cleaning wood surface
30 May

How to Sanitize Church Pews

MOD MarketingChurch Pew Restoration

If you’re wondering how to clean and maintain church pews regularly, we at McPhail Church Services have got you covered.

We’ve served churches in North Carolina and all over the country for decades now, and know all about church furniture upkeep and maintenance. Here are a few simple tips and tricks up for you:

 

How Do I Keep My Church Pews Sanitized?

If the pews in your church aren’t upholstered, we highly recommend church pew upholstery. It extends the life of your furniture and is also easier to clean and maintain.

Assuming your pews are already upholstered:

#1 – Manually pick any debris off the upholstery and pew surfaces.

#2 – Gently vacuum the upholstery. This will get rid of most of the invisible dirt and grime. Use some of the extensions that come with your vacuum cleaner to reach corners and nooks that are hard to reach.

#3 – Get a sanitizing product like Clorox and spray small amounts gently over your upholstery.

#4 – Use a light brush to spread the disinfectant and clean up dirt on the surface. Remember, brushing too aggressively can tear the fabric, and spraying too much disinfectant can lead to discoloration and smudging.

What if my church pews are made of wood and not upholstered?

That’s easy too:

#1 – Identify the type of wooden surface on your pews—whether the wood is a hard finish or an oil finish. The latter may be slightly more sensitive to cleaning chemicals.

#2 – If your furniture has a hard wood finish, use a standard cleaning spray with just a few spritzes across the surface.

If your furniture has an oil finish, use a mild soap and warm water solution with a soft cloth to clean the surface, and then another damp cloth to make sure all the soap solution is removed. 

#3 – Use a dry cloth to wipe off any remaining residue or moisture on the wooden surface. This will leave behind a nice sheen on it.

BONUS TIP

If you want to disinfect wooden pews without any harsh chemicals, you can mix 2 cups of warm water with 1 cup of cleaning vinegar and use a small cloth to apply the mixture to your pews, as well as doorknobs, light switches, chairs etc. But be careful not to use too much vinegar.

When Church Pews Are Damaged

McPhail Church Services offer extremely affordable and convenient church pew parts and repair services. Our experts will get in touch with you, identify the type and extent of damage, and fix it for you in no time at all.

If you’d like, we’ll also offer church pew upholstery at extremely competitive prices, with stains and fabrics of your choice, designed to match your existing furniture.

What To Do With Old and/or Discolored Wood

We also offer simple church pew wood restoration services, designed to make your wooden pews look brand new again. That’s the beauty of working with wood furniture—it’s easy to revamp and breathe new life into.

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    28 April

    Should You Reupholster or Replace Church Furniture

    MOD MarketingRenovation

    Cost of reupholstering vs replacing church furniture

     

    One of the key services McPhail offers churches is reupholstery service – a valuable tool in protecting both your investment in your existing church seating and respecting your budget. 

     

    For about a third of the cost of new pews, McPhail can come into your sanctuary and beautify your existing furniture within a few days, bringing new life to your church seating, be it pews, pulpit chairs, or supplemental seating.  We work on any size project, and work around your church schedule so services aren’t disrupted. Most of our work is done by our McPhail reupholstery team on site, with minimum disruption to your church family.

     

    Why choose McPhail for reupholstering church furniture?

    McPhail Church Services has worked for years to perfect our process, and in fact we have a proprietary upholstery/reupholstery process that is highly valued by thousands of churches around the country. We’re so confident you’ll love our services that we offer a 15-year warranty on our church pew upholstery. You can see examples of our fine craftsmanship to get an idea of what we can do for your sanctuary seating.

    In addition, we have long and trusted relationships with the best fabric mills in the country, so we can provide you with the finest choices in upholstery that is attractive, durable, and reasonably priced.   We multi-source our fabric which allows us to guarantee quick delivery and timely completion of your project.  

    Our large variety of fabrics are all women in U.S., using domestic yarns. We even warranty the fabric, which is woven to stand up to years of commercial use.

    Hand in hand with attractive durable fabric is the pew padding. McPhail Church Services uses top of the line high density upholstery foam (LUX foam) that is renowned for durability, comfort, and its ability to retain its shape for years despite repeated use. Both the compression and size of the foam affect comfort, so we’ll work with you to determine the best choice for your congregation. 

    McPhail Church Services is the industry leader in pew upholstery and reupholstery and can offer you significant value when you choose to refurbish your existing pews with reupholstery service. Our on-staff consultants will walk you through every step of the process, from initial consultation through the fabric pattern and color selection to the final product.

