G-Plan
Over the years, we’ve perfected our craft so you can enjoy life’s little moments. Here at G Plan, we are continually looking at ways to evolve our much-loved products. Innovative design, premium materials and exceptional comfort are at the heart of our ethos. And with every sofa made by hand in the UK, you can rely on the comfort and quality of G Plan.
This guide has been created to provide care and safety advice, to help you get the very best from your furniture. Please take a few minutes to read this information – it’s important, we promise.
If you have any queries or concerns about your furniture, please contact the store you purchased it from in the first instance. They will be happy to assist you and will contact G Plan where necessary to help facilitate your query.
What To Avoid
- Avoid sitting on upholstery with heavily
soiled or non-colourfast clothes. Also, do
not leave newspapers on your sofa or chair
as the ink can stain.
- Direct sunlight can cause fading and cover
deterioration, so protect furniture where
possible by drawing curtains and blinds.
- Keep furniture away from direct heat or
air conditioning, as this can damage your
upholstery.
- Avoid sitting or standing on the arms of
chairs and sofas to prevent damage to the
fillings, padding and fabric.
- Please note: While we know children love
jumping on sofas, this should be prevented
as it can damage the cushion covers and
seat platforms.
- Care should be taken with sharp-edged
toys, buckles and jewellery. Take extra care
when operating recliners with concealed
buttons to avoid scratches and marks.
- Trim off any loose threads with sharp
scissors, as pulling a thread could leave
a hole.
- Keep pets off furniture to avoid scratches
and marks.
- Don’t over-wet leather when cleaning
- Both fixed feet and castors are designed
for use in the home only. Avoid dragging
the furniture across exterior surfaces
(paths, driveways etc.) as this can damage
the feet and subsequently your flooring.
How to Dress your furniture
Regular dressing of your furniture should be carried out to ensure it remains in good condition.
All loose cushions should be plumped regularly, with a minimum of six plumps (3 back and front) to minimise creasing and flattening. This is particularly relevant for the pillow back version of the Hatton.
Reversible cushions should be turned at regular intervals and their positions swapped around to enhance their appearance and comfort and minimise wear and tear.
Fixed seat and arm cushions require plumping and re-dressing after every use to keep them in excellent condition. Ensure that the cushions and fabric are straightened and ‘smoothed out’ to their original position.
The fabric pads on chaise style furniture that connect the seat cushion with the kickboard also require dressing after every use.
The pads have to be flexible to accommodate the movement of the kickboard and consequently require realignment and repositioning, especially in the case of three seater sofas.
For more information about how to dress your furniture, please visit our ‘How to adjust and dress your furniture’ Owner’s Video on our YouTube channel.
How to care for fabric upholstery
There are several things you can do to keep your sofa looking in good condition.
If you have purchased a fabric care treatment for your upholstery, please consult your care treatment provider for cleaning advice.
Chenille and velvet style fabrics may change appearance after use. This is due to the pile in the fabric moving in different directions as you sit on the upholstery, it is not a fault with the fabric. By brushing the fabric gently with a soft brush, you may be able to restore the pile to its original position.
A light steaming or gentle brushing in the direction of the pile will be beneficial and reduce pressure marking.
Avoid heavy or hard brushing or this may damage the fabric.
Lightly vacuum your upholstery once a week to prevent dust from building up. If you allow dust and dirt to accumulate, it can dull colours and speed up wear.
Caring for chenille fabrics
Chenille yarns consist of several strands of
thread twisted together with short
fibres running crossways trapped between
them. It’s these short fibres that create
the pile effect.
Chenille yarns are often used to create an
uneven, random effect with a soft surface
texture. The fabric may then be tumbled
to further add to the soft texture. Shading
can occur across the piece due to the pile
running in different directions. For example
one arm may appear darker than the other.
Chenille fabrics have more yarn joins which
appear on the surface and are a natural
characteristic, rather than a fault.
The thickness of chenille yarns tends to
vary slightly giving a random unevenness
to the surface. This may appear as slightly
raised lines across the fabric and should
not be confused with rogue yarns which
sometimes occur as faults in other fabrics.
Chenilles can be subject to ‘pile
movement’, particularly in areas of heavy
use. This can create a shading look which
is a natural characteristic and not a fault
in the fabric (please see our care section
to minimise this). This is a feature of these
types of fabrics which means the character
of the furniture builds as it is used. It can be
compared with the signs of use that appear
over time on good quality leather.
Cleaning your upholstery
Due to the variety of fibre and fabric constructions used, G Plan recommends that you use a specialist upholstery cleaning company for your sofa. If you have purchased a fabric care treatment for your upholstery, please consult your care treatment provider for cleaning advice.
Covers should never be machine washed or dry cleaned by a launderette as this can damage the fire retardant treatment, fade colours and affect the finish of the fabric. Where zips are fitted, this is often to assist ease of manufacture and does not necessarily mean that the cover is removable for cleaning.
