Where To Find a Fire Label On a Sofa?

If you’re looking to sell your sofa or donate it to charity, it is a legal necessity to have it attached to your furniture if you want to sell it second-hand. We’ve put together a handy guide to explain what these labels are, why they’re so important, and where to find them.

A fire label is a safety measure that is legally required to be attached to all upholstered furniture if they are sold within the UK. This includes chairs, chaise lounges, ottomans, and sofas. It is to easily identify whether the piece of furniture is in line with the British Fire Safety regulations. 

The label will most likely be sewn or stapled into a cushion or on the underside of your sofa, and will give information on the fire regulations of the piece of furniture. It will also have a batch or ID number written at the top so if any problems do arise, the manufacturer will be able to trace it back.  

As well as this, the fire label includes information on whether it has a fire-resistant interior and how the furniture was able to achieve regulatory compliance. They may also list the UK supplier, the date it was manufactured or imported, and a description of the materials used to make the sofa.

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations outline that it is illegal to sell second-hand sofas that don’t have a fire safety label securely attached. If these regulations were not in place, sofa manufacturers would be able to use any flammable material to make and sell a sofa that can potentially cause fires.  

Sofas and chairs usually are made up of fillings that have the possibility of being flammable and because of this, items must have undergone flammability tests to make sure they meet specific levels of fire resistance. 

The regulations specify that all materials of sofas sold in the UK must:

1. Have a permanent fire label attached
2. Have fillings that are made with materials that meet ignition requirements
3. Have a hanging display label that is only removed after it is sold
4. Include covers that are both cigarette and match resistant

Fire labels are usually quite easy to find and will be securely attached to the outside of your furniture. Search for the words ‘CAREL­ES­SNESS CAUSES FIRE’ and the label in these locations:

• Inside cushion covers
• Underneath sofa
• Edge of cushions or base

If you’re having to spend a long time looking for the label and still having no luck, then the chances are that it is been removed or torn off. These labels are not designed to be hidden as they include a lot of useful information. 

Locating your fire label and making sure it is intact if you’re considering donating to charity is very important. Without it, charities in the UK are unable to accept donations of upholstered goods, which means you will need to find another way to get rid of an old sofa. The British Heart Foundation states that all donated upholstered items must be in good condition with the cushions and base undamaged covering as this may compromise the ignition tests.

If you’re looking to donate your old or unwanted sofa to charity then make sure you follow these steps: 

1. Check around the sofa for major scuffs, any tears or rips, and missing cushions 
2. Find the fire safety label and make sure it is intact as well as having the batch and identification number on it
3. Clean the sofa to the best of your ability, this could just include a quick vacuum to get rid of crumbs

It’s worth noting that if the charity is not selling your sofa and is instead giving it away to people in need, this fire label is not a requirement. 

With research showing UK households are spending over 17 billion pounds on furniture, the chances are you have an unwanted piece taking up valuable space. If you’ve searched for a label on your sofa and can’t find one then you still have other ways of getting rid of your sofa.

If you’re looking for ways to get rid of your sofa quickly when it hasn’t got a fire label, you may consider taking it to the tip. This is a great choice for those who have a large enough vehicle to fit it in and the manpower needed to lift this bulky piece of furniture. To find your nearest recycling centre, use this handy postcode search tool. 

The problems with taking your sofa to the tip lie in transportation. Most people won’t be able to fit a sofa into the average car, and some household waste centres do not accept vans anymore, as these are seen as commercial.

If you can’t find the fire label on your sofa, and you can’t get to your local tip, then your best bet will be to hire a professional removal team to take it away. This not only saves you time and hassle, but you can be confident in the knowledge that it is disposed of safely. 

With over a third of people throwing away sofas that could have been recycled, professional companies will be able to break down sofas and sort the materials out to find the best disposal method for each one. This ensures that each component can be recycled if possible, and no unnecessary items end up in landfill damaging our planet.

If you are looking to book a one-off sofa removal or any of our other furniture disposal services, you’ve come to the right place. We are London’s best waste removal company, offering same-day and flexible collections that suit busy lifestyles, at affordable prices.

Get in touch today for your free, no-obligation quote.