Care & Maintenance

How to look after your Woodbun furniture, by product type. The short summary in the Care & Maintenance dropdown on each product page is a shortened version of what is on this page; where the two differ, this page governs.

Following this guidance also protects your warranty — several of the exclusions there describe damage that this page tells you how to avoid.

The three rules that apply to everything

1. Water is the enemy, not humidity. Our panel furniture is built on MR (moisture-resistant) grade board. It is treated to cope with ambient humidity in a Bengal summer. It is not waterproof. Standing water, wet mopping against the base, a damp wall behind it, or a leak above it will swell and delaminate the board, and that is not covered.
2. Lift, never drag. Dragging loaded furniture racks the joinery and shears the leg fixings. Two people, lift from the frame.
3. Tell us before you move it. The warranty applies to the piece at the address where we assembled it. If you are shifting rooms or homes, call us on 8100669737 and we will quote for the move. A Woodbun-performed move keeps your warranty intact.

Sofas and seating sets

Every week. Vacuum the fabric with a brush attachment on low suction, including the crevices and under the loose cushions. Dust that works into the weave is what abrades the fibre over time.

Rotate and plump loose cushions weekly. Foam takes a set where it is sat on most. Turning and re-plumping cushions is the single thing that most extends how a sofa looks. A fixed-seat sofa will still soften and settle in the first few months — this is the foam bedding in, not a fault.

Spills. Blot immediately with a clean, dry white cloth. Work from the outside of the mark inwards, and press — do not rub, which drives the stain into the weave and fluffs the pile. Never apply water to a mark on a fabric sofa before testing.

Cleaning. Test any cleaner on a hidden area first, such as the underside of a cushion or the back skirt. Do not use bleach, ammonia, solvent-based cleaners or steam. For fabric, professional upholstery cleaning once a year is enough for normal domestic use. For leatherette and faux-leather coverings, wipe with a cloth wrung out in plain water and dry immediately; do not use polish, oil or conditioner intended for real leather — they break down the coating.

Placement. Keep the back at least 15 cm off the wall so air can move behind it, and out of prolonged direct sunlight. Every fabric fades, and it fades unevenly if one end sits in a sunbeam.

Use. Do not sit on the arms or the backrest, and do not let children stand or jump on the seat. Arms and backs are built for leaning, not for load, and this is the commonest cause of frame failure we see. Keep sharp objects and pet claws away from the covering.

Beds

Storage beds. Keep the storage box dry, and never store damp bedding or clothes in it. Open the box and let it air for a few minutes once a fortnight. A closed box with damp fabric in it is the fastest way to swell a board from the inside, and it is not covered.

Hydraulic mechanism. Raise and lower it slowly, with both hands on the bed frame, never by pulling on the mattress. Let the strut do the work — do not push it down against its own pressure or slam it shut. Keep the hinge line clear of bedding so nothing gets pinched.

Every six months. Check and hand-tighten the bolts at the headboard, footboard and side rails. Beds work loose with normal use; a loose joint that keeps being used is what eventually cracks.

Use. Do not sit on the edge of the headboard or footboard, and do not sit repeatedly on one point of the side rail — that is a cantilever, not a bench.

Cleaning. Dust with a dry cloth. For marks, use a cloth wrung out until it is barely damp, wipe, then dry the surface immediately with a second cloth.

Wardrobes

Placement. Leave a gap of at least 25 mm between the back of the wardrobe and the wall, and do not push it against an external wall, a newly plastered wall, or any wall that shows damp. A wardrobe is the piece most often ruined by the wall behind it rather than by anything the owner did to it.

Never put damp clothes inside. Air the wardrobe with the doors open for a few minutes once a month, especially through the monsoon.

Moth repellent. Keep naphthalene balls and camphor in a small container or a hanging sachet. In direct contact with the laminate or the board they leave a permanent mark.

Sliding doors. Vacuum or brush the bottom runner channel monthly. Grit in the channel is what makes a smooth door start to jump and eventually damages the roller. Do not oil the channel — oil holds dust. If a door drags, call us rather than forcing it.

Hinged doors. Do not hang bags or clothes on an open door, and do not let children swing on one. Check the hinge screws every six months.

Loading. Heavy items on the lower shelves, lighter items high. Do not exceed the shelf loading; a shelf that has bowed will not recover.

Dressers

The mirror. Spray glass cleaner onto the cloth, never onto the mirror. Liquid sprayed on the glass runs to the edge, gets behind the silvering and causes the black creeping edge you cannot undo. Wipe, then dry.

Cosmetics are harder on a finish than food. Nail-polish remover, alcohol-based toners, perfume and hair products strip lacquer and laminate. Wipe any spill immediately, and keep a tray or a glass top under the area you actually use.

Heat. Never rest hot styling tools — straighteners, tongs, dryers — directly on the top. Use a heat-resistant mat.

Drawers. Keep the runners clear of stray items, do not overload, and close them by the handle rather than pushing on the drawer front.

Bedside tables

Use coasters. A glass of water left overnight leaves a ring that goes through the finish into the board. This is the single most common damage we see on bedside tables.

Lamps. Keep a lamp base on a mat if it runs warm, and do not let the shade rest against the surface.

Drawers. These are small drawers on light runners. Keep books and heavy objects on the top surface, not inside.

Moving. A bedside table is light enough to drag, which is exactly why people do. Lift it.

All panel furniture — cleaning, in short

• Dust with a dry, soft cloth. Microfibre is ideal.
• For marks, use a cloth wrung out until it is nearly dry, then dry the surface immediately.
• Never use scouring pads, abrasive powders, thinner, spirit, acetone, kerosene or any solvent.
• Do not use furniture polish or wax on laminate. It builds a film that traps dust and dulls the surface.
• Keep the piece out of prolonged direct sunlight and away from heaters and cooking heat.

Something is wrong

If a joint has loosened, a runner has stopped moving freely, a hinge has dropped or you can see a mark you do not think you caused, tell us before you try to fix it. Repairs by anyone other than Woodbun end the warranty on that piece — see our Warranty page for the full terms and the claim procedure.

Contact us

Woodbun · 30/8, Shib Chandra Chatterjee Street, Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal 711202, India
Phone 8100669737 · Email globalbusinessventures2019@gmail.com
Business hours 11:00–21:00, all days.

Last updated: 9 August 2026.