Posted: Feb 21, 2012By: Sir FibrenewCategory: Automotive::Franchise, DIY, General, Leather Advice From the Pros
If you leave more questions in the comments, we’d be happy to answer them for you. You can also find more information any of the following places:
Posted: Jan 24, 2012By: Sir FibrenewCategory: Automotive::Franchise, DIY, General, Leather Advice From the Pros
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.
Leave any additional questions in the comments or check out our post on wives’ tales related to leather care.
Posted: Oct 3, 2011By: Sir FibrenewCategory: Common Leather Problems, DIY, General, Home and Office, Leather Advice From the Pros
Most people, myself included, think of window cleaner as being one of the mildest of all cleaners. People consider it to be so mild they could use it on almost anything. Unfortunately, you really cannot use window cleaner on leather upholstery because almost all of it contains alcohol.
Alcohol will damage the surface of your leather, especially breaking down the protective top coat on fully-finished leathers that make up the vast majority of the leather upholstery market. Breakdown of this surface will leave your upholstery more susceptible to all types of damage in the future, like scratching and water damage.
Alcohol can also, in some cases, cause discoloration in leather.
This footrest has been slightly discolored with an orange hue because of an alcohol cleaner.
This couch has a slightly discolored mark because the owner used a cleaner with alcohol in it.
There are a number of other home remedies and wives’ tales about using home products on leather. We do not advise using any of the following:
Questions or experiences with window cleaner or other cleaners containing alcohol? Post them in the comments!
Posted: Mar 31, 2011By: Sir FibrenewCategory: Common Leather Problems, DIY, General, Leather Advice From the Pros
Water damage due to spills is not, typically, a major cause for concern with leather. A little water won’t hurt leather at all, and most leather products have a protective layer that gives you enough time to clean up water spills before leather soaks it up. When spills and small amounts of water do damage leather, it usually just makes the leather stiff. (Think about leather work gloves that always get stiff after a day of gardening.)
Posted: Mar 23, 2011By: Sir FibrenewCategory: Common Leather Problems, DIY, General, Leather Advice From the Pros
With dry, dirty or scratched leather, you may find yourself scouring the internet for DIY treatments. Many articles cite olive oil as a cure-all for every leather ailment, from scratches to dryness to odors. It is likely that this myth came from the age old practice of oiling baseball gloves and horse saddles. Oil may have its perks in functionality for those purposes, but we strongly discourage using any type of oil on your fine leathers.
Posted: Mar 7, 2011By: Sir FibrenewCategory: General
At some point or another, I’m sure you’ve seen a leather sofa with a big, sagging indention in the owner’s favorite spot. Want to be sure your furniture never looks like that? Here’s some info on why it happens and what to do to prevent it. We’ve also included what to do if your leather chair is already sagging.
Why the sagging?
Sagging leather couch
The main cause of sagging is that the leather isn’t getting the support it needs from furniture’s foam. Leather stretches naturally, so it needs a firm foam base to support the people’s weight without sagging.
Stretching can also be affected in by the thickness of the leather hide used and by whether or not the tannery stretched it well before they put it on the furniture. (Think of it sort of like having to wash fabric before you sew it.)
Avoid sagging seats
Before you buy:
1. It’s a good idea to buy couches and love seats that have several same-sized, removable cushions so you can switch them around periodically. That way, the cushions are worn more evenly, and your favorite spot won’t start to sag as quickly.
2. The denser the foam is in the leather furniture you buy, the longer it will last before it starts to sag. So, if you prefer stiff-looking leather, you might want to go in that direction. However, keep in mind that many people think furniture with squishy foam is more comfortable than furniture with firm foam. You have to find a balance and consider your own priorities.
3. Is more expensive furniture better? Unfortunately, the answer to that question has to be frustratingly vague. More expensive leather is pretty much guaranteed to have nicer, better made leather. But, more expensive leather does not necessarily have nicer foam. Some high-end furniture retailers ensure that every part of their furniture is top quality, and other cut costs on foam. Keep in mind that some high-quality leather furniture is intentionally made to be very soft, squishy and comfortable. So, even though you pay the high dollar for a nice piece of furniture, choosing the comfy, squishy foam may mean that you have some sagging down the road.
Once you’ve got it:
The best thing you can do to avoid sagging seats is to distribute the use. If you have furniture with cushions you can move, switch them out every couple of months. If you don’t, try not to sit in the same place all the time.
What to do:
If your leather furniture is already sagging, your best bet is to get new filling put in it. The cost will vary depending on the size of the furniture and the extent of the problem.
