Stainless Steel Furniture Care: Ages Well, Never Gets Old

How long a piece of furniture lasts depends as much on how it is cared for as on what it is made of. Cohoo pieces are built on 304 grade stainless steel frames, with upholstered parts in nubuck or woven fabric. The good news: these materials don’t ask for special attention, only a few right habits. In this post, we have gathered and expanded on the stainless steel furniture care tips from the care guide we prepared for our products.

Why 304 Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel doesn’t rust, rot or swell. Moisture doesn’t damage it, and it doesn’t peel away layer by layer like a coating. That is why we chose it for every piece, from the Trio Nesting Table to the Mono Chair. It can also be repaired when scratched. The marks stainless steel collects over time are not wear, they are signs of use.

Caring for Stainless Steel Surfaces

• Everyday cleaning: A soft cloth and warm water are usually enough. If needed, add a few drops of pH-neutral liquid soap. On brushed (satin) surfaces, always wipe in the direction of the brush lines.
• Drying: After cleaning, dry the surface with a dry cloth. Water left to dry on the surface leaves limescale marks.
• Fingerprints: Put a few drops of stainless steel care oil on a microfiber cloth. Wipe along the brush direction, in one direction only rather than back and forth.
• Light scratches: Scratches on a brushed surface are not permanent. Work a fine finishing pad along the brush direction with light pressure to blend the scratch into the surface texture. We recommend trying it on a hidden spot first.
• Outdoors: Stainless steel is suitable for outdoor use. However, don’t leave upholstered pieces outside.

Caring for Upholstery Fabrics

Our upholstered pieces, such as the Move Chair, use two types of fabric. Each needs different care:

• Nubuck: Remove dust with a dry brush. For stains, blot from above with a lightly dampened cloth, don’t rub. Don’t use water-based cleaners.
• Woven: Clean with the soft brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. For stains, make a lather with warm water and pH-neutral soap, then lift it off the stain with a cloth.

What to Avoid

When cleaning your Cohoo pieces, don’t use:

• Steel wool and abrasive powders: They scratch the surface and ruin the brushed texture.
• Bleach and chlorine-based cleaners: They can damage the stainless steel surface.
• Acidic products.

Long Life Is Completed by Care

At Cohoo, we think about longevity in two ways: material and design language. We choose materials to last for years, and we deliberately keep our design language outside of trends, so a piece still won’t look dated years from now. Care is the last part of that equation. As we discussed in Sustainability in Design 3, once we form a bond with an object, care stops being a chore and becomes an expression of the attention we give it.

If you have any questions about caring for your piece, write to us, we are happy to help.