    For pricing questions, we are happy to give you an initial idea of cost over the phone (910-322-5673) or online so you can determine if reupholstering is an attractive option for beautifying your church seating.

    In addition, McPhail Church Services offers church pew refinishing, wood restoration, and provide church pew parts and repair, and manufacture lay-in pew cushions for an affordable option to traditional upholstered pews. 

    We’d like to partner with you to upfit or re-fit your church sanctuary seating.  Contact us today for a free quote, and see how pew reupholstery is an attractive cost effective solution for your church home.

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      30 March

      How Do You Prevent Church Pew Damage?

      MOD MarketingChurch Pew Restoration

      Like any other investment, church pews can benefit from preventative maintenance to help them look and perform their best for years.  

      We recommend a couple of steps to prevent church pew damage:

      • If there are any spills, immediately wipe them away and dry the area to avoid spots and stains.

      Each month, clean the pews with a sponge or towel that you’ve dampened in water and wrung out well.  Then use a clean dry towel to wipe behind and get up any remaining water. Don’t forget to wipe the hard-to-reach areas under the seats as well.

      • Once a year, polish church pews using furniture polish- you can simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
      • While you don’t typically need to disinfect your pews, occasionally there may be a need if someone has had an accident.  But be careful: disinfecting can harm wooden surfaces, so it’s important that you use a product that says it can be used for cleaning as well as disinfecting. Those are usually mild and best for wooden surfaces. Make sure you stay away from harsh or acidic disinfectants, as they can cause permanent damage to the wood.

      What to avoid using on wood church pews:

      To extend the life of your wooden pews and keep their surface in good shape, especially after a recent remodel, we recommend you do NOT use the following to make sure you prevent church pew damage:

      • Ammonia:  This chemical is too strong for cleaning wood and can actually damage the wooden surface.
      • Oil: If you use oil to clean the pews, it can cause issues for the wood surface and your congregants:  Oil can stain, and also makes the pews slippery and difficult to sit on.
      • Glass cleaner:  Most glass cleaners contain ammonia (see above) and other harsh chemicals that can stain or damage pews.
      • Water:  Water damage is always a threat with wooden pews, just as it is to any wooden furniture.  This is why we recommend when you’re wiping down the pews, make sure your sponge or towel is WELL WRUNG OUT so it’s just barely damp.  It’s also a good idea to dry the wood after wiping down because any moisture left on the pew could cause water damage.

      Refinishing Wood Pews:

      If your wooden church pews are showing signs of wear, are stained, scratched, cracked, or faded, it may be time to refurbish them.  McPhail Church Services is renowned for our full-service pew refinishing:  We’ll come out, pick up your pews, then bring them to our factory where we’ll sand them, stain them, reupholster if needed, then deliver and install them back in your sanctuary in a timely fashion.  McPhail also does pew repairs, replacing damaged boards or sanding down rough edges.

      Refinishing your existing church pews also protects your investment, extending the life of your pews, and increasing the value of your church.  And it can make them more comfortable for your congregants.

      McPhail Church Services has been refinishing church pews for more than half a century, offering expert craftsmanship and experience.  We guarantee our workmanship and are competitively priced- plus offer discounts if your church needs multiple pews refinished. Contact us today to learn more about church pew refinishing and how we can help restore your pews for many more years of service.  And view our photo gallery to see some of the quality work we’ve done for churches around the country.

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        23 January

        How To Clean Wooden Church Pews?

        MOD MarketingChurch Pew RestorationNo Comments

        pew wood restoration

        When cleaning the rest of your church, don’t forget to clean and care for your church pews. While these seating spaces are probably dusted on a regular basis, wooden and fabric pews should be adequately cleaned and sanitized regularly as well, especially after a recent restoration. It’s critical to incorporate this into your cleaning routine all year. Cleaning and disinfecting your church’s new or used pews not only keeps them looking great but may also help prevent sickness from spreading. Let’s look at how to sterilize church pews in more detail.

        Once a month, most facilities directors arrange a deep cleaning for church pews. Cleaning and polishing church pews before and after each service or special occasion is also a good idea. Cleaning surfaces and disinfecting surfaces are the two phases in deep cleaning church furniture.

        This article will discuss the products that must be used to clean pews, how often pews need to be cleaned and sanitized to be correctly maintained, and lastly, what products must be avoided to save your pew from damage. So, let’s begin now.

