Used Furniture: Where Do You Draw the Line?

I love getting a good deal on used furniture, but will only buy solid wood that I can clean with Murphy's Wood Oil Soap. I like the fact that the furniture has a history and is being reused instead of filling the dump.

I'm curious... Do you buy used furniture? If so, what about things with fabric like chairs or matresses? Do you have them cleaned if you buy them used? Do you buy them only from people you know, or do you not buy used furniture at all?

The things i will not buy used are mattresses and other things like that.(for the obvious ick factor If i buy used furniture with cloth (which i never really do) i get it reappulstered (sp?). Normally when I buy used furniture though- it's wooden pieces like a little table or chair/etc

I dont mind used furniture as long as it's clean, doesn't stink and is in good condition.
Of course, I ALWAYS steam clean everything before it's used (find my thread about the rug I had )

I love getting good deals.. Besides, my mom told me once, "You pay hundreds of dollars for new furniture to become used furniture within and hour of having it"

Most of the furniture DH had when we got married was used. If it was me getting it, it would depend on where it came from. If I knew the people well and knew I should be getting something clean and what not I don't think I'd mind.

Evidently bedbugs are making a comeback, and live in wooden furniture. I wonder if that should be a concern with used furniture?

We sold an 18-month-old queen-sized mattress to a co-worker once. It was an expensive one and was very clean and like new (we were moving across the country and wanted a king). He got a really good deal but I'm not sure I would even buy that...

Many years ago, I bought two wooden chairs with upholstered seats, which I immediately recovered... but if I'd thought about mites and fleas and bedbugs and such, I wouldn't even have done that! Blecch!

Actually, I'm hoping to gradually eliminate all upholstery from my life and use only removable, washable materials. No carpet, either, if I can escape it! Every time I go to IKEA, I get excited about working my way up to an all-washable apartment!

I'll buy almost anything used with the exception of:

Cosmetics
Mattresses
Pillows

The only reason you need to know about not buying used mattresses or pillows can be seen inside your vacuum cleaner after you have vacuumed your mattress. Pounds of dead skin and dust mites.

I buy used everything but I do have it cleaned before bringing it home. I would never ever buy a used matress though. That just seems wrong and nasty.

The only new furniture I have had is a new mattress set I bought 10 years ago. Need a new one now, but don't want a used one.

I like used furniture especially if it has some age and use, if that makes sense. I love wood furniture. Haven't heard of bedbug issues where I live yet.

I really don't like used mattresses but for a lot of people it is either that or the floor. My mom used to cover all mattresses with the plastic covers that zip all the way around.

Most of our used furniture came from family, so we have a good idea of the history. I have an antique table which needs to be finished, and I have an antique oak dresser that's been mine since I was a kid. Most of the junky stuff we've gotten rid of.

We did Freecycle our old futon, the frame was good - told them the mattress was very old. It was a queen sized wooden futon, and I know those are very hard to find.

We don't take used upholstered furniture, mattresses, pillows etc. Wooden furniture on a case-by-case basis (like the table Mom gave me that belonged to my Grandmother).

Cat Furniture I also take on a case by case basis, and spray down with upholstery/carpet flea spray before allowing it in my home. I don't trust that other people are as careful about fleas.

I won't buy a used mattress but my TV stand, coffee table, end table, nightstands and microwave cart all came from thrift stores. These items cost me a total of $67.

In AZ, all used upholstered furniture, sold in stores, has to be sterilized before being sold. I'd be leery of buying from a yard sale or at a flea market, though.

Yeah, any fabric or "soft" furniture makes me a bit squeamish. I'm sure it's fine but..... ew. I do have my parent's old mattress/box spring, which even still makes me feel a bit funny but can't really get a new one at this point. I did rent one of those steam carpet cleaners to go over it with, and feel a whole lot better about it now.

I have/will buy used furniture, with the exception of mattresses too. I just don't think I could sleep comfortably knowing what I know now about dead skin and mites etc. Grosses me out to think about hotel beds....

Originally Posted by pushylady

I have/will buy used furniture, with the exception of mattresses too. I just don't think I could sleep comfortably knowing what I know now about dead skin and mites etc. Grosses me out to think about hotel beds....

Click to expand...

Aw, thanks for mentioning hotel beds. I never made that connection before. Now I can never leave the house again....

I have the same exception-- no mattresses. Hand-me-downs from family are okay, the bed I had as a little girl and the one in high school had both been in the family for almost a century. My sister still has them now.
All of my furniture is either from Goodwill, the treelawn, or friends/family except my bed and my futon.

My home is furnished in "yard sale chic." My mother once looked around and remarked, "You know, nothing matches, yet everything goes!"

Many years ago, I owned used mattresses, but I always knew the person they were coming from. Nowadays, I will only buy them brand new, same with pillows.

I love old wooden furniture, and what I own ranges from about 20 years old and further back - the oldest piece I have was made in the early 1900s. I have almost nothing new, and what is newer is generally pressboard, not real.

The gold chair with the rounded back that Penny is posing in in her latest Fur Pics thread was bought from an estate sale - it was sitting in a living room corner, I paid $25 for it and carried it out. All I had to do was beat the cushions a little - it was a spotless home that an elderly woman had lived it and she had recently passed away. I wasn't worried about cooties.

My couch is a 4 piece sectional that I got for free from a friend of mine that was moving to NC - she's the one that has 9 cats, recently joined TCS and can't be bothered to post yet (I give her a hard time on the phone about it. ) It came complete with cat fur - all I did was vacuum it well, and all her cats' fur has now been replaced with MY cats' fur.

Since I bought my motorcycle, I collect a lot less old stuff. That's a good thing. Of course, I do like to Freecycle...

Originally Posted by Pekoe & Nigel

Aw, thanks for mentioning hotel beds. I never made that connection before. Now I can never leave the house again....

Click to expand...

Don't worry, they put waterproof covers on the mattresses in case someone pees on the bed.

I have some antique furniture that honeys mom bought for us from the antique store she works at. It's really nice, a china hutch, beautiful table and chairs, and a dresser looking thing that I guess is supposed to hold good china silver flatware and things like that (but I don't know the name of it.) It is all so very pretty and I love it.

Other then that, I don't think I could do old furniture. I hate germs and I'd be too creeped out to have it in my house, cleaned or not. The table doesn't bother me much but we usually don't eat on it. Being just the two of us, it's usually reserved for family things or get togethers with friends.

Originally Posted by Pekoe & Nigel

Aw, thanks for mentioning hotel beds. I never made that connection before. Now I can never leave the house again....

Click to expand...

Oh my gosh. I always strip the spread, blanket, and flat sheet off hotel beds before I lie down, because I know the former two aren't washed every time, and the latter is in direct contact with them... but you've just made me realize that there's still only a thin layer of poly/cotton between me and everybody else who's ever slept there! AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!

Maybe I'll travel with an air mattress from now on.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Oh my gosh. I always strip the spread, blanket, and flat sheet off hotel beds before I lie down, because I know the former two aren't washed every time, and the latter is in direct contact with them... but you've just made me realize that there's still only a thin layer of poly/cotton between me and everybody else who's ever slept there! AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!

Maybe I'll travel with an air mattress from now on.

Click to expand...

haha I recently slept in a hotel for a week, I brought my own comforter and pillow and threw everything else off. I cant imagine using their stuff..........gross.