imicalgary.com

By Katerina Mitrou

Most of us spend a good amount of money on our furniture, so it makes sense to care for it in a way that will ensure it lasts a long time and looks new for years to come.

Upholstery Care

Maintaining clean and beautiful upholstery may seem tricky, but there are things you can do on a regular basis that don’t take up a lot of time and will keep all your fabrics in good condition. First of all, make sure you fluff and rotate seat cushions on a daily basis so that they wear evenly. Also remember to vacuum upholstered furniture with an upholstery brush as often as you can.

To get rid of ugly stains, you’ll have to do some spot cleaning, although it’s always a good idea to stay away from chemical cleaners containing toxic materials, such as carbon tetrachloride. Instead, use mild cleaning products like a water-free upholstery solvent or a dry cleaning product, and stick to tried-and-true cleaners you know how to use so you avoid damaging the furniture. But no matter what cleaner you end up using, always spot test it before applying to the affected area. Simply turn over an unexposed section of the fabric (the bottom of a chair, for example) to ensure the product doesn’t permanently ruin the material.

For badly soiled upholstery (wine stains), you might want to call in the experts. The same goes for light-colored furniture and high-end pieces. Some other tips: don’t wash movable pieces, such as cushion covers, as extra washing may cause the color to fade. Keep dark fabrics, and silk, out of direct sunlight to avoid fading as well.

If you really want to make your life easy, purchase furniture with built-in Teflon protection to guard against spills. On this type of fabric, instead of soaking into the material, liquid beads up and can be wiped away on contact with a damp cloth. If you buy traditional fabric furniture, consider Scotch Guarding to help your pieces withstand stains.

Wood Furniture

Dust wood pieces using a soft, slightly damp cloth run under lukewarm water. Dry the surface after wiping to avoid bubbling, which can lead to cracking down the road.

To maintain the wood’s lustrous beauty, wax or polish it once a year, but avoid chemical products. A mild product such as Murphy’s Oil Soap is safe to use, but stay away from silicone-based cleaners. Although wood polish is usually a good thing, make sure to use wax polishes that are vegetable-based – paraffin and beeswax also work well. Apply using a soft cloth with the grain of the wood, and then buff. Never use window cleaners on wooden furniture, as most of them contain ammonia, which can damage the finish.

If you want to get rid of unsightly nicks and scratches, a wax scratch remover stick should do the trick, or you can use a color-matching furniture polish. Dents can be hidden using specialized wood cleaners that raise the wood grain.

Finally, place wood furniture away from direct sunlight and heating vents, to avoid discoloration of the wood.

If you follow these simple tips, your furniture will continue to look beautiful throughout the years.

About the Author: By Katerina Mitrou sponsored by http://www.accentfurnishings.com/. Accent Furnishings sells home furnishings such as bedroom, dining and living room, kitchen, lawn and office furniture. Please link to this site when using article.

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By Terry Z. Voster

With any classic vehicle finding a source of auto repair parts can be a major concern. So it is with classic Chevrolet Corvette as well as Chevrolet Stingray autos.

Corvettes have always had distinctive wheel covers and are a refreshing change from slotted mag wheels. The wood steering wheels add a rich touch if you are lucky to ever find one.

Interest has been spread into the 1968 and later models, especially car equipped with the lift out roof panels. In these cars, the excellent General Motors (G.M.) Turbo Hydra-matic transmission was the desired feature. Indeed one of the most valuable vehicle of this group has been the 1970 LT-1 350. Chevrolet itself had offered some good gymkhana suspension parts for this group of cars that are relatively inexpensive and greatly improve handling qualities.

Where can you find used parts for your classic Corvette? First of course are local swap meet and car clubs in your area. If you can shop close to home better be it.

You actually hold and fondle the part, inspecting it yourself. Why have to arrange and pay shipping charges. As well you may make valuable contacts for your Corvette restoration projects. Often one local contact will lead to another good source for parts as well as classic car restoration expertise.

Next on the list are magazines – such as – Corvette Enthusiast, Vette and Corvette Fever. It might be said that Corvette websites on the internet might be next on your list. However the actual magazines may provide a source for you first. Why not whittle down your Corvette resource list first rather than searching through the websites that may or may not have stock and be of the stature they claim. Websites can be made and put up easily. Magazines articles usually have current sourced lists; will place the vendors in some ranking. If there are ads – those ads have to paid for – which is an indication of the solvency and current resources of the firms involved. As well you may get additional good tips form the articles in the magazine. Classic car magazines such as Hemmings are also very useful.

Next for resources are actual websites devoted to this passion. The sites can be Corvette specific – such as vetteweb, the general motors website itself, The Corvette Club of America etc. Google the term ‘Corvette Links’, ‘Chevrolet Corvette Links’ or ‘Stingray Links’. One link will always lead to more and additional links. Corvette enthusiasts are like that – always trying to be helpful and to share.

A terrific resource always is eBay. EBay is the premier online auction site. It can easily be found on the web at its home of http://ebay.com as well as various worldwide specific sites – whether they be ebay.ca in Canada or http://ebay.uk in the United Kingdom. EBay has both its original sales areas as well as the more specific and distinct eBay motors. The beauty of eBay is that somewhere in the world someone may have exactly the part, component or technical manuals that you are looking for.

In essence it may be ‘just lying around’ and be of found money to them and yet be exactly what you require. It may be that that item is not available in your local area or the locals may want a killing for it. Either way eBay can be a very useful resource. Some of the items on eBay are on an auction basis; some are on a ‘buy now’ price. Some are both. The beauty of eBay is that it has advanced features which may make your search for that exact hard to find Corvette car part easier. You can conduct product searches on eBay easily and specifically. If you are an eBay member (no cost to register), then you can have the eBay system email you the moment someone lists that part. Then you can either bid on the item, or if it is a buy now you can choose to purchase it. In addition eBay has a buyer request area where you can put out feelers and a request if anyone has that part or knows of contacts or leads that have that component available. Remember though with eBay that shipping costs are major component of the final and real cost of any good purchased. All that matters, if evaluating cost, is what the product costs when it arrives at the door of your shop.

Lastly never forget your local or area Chevrolet dealer themselves. There is both an amazing and remarkable amount of early Corvette parts still in the parts inventory of some Chevrolet dealers as well as some General Motors Chevrolet dealers who specialize in classic Corvette and Corvette Stingray car, mechanical as well as body parts.

About the Author: Winnipeg Used Cars Where Can I Buy License Frames in Winnipeg Winnipeg Auto Financing

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