Grab the vacuum cleaner and pick up any dust or grainy particles from the leather or fabric.

• If the cushions are removable, pull them off the sofa so you can get into all the edges and remove any little bits that have fallen down the cracks. If you take the time to vacuum your sofa like this at least once a week, it will help to prevent the fabric or leather on your sofa becoming damaged or worn over time so your furniture will look cleaner and last longer.
• Using the vacuum can also help the cushions bounce back to shape – as you pull the vacuum head across the cushions you’ll help to loosen and separate some of the fibres in preparation for a full plumping. Ensure you use the right vacuum head for the job, such as a brush attachment, so it’s gentle on the fabric or leather.

Regular plumping

• This will bring air back into your seat cushions, which will ensure your sofa stays comfortable. This is more prevalent in ranges that have fibre fillings, but every type of seat filling, from foam and fibre toppers through to sprung core seats, need to be plumped at least once a week to keep them looking great.
• First things first, remove any throws or scatter cushions from the sofa and store them carefully on another piece of furniture to avoid them getting dirty. If your sofa has removable seat or back cushions, the best plumping method for you involves removing each cushion and individually plumping them.
• Take the cushion in both hands and turn and rotate it as you plump, moving the filling back towards the centre. Do this with both the seat cushions and with the back cushions if they can also be removed, and then put them back into position. Move on to any scatter cushions you may have and plump them horizontally and vertically to bring air back into the fillings, then arrange them as desired.

Plumping fixed seats and backs

• Fixed seats and backs are a better option for people who might struggle to perform daily maintenance on their cushions. They’re specially made so the fillings can breathe and return to shape on their own after use, but they still need some maintenance now and again to keep them looking their best.
• We like to call the best method for plumping fixed seats the “Union Jack” method – smoothing the cushions so as to redistribute the fillings and plump it back to shape. Start with your hands in the centre of the cushion and smooth outwards in opposite directions – first left and right, then top and bottom then diagonally.This will help the fillings to separate and return to their natural shape after use. Give each cushion a firm pat on the sides to invite air back into the filling, and your sofa will look as good as new.
• We would recommend that you do this maintenance once a week if possible, but you can do it more often if you like, it’s entirely up to you.