If you have any questions, leave ‘em in the comments! If you want to show us a photo of a specific piece of furniture, post it on our Facebook wall or get in touch with a franchisee.
Posted: Feb 21, 2011By: Sir FibrenewCategory: General
Don't use products with acetone or alcohol to clean leather
I can’t tell you how many jobs we have come in because people have tried do-it-yourself leather products that didn’t work out. I hate that. While I can’t speak for other company’s products, I can give you some good tips on what to look for.
1. Make sure the product you are using is designed specifically for the type of leather you are using it on. There are a ton of different types of leather out there. Think about it – some leather looks shiny and some looks more like suede. They soak up products differently, and not all leather cleaners will work for all kinds of leather.
2. Keep in mind that the finish on upholstery leather is completely different from the finish used in jackets, shoes and purses.
The results of a green do-it-yourself leather dye kit bought online
3. We don’t recommend products that are supposed to be used on both leather and plastic. You’ll find a lot of these in the auto industry, and these cleaners often cause long-term damage to your leather, and you might not know it right away.
4. Check the ingredients in your cleaner and be sure that there is NO acetone or alcohol. Acetone will remove the dye from your leather, and alcohol will break down its protective top coat.
5.Be wary of do-it-yourself dying products. Finding an exact color match is sometimes difficult for professionals, and most DIY dye kits are going to lack what you need to make your repair look good.
Take a look at our post on house-hold products people use that will also ruin leather: Debunking myths: Frequently recommended leather remedies that ruin leather
Ever tried any products that you had a lot of success or, hopefully not, a huge disaster with? Post experiences, tips and questions in the comments!
Posted: Feb 17, 2011By: Sir FibrenewCategory: General, Home and Office, Leather Advice From the Pros
Because buying used furniture is both eco-friendly and thrifty, it’s a very IN thing to do right now. Here are some tips to be sure you make good buying decisions when it comes to used leather!
Check to see if the previous owner took good care of it:
We recommend that people use leather cleaner and protection cream to care for furniture several times a year. Following those guidelines will make leather last a lot longer.Compare pieces of a set to determine quality:
This might sound like common sense, but if you are looking at a set of furniture, line up all the pieces next to each other to compare each piece’s quality before you buy.
Is it worth it to fix-up damaged furniture?
Sometimes. We love the eco-friendly factor in buying and fixing up used leather furniture instead of buying new. There are a lot of types of damage that are pretty cheap and easy to fix, making refurbishing a much cheaper alternative to buying new. But, there are a few types of damage you should look out for and avoid because they are expensive to fix.
Cheap Fixes
Mid-range Fixes
High-end fixes
Let’s talk holes
Holes in leather are hard to drop into the “Cheap, Mid-range, High-end” fix categories because the size of a hole makes a big difference in how expensive it is to repair. As a general rule, a hole with a diameter up to a one eighth of an inch is considered small, 1/8 to 1/2in. is mid-range and bigger that 1/2 in. is considered large.
Repairs in the long-run:
Some repairs are more likely to become a problem again later on down the road than others, so it’s a good idea to take that into consideration if you plan to hold onto this furniture for a while. For example, other than a small scratch, a repair to the sitting area of a piece of furniture isn’t going to last as long as a repair in a place that never gets touched because of the constant movement.
Ah, the subjectivity!
Still wondering how dingy is too dingy? Need a better idea of what, exactly, “cheap,” means? We understand. Anyone can send a photo to a local professional for a free quote before you buy. Also, feel free to leave questions in the comments or post pictures on our Facebook!
Posted: Jan 13, 2011By: Sir FibrenewCategory: General
Have a problem with your leather and not sure how to fix it? Getting different pieces of advice everywhere you turn? Here are a handful of so-called “leather remedies” that will do you more harm than good. There is a lot of misinformation out there. Keep these tips in mind and you won’t turn a minor problem into a major one!
Posted: Dec 3, 2010By: Sir FibrenewCategory: General
My customers are confused about different types of leather – either because they aren’t sure what they should look for when it comes time to buy new furniture, or because they have a problem (like a scratch or stain) that needs to be fixed. This quick guide should help you understand the big picture. If you have other questions, leave them in the comments below!
1. Fully-Finished Leather:
Fully-finished leather, seen frequently in furniture brands like Lazy Boy, Palliser, Natuzzi and Elite as well as in automotive interiors, has a durable surface finish that resists scratches and staining. Fully-finished leathers make up approximately 85% of leather used for furniture and 99% of leather used in the automotive industry today.