If you spill something; In the event of a spillage, prompt action can reduce the likelihood of permanent staining.
Remove as much of the spillage as possible with a spoon or blunt palette knife.
Work towards the middle of the spillage to prevent spreading the stain.
Soak up liquids with a clean cloth, towel or kitchen paper without rubbing the stain.
Blot up as much of the spillage as possible using a damp cloth (not wet) with warm clean water, again without rubbing.
We strongly advise against using any liquids or damp cloths to clean velvet-style fabrics.
Seek specialist upholstery cleaning advice if required.
Caring for Leather upholstery
Lightly vacuum your upholstery and dust with a soft brush weekly to prevent dirt from building up. If you allow dust and dirt to accumulate, it can dull colours and speed up wear.
All leathers can also be wiped weekly with a damp cloth to remove any dirt. Please also do not allow hair products, bodily oils, hand creams/lotions, hand sanitiser or perspiration to settle as this could break down the finish over time. If you don’t carry out simple, yet gentle cleaning of your leather sofas on a weekly basis, it can reduce the life of your upholstery.
We do not recommend or endorse any leather cleaning products as polishes, detergents, solvents, white spirit and stain remover may damage the leather. Do not use baby wipes for cleaning your leather upholstery.
Cleaning of any wooden trim is best done with a soft clean cloth, dampened with water only. Furniture polish will not harm the wood but should be avoided to prevent soiling the fabric or leather cover. Any wood on show is manufactured from natural timber and so the grain and colour can vary.
Natural Characteristics Of Leather
Leather is a natural material and some of the animal’s natural characteristics may feature on your furniture.
Marks such as veining, creases, healed scars, tone and grain difference should be appreciated as a mark of authenticity. No two hides are alike, just as no two animals are alike.
If your furniture includes any of these features, please do not worry. These are natural characteristics of leather that help to make your piece of furniture completely unique.
When cutting leather hides to make upholstery, the following general guidelines are applied to all leathers.
Front facing parts of the upholstery can include light natural markings and minor surface blemishes including a variation in grain.
Side and rear facing parts of the upholstery may show more visible natural marks including variation in grain.
Non-visible parts (for example under seat cushions or behind back cushions) may contain marking, blemishes and occasional light brand marks as long as they do not impact on the structural integrity of the leather.
After a few weeks use, leather will begin to ‘stretch’ and ‘give’ (much like a pair of leather shoes) forming a natural ‘sat in’ look with creases and folds developing as you use the furniture. These are quite normal and should not cause concern. They add to the soft inviting look that is inherent with leather upholstered furniture.
General Safety Tips For Recliner Sofas, Chairs & Storage Chaise
There are some sensible precautions that
we would advise for all of our recliner
sofas and chairs.
Ensure there is adequate room behind
and in front of the chair or sofa to allow
the back to recline and the footrest to open.
Our recliners require 1” – 5.5” dependant
on model. Elevate dual motor chairs
require 445mm/17.5”.
Ensure the space underneath the footrest
is kept clear of objects when in the open
position, to ensure it can then close
without obstruction.
Keep hands and fingers clear of all
moving mechanism parts when operating
the controls.
Always ensure your recliner furniture is
fully closed before attempting to get up/
reach out of the furniture.
Ensure children or pets are not playing
near to or lying in the way when the
mechanism is operated.
Recliner mechanisms are not suitable
for use by children.
Do not allow anyone to sit or stand on
the footrest when it is open as it could
tip or damage your recliner.
Close the footrest when not using the sofa
or chair to prevent people tripping over it.
In the case of power recliners, ensure
the cable between the transformer and
the plug is kept clear of the mechanism
under the chair.
The chaise storage system is not suitable for
use by children. Any child using the storage
system must be supervised at all times.
Please note: G Plan do not endorse the
use of footstools as seating.
Operating guides
Product warnings
IMPORTANT, READ CAREFULLY,
RETAIN FOR FUTURE REFERENCE:
G Plan SAFETY information for Manual and Electric recliners. (complies with BS8474:2013)
WARNING: This is an electrical item and should be treated with caution.
WARNING: The motion lockout control must be engaged when the chair is not in use.
WARNING: Always ensure that there is nothing to obstruct the free movement of the chair, for example children or pets, or solid objects, e.g. a wall.
WARNING: This chair is not suitable for use by children. Any children in the vicinity must be supervised at all times.
WARNING: Take care when adjusting positions to avoid trapping or pinching of body parts.
WARNING: Do not sit on footrest.
WARNING: Only the occupant or a responsible person should operate the chair.
WARNING: Exercise care when lowering into the chair as shock loads can severely damage the chair and the mechanism.
• Recommended maximum load for safe operation of the recliner: 110kg/17.3 stone.
• The maximum weight limit for the Fifty Four sofa bed is 200kg/31.5 stone.
• Only operate movement of the recliner with the controls provided.
• Recliners are only to be used once fully and correctly installed.
• When recliners are not in use, always return them to the seated position.
