When considering adding to your leather collection, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. What type of leather is best suited to your needs? To assist in some of the research, we are showing you the pros and cons of the three main types of leather.
Aniline Leather
Aniline leather is considered the most natural looking leather. Some people refer to it as “naked leather” because of how natural it looks. It is known to be very soft and comfortable. A lot of people enjoy aniline leather because it preserves each marking it receives, making each piece completely unique. While this type of leather can be very visually pleasing, it is a material that is easily strained. If you have a busy family or high traffic in your home, this is a type of leather you may want to avoid.
Semi-Aniline Leather
The main difference between semi-aniline and aniline weather is the light protective coat semi-aniline receives. This protective coat is useful because it makes the material more resistant to strain and stains, which helps it to last longer. The color in semi-aniline leather is also more consistent than in aniline leather. The downside to this type of leather is the protective coat leads to less uniqueness; the leather does not retain markings as well with the protective coat.
Pigmented/Protected Leather
The most durable type of leather available, pigmented leather is covered with a polymer surface coating that contains pigments. This coating gives the leather more resistance to scratching, scuffing or fading. Pigmented leather does not have the unique qualities of other types of leather, as the sealant prevents marks from staying on the material. Pigmented leather is an excellent choice for busy families who have high traffic in their homes. Pigmented leather is easy to maintain and makes for an excellent couch or lounge chair material.
As you can see, there are good and bad aspects to every type of leather available. Being informed about which kind works best for your lifestyle is important when purchasing leather furniture. Happy shopping!
When caring for your leather products, it can be very tempting to use common household cleaning products. Lots of people gravitate towards products they already have around the house, like baby wipes or other types of cleaning wipes. While these seem like an excellent way to keep your leather looking clean, they are actually terrible for leather.
Products like baby wipes contain chemicals that can cause the pigment in your leather to peel and crack, completely ruining the finish of your leather products. Nobody likes their leather to look worn down and old! Protect your leather by avoiding products like baby wipes that contain high levels of chemicals.
For general leather upkeep, there are some basic things you can do to ensure your leather products stay in top quality shape.
• Wiping leather down with a damp cloth can re-hydrate the leather and prevent the material from drying out, which eventually leads to cracks.
• Positioning your leather furniture away from any radiators can protect it from heat damage.
• Avoiding direct sunlight keeps your furniture from fading.
Following these simple tips and avoiding harmful chemical cleaning products will help keep your leather in tip-top shape. And don’t forget, Fibrenew is always available for any leather repairs you may need!
Are you thinking about replacing your furniture as a holiday gift to yourself this year? Here’s why you should make it leather:
Durability. Leather furniture often comes with a higher price tag than other types of furniture such as cloth. Consider the increase in price as an investment. Leather is stronger and more resistant to tears and stains. Which means it will last longer and cost you less over time instead of constantly replacing your cloth furniture.
Variety. Leather is a classic home décor choice that is elegant in any style. You can find leather furniture in all shapes, sizes, and colors to match your home and personal flair.
Comfort. We’ve all heard the old “leather is hot in the summer and cold in the winter” line. The truth is actually the opposite! Leather is breathable so it keeps cool in the summer and adapts to your body heat to stay warm in the winter. Leather also gets better with time as continued use makes it softer.
The holiday season has arrived and this year it’s your turn to host the family. You got all the groceries to make your signature meal, cleaned the carpets, and got the sleeping arrangements all figured out. But what about that old leather couch? You know the one your dog got his claws into or the little ones spilled their milk on. No matter how dazzling you get the rest of the house with your festive decorations, that couch is still going to stick out. Before you go digging around in the attic for the old throw your grandmother gave you to cover it up, consider another option. Repair it!
Now is the perfect time to finally fix the tears, stains, or holes in your leather furniture. Your newly repaired couch is sure to impress your family and friends. The holidays can be a financial burden as they are so you can send a picture of your leather furniture to a local repairman for a free quote. Think of the repair as a holiday gift to yourself that will keep on giving throughout the year.
