Not All Leather Recliners Are Created Equal

It seems that of all the pieces of furniture in the house, fabric or leather recliners take the hardest beating. Kids plop down on them and push them back to recline without any thought to how the mechanism works. They flop over the arms of the chair (both when it is upright and reclined), or they lean on the back of the chair and tip it backwards (this maneuver is also done with the chair in any position). Kids eat, drink and play with all sorts of things in a recliner. It is no wonder, as parents, that we want something that is durable! When it comes to upholstery, you cannot beat the toughness of leather. Leather recliners last. You may initially put out a bit more for the purchase, but the chair will outlast a fabric upholstery chair by as much as 4 to 1. However, you must remember that not all leather is created equally. Lets take a look at the three main types of leather (remembering that there are dozens of subcategories), and what to look for to make sure that you get what you pay for.

First, the highest quality leather is full-grain or top-grain leather. It is made from the top layer of the skin, the part where the hair has to be removed from the hide. What you see is what you get, this type of leather has real character because nothing is done to conceal any blemishes in the leather. You have to remember that the leather used to adorn a living, breathing animal. That animal may have suffered from insect bites, scratches or scars from run ins with barbed wire, "burns" from over scratching their neck on fence rails or manure that sticks to their hide for very long without being removed.

The grain can vary on full-grain leather, depending upon any healed scars, or any wrinkling, veining or stretch marks (yes, who knew it, stretch marks can be attractive if you are a cow!). But being natural, it offers great breathability. It adapts to both environmental and body temperatures. It ages very nicely, developing its own unique patina. Leather recliners made out of top-grain leather has either an aniline or semi-aniline finish. This creates a soft and supple leather, it is left with a natural finish - not dyed.

The next type of leather is commonly called a corrected-grain leather, though it may also be referred to as plated, embossed or buffed. This type of leather is made from top-grain leather, but has been sanded or buffed down because it did not meet the standards necessary to be a full-grain leather. This leather came from cattle that led a rough life, their hides have a lot of problems. The buffing hides most of these imperfections, then an artificial grain is applied. Often this type of leather is dyed with pigment to further conceal any imperfections. You will find many leather recliners in various colors with a nice smooth grain made from corrected-grain leather.

The third, and poorest quality leather that you have to watch out for, is split-grain leather. A cows hide is quite thick, so the hide will be split, often more than once. The high quality top-grain is the top layer, and what is left is split-grain leather. This type of leather has no natural grain, it is from the fibrous part of the hide, and this tissue structure just isn't very strong. Split leather is great for a lot of things (such as suede) but it is not good for furniture.

So, the next time you go shopping for a couple of leather recliners (his and hers), make sure that you are getting high quality leather so that the chair will last for many years to come. A top-grain leather may be best, but if it is out of your price range, a nice corrected-grain leather also make for very nice and good quality leather recliners.

Adding a Futon Bed Mattress to Your Room

When you add a futon bed mattress in your bedroom, you will be in for a lot of fun. They are multi utility functional pieces of mattresses that can be doubled up both as a bed mattress during the night time or as a sofa chair during the day time. And this kind of mattress will save you a lot of space, especially if you reside in posh pigeonholes where space crunch makes you sacrifice a lot of comforts.

Just imagine the advantages that you can enjoy with a futon bed mattress. In the day time, you can fold up the mattress and transform it into your seating space or a sofa. With the approach of the dark hours, you can simply spread it out and turn it into your bed. This is the reason why in modern times, where homes have limited spaces, and the rooms are small, the demand for bed mattresses has become sky high.

When you purchase a futon bed mattress, one of the first things to check will be the comfort factor. You must sleep and sit on the mattress and test its support and strength and the kind of comfort it provides to your back and to the pressure points.

You must take into account the form of the bed mattress. A bed mattress should not lose its rigidity and firmness when you sleep or sit on it. It should be able to retain its form and shape along the edge. You also have to pay some attention to the futon bed's design because people's attention will be grabbed by the sofa, whether you want it or not.

Since the futon will lend itself to versatility and experimentation, you can try out various designs of fabric and color that will match with the rest of your decor. Another factor, which you need to take into account, is the flexibility of the futon bed mattress because a flexible mattress will be easier to roll up and store away.

How to Care For Your Mattresses

It's entirely possible that your mattress will be the most expensive of all the furnishings your purchase for your home. If you think about it, that actually makes a lot of sense: you spend the most time there! With all that money invested into an expensive mattress, it's important to take the time and effort necessary to be sure that the place where you lay your head each night remains as pristine as the day your purchased it. Read the following for instructions on how to make that reality.

The most basic instruction to follow for keeping your mattress in great shape is making sure to flip it once every six months. The manufacturer of the specific model of mattress that you purchase may advise you to flip it more frequently. It's important to follow these instructions carefully, because failure to do so might lead to the voiding of your warranty. If you have a queen or king size mattress, it's very possible that it will take two people to complete this task.

You should also purchase some kind of cover to protect your mattress. This doesn't have to be a tacky plastic wrapping. Instead, buy a soft cotton cover that is easily washable in a machine. This additional layer of protection will help keep your mattress free of stains for as long as you own it. That's important if you ever think about reselling your mattress to generate funds for purchasing a new one. You may also want to consider buying a foam or latex pad. This will make your mattress much more comfortable while also doing wonders to keep the surface clean.

You may also want to set up some rules regarding the mattresses in your home. Don't let children bring drinks or food onto their mattresses and it's likely that they'll remain clean for much longer. Even though it's a classic childhood activity, you should also forbid your children from jumping on the mattress, as this can easily break the springs inside. Perhaps consider purchasing a trampoline instead.

You also need to stay vigilant and make sure to remove dust when it begins to pile up on your mattress. Using the upholstery attachment of your vacuum, gently run it over the surface of the mattress, making sure to pay special attention to the spots that really need it. This is especially important if your children or spouse have an allergy to dust mites.

If your mattress does become stained, use a mild detergent to blot out the spot. It's important to limit the area you're treating to only the affected spot, because mattresses take quite a long time to dry. The quickest way to dry out your mattress is to bring it outside into the direct sunlight. The sun will dry out the entire mattress much quicker than if you leave it inside to dry. If you live in an apartment building and this isn't possible, blow a fan across the surface of the mattress to quickly dry it.