One of the best things you can do to help your furniture last a very long time is to follow some damage prevention tips for the type of furniture you own. In addition to accidental stains and scratches, furniture is susceptible to environmental factors, such as exposure to excessive sunlight, high or low humidity levels, heat, cold and dust. Sudden changes in the environment can be especially problematic.

Because furniture is available in a variety of materials, including wood, plastics, metals, upholstery and leather, it’s important to remember when caring for your furniture that most furniture pieces are constructed of multiple materials. For example, leather and upholstered sofas are usually constructed on wood frames. Even "all-wood" furniture may be constructed from multiple species of wood. Finishes vary widely and may include elements of stain, paint, resins and non-wood laminates.

Although most prevention tips apply to all types of furniture and the materials used to construct them, how you care for individual furniture pieces and the types of products or methods you use for cleaning and preserving them will vary. You need to know what types of commercially available products are appropriate for the materials used in your furniture and you need to exercise care not to get cleaning products specifically designed for one element of your furniture – such as brass – on nearby or adjoining areas that could be damaged by them – such as wood.