entire area and allow to soak into the fabric for 15 minutes.
Clean entire surface area with a sponge, clean towel or very soft bristle brush. Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap residue. A hose may be used.
Air dry.
Product Expectations
Our furniture pieces are crafted with attention to detail, resulting in unique characteristics that make each piece one-of-a-kind.
Natural variations in wood, including knots, cracks, colour, and grain, are inherent and add to the beauty and individuality of each item. These variations are all unique to every tree and piece of timber, and therefore furniture.
While we take great care to dry and acclimatize our furniture, natural materials are susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity, which may cause slight changes such as colour variations, splitting, or cracking over time.
These natural variations and occurrences are not considered faults or flaws and do not compromise the structural integrity of your furniture.
By following these care guidelines, you can ensure that your Sun Republic furniture retains its beauty and functionality for years to come. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us.