Q. Mr. Mueller, I have pets in the home, what kind of sofa should I buy, leather or fabric?

A. "Good question, a difficult question to answer no less. The most durable fabrics on the market today are the micro-fiber fabrics in a dark leather-looking color. They are nearly impossible to stain and they stand up to claws and chewing better than anything in my opinion. With that being said, nothing can be warrentied to prevent animal damage. We love them, but sometimes dogs will be dogs. Leather is the next best option, although be sure to keep your pets claws clipped regularly in order to prevent them from scratching leather or puncturing fabrics."

Q. What is the difference between a sofa that is $899 and a sofa that is $499?

A." There are quite a few things. At a glance it can be difficult. Initially, you should identify quality of the seat springs. If the salesperson can't tell you about them, they don't know their product. Quality sofas use an 8-way hand tied coil or a machine drop in coil spring unit like a Clayton Marcus or a Justice brand sofa. Flexsteel uses a patented blue steel seat that is unique to their company. It can help the overall "ride" of the sofa and has proven to be another fantastic way to make a sofa. Inexspensive sofas use a sinous wire or a "zigger" spring. There are different kinds of sinious wires as well. Some have a thicker wire or some companies use a greater number of them and fasten them together. Not all "zigger" spring coutches are bad. Some brands like Cochrane, Broyhill and Benchcraft still construct some of their sofas using a heavy sinous wire seat.. The problem is with the brands that cut corners and reduce the number of zigger springs which can lead . Another area that cheap companies cut corners is on the material they use on their frames. Without signifigant corner blocking and dowel joints a sofas frame will twist or "rack" over time. The tailoring of the fabric on the less expensive sofa also tends to be not as neat. To sum up, the difference won't always be seen right away, but within the first year or two of use, the cushions will break down and the sofa will look like a beat up catcher's mit, and you'll have to spend that $499 all over again. Nowadays, you can spend $799 and buy yourself a sofa that should last 5-10 years and still look great."

Q. I still like my old recliner and It fits me perfect. Why do I need another one?

A." Its like a pair of old shoes that you can't get rid of. You think they are comfortable and that they still look great until you try on a new pair and and see just how worn down they really are. Also, a new recliner will have much better support for your lower back. I know you and your sofa or recliner have had some great times together, but please, its time to move on and get rid of it. Or better yet, we will haul it away for free and donate it to charity."

Q. Is imported Chinese bedroom and dining room furniture made worse than domestic furniture?

A. "Just like American made furniture, there are some really high quality imports and there are some really bad ones. On the positive side, some of the very nice American companies importing bedroom and dining room furniture like Lane, Hooker, and Vineyard, keep good quality controls on their respective factories. They have the same Americans that oversaw their facilities in Virginia, Mississippi, and North Carolina, in China, Vietnam and Malaysia. American companies are stepping their game up by offering customized finishes on their solid wood products and offering very high style products at great values. If you want to buy American Made quality furniture, we have a huge selection compared to many of our competitors."

Q. How can I care for my leather furniture so it doesn't get dry or cracked after time?

A." First, I would reccomend a Leather care kit from Guardsmen, which we sell at Mueller Furniture. Besides increasing the warrenty time, It provides products like leather cleaner and moisturiser that you should apply every few months, just like you would polish a nice pair of shoes. The back and the side panels are not as important, so concentrate on the headrest,arms and seat area."

Q. If I spill something and stain my sofa, what should I do?

A. "The first thing you need to know about your sofa is what to clean it with. Your salesperson should inform you at the time of purchase whether to clean it with a water based cleaner or a solvent based cleaner. Usually the fabrics that require a solvent based cleaner are decorative stripes or other formal covers. You should then use the cleaner and let it dry. Some people use tricks like using club soda and salt, but I can't personally testify to any of those kinds of home remedies. You may have also heard of Scotchguard or Fabricoate products, these are products that we sell that not only guarantees for 5 years against any stains, they will send out a professional cleaner to take care of the problem."