        Cleaning Products For Finished Wood

        You frequently dust and shine your wood furniture, but the polishes and dust mix overtime to produce a black film on your church pews, and to eliminate surface grime, dust the furniture.

        • To eliminate surface grime, dust the furniture. Now it’s time to clean up the minor soiling.
        • Begin with the most delicate cleanser and work your way up as needed. Create a dilute solution of dishwashing soap and water.
        • Wipe the entire item with a delicate cloth dipped in the solution, wrung out. You’ll need a moist cloth rather than a wet one.
        • Rinse your cloth frequently, and don’t soak the wood.
        • Dry the object completely with a second, clean cloth.
        • Soaps that are based on oil are a good option.

        Look for oil-based soap products made for wood in store-bought wood cleaning supplies. To meet your needs, choose from a variety of brand names. When cleaning wood furniture with an oil-based soap, don’t leave the soap combination on the wood’s surface for too long.

        Scrub softly with a soft cloth drenched with the product in tiny regions, working with the grain, then rinse with a second cloth dipped in clean water. To eliminate any lingering moisture, wipe with a soft towel.

        Oil Based Soaps

        Look for oil-based soap products made for wood in store-bought wood cleaning supplies. To meet your needs, choose from a variety of brand names. When cleaning wood furniture with an oil-based soap, don’t leave the soap combination on the wood’s surface for too long.

        Scrub softly with a soft cloth drenched with the product in tiny regions, working with the grain, then rinse with a second cloth dipped in clean water. To eliminate any lingering moisture, wipe with a soft towel.

        Use A Mild Ammonia-based Cleaner

        Combine an 80 percent water/20 percent ammonia solution and 1/2 teaspoon or a few squirts of mild dishwashing detergent in a mixing bowl. Before wringing out a soft cloth or sponge, properly combine the materials. Clean the wood furniture with the mixture, but don’t let it dry. Remove the cleanser using a clean cloth soaked in clean water and dry with a clean cloth.

        How Often Do You Need To Clean Church Pews?

        Establish a cleaning program for church pews to keep on top of care for your wood furniture. When you’re finished with the church cleaning, use these strategies to clean your wood pews:

        • Dry dust the pews and collect any papers or dirt from the church service once a week.
        • Clean the pews with a wrung-out sponge or towel and water every month, and vacuum or wipe the hard-to-reach areas under the seats every one month.
        • Polish church pews once a year using Furniture polish, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

        What Disinfectant Is Safe For Wood?

        Disinfecting is necessary, but do it safely as disinfecting can harm wooden surfaces.

        If the label on your disinfectant product says, it may be used for both cleaning and disinfection, clean obviously filthy surfaces with soap or detergent before disinfecting. Do not use harsh and acidic disinfectants. It would be perfect if you also avoid alcohol disinfectants as they can permanently damage wooden surfaces, and a mild and soft disinfectant is best for wooden surfaces.

        To ensure that the cleaning product is used safely and effectively, always follow the guidelines on the label. Safety information and application directions will be included on the label. Disinfectants must be kept away from kids to maintain safety. Many products propose soaking the surface in disinfectant for a particular amount of time. So, follow each step carefully to disinfect your wooden church pews without damaging them perfectly.

        What Not To Use On Pews

        Some of the products you must avoid using on wood church pews are:

        Ammonia: Ammonia is a strong chemical that may be used for a variety of cleaning tasks around the house, but it should never be used on wooden pews.

        Oil: Oil can stain and make wood pews slippery. So, when you use oil to clean, the pews become slippery and make it sit to sit on.

        Glass Cleaner: Windex and other glass cleaners aren’t recommended for use on wooden pews. Some are made with abrasive substances (like ammonia) that can harm your church pews and create stains.

        Wet and damp Cloths: Water must be avoided at cost, and water can drastically damage the wood. So, using a damp cloth to wipe down church pews can impair the wood awfully.

        cleaning wood surface

        Have Your Church Pews Refinished

        Besides the advice mentioned above, church pews must be immediately wiped away any spills to avoid spots and stains. To keep your pews shining for years and years, you should clean them often.

        If your church pews have gotten to the point where they are beginning to look unpleasant and are past the point of a quick clean, perhaps it is time to refinish your church pews. Here at McPhail Church Services, we will pick up your pews, sand them, stain them, add new upholstery, then install them in your church again. Contact us today for information on how to have your church pews refinished.

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