Your couch may only need a good cleaning to look new again. Check out our leather furniture cleaning and repair guide before you head to the store or get started on your cleaning.
We’ve all had furniture we “just loved” until the dog peed on it or the cat scratch her lovely claws down the upholstery or little Johnny spilled his grape juice all over the cushion. When does the damage from every day life mean it’s time to splurge on new furniture? Is it when the movers knock a leg or two off or when little Maggie cuts a hole in the back with her new scissor skills? Is all damage repairable?
The majority of damage to your furniture can be repaired. In fact, there are businesses that specialize in furniture repair and can even reupholster your furniture to look brand new. However, if you have experienced some of the aforementioned minor damages, you can do the repairs at home.
If you have a stain or spill on your furniture, you can usually remove the stain by using one of the many stain removal products on the market. However, a cheaper and more available option if you don’t keep stain remover in stock is laundry or dish detergent, warm water, and a tooth brush. Simply put some detergent with the warm water (don’t mix it up), dunk the tooth brush in then scrub the stain gently and it will disappear.
For fabric scratches, tears, or rips, it might be best to trust tough ones to the professionals. However, rips in your cushions can typically be fixed easily by removing the cushion from the couch and simply hand sewing the rips or tears. Many couches and cushions utilize covers which makes sewing the holes easier, especially when using a machine.
When furniture is completely broken down and uncomfortable, it may be time to get rid of it. Really the call is yours to make. Professional furniture repairers and do-it-yourself repair projects usually can solve the damages incurred from everyday life. However, if you’re looking for a reason to get a new set and little Johnny accidentally dumps his grape juice all over the cushion, there’s no harm in saying that the damage is too much damage to repair.
You have tried your best keep your leather furniture safe, but accidents have damaged it. Well, it is normal for leather furniture to get destroyed as occasional scuffs, small tears and spills are bound to happen. However, there is no need to worry as leather can be repaired and restored to its original beauty easily.
There are many myths about leather repair, so when you are looking to fix your leather furniture, it is important to keep the myths at bay.
Myth 1:
Leather cuts cannot be repaired: The biggest myth that leather cuts cannot be repaired is absolutely FALSE. Although this is the hardest to repair, it certainly can be fixed. There are numerous leather repair kits available at most leather stores which come equipped with adhesives made especially for leather. If the cuts are big, then you might need to put some padding under the patch to completely mend it, but regardless of the size of the cut, it can be fixed!
Myth 2:
Super Glue can fix the minor tears in leather: Another myth which will ruin your leather furniture rather than repair it. NEVER ever use super glue to fix tears on your leather upholstery. Super glue is not flexible and therefore is not a good solution to fix torn leather. It hardens and causes more damage to it rather than repair it.
Myth 3:
Markers can be used for discoloration:Many old wives tales state that you can use markers to repair discolored leather. However, that is NOT true. Markers cannot match the exact appearance of the leather as it is not made for this purpose, so never use a marker to quickly remove the discoloration. You will only end up creating an irregular look.
Myth 4:
Hair Spray can remove small stains: Many people will tell you that hair spray can remove small stains from leather, but this is a big myth. Hair spray actually can cause major discoloration to your leather. This is because hair spray has high levels of alcohol in them which damages leather and its sticky deposit will collect more dust and the area which it is applied to will become worse for the wear!
Myth 5:
Olive Oil can make your scuffed leather look new: This is not TRUE. Olive oil and all other oils actually speed up the deterioration process for leather. As leather is porous it will absorb the oil and over time the absorbed oil will lead to discoloration.
You might read that you can use window cleaner, nail polish remover, magic sponges, cleaning wipes, hair spray, shoe polish and markers to fix your leather auto interior. But, these products will damage your leather, and you should not use them.
If you leave more questions in the comments, we’d be happy to answer them for you. You can also find more information in our more in-depth posts about wives’ tales.
Oil products like olive oil, oil soap and WD-40 can ruin the leather seats in your car, so you should not use them. Old wives’ tales say oil helps soften up and condition leather, but that only works for baseball mitts and cowboy horse saddles – not your nice leather seats.
