Helpful Tips
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!
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.- Look and see if there is dirt underneath the cushions. If there is, it is likely that the owner did not clean and protect it often.
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.
- It is likely that some pieces were used more and are more worn than others.
- Also, one piece of a used set may be more faded from the sun than others.
- These are little differences that you might not notice in the store, but may drive you crazy once you get them in your home. Setting them all up for comparison is a good way to avoid the issue.
- Also, keep in mind that if some pieces of a set look dramatically worse than others, it might be an indicator that the furniture doesn’t hold up well.
- The new-looking pieces were probably not used very frequently, so they might still look pretty new.
- It’s likely that the one or two pieces that look bad were the only ones that got used by the previous owners, and they just didn’t hold up well. That could be a bad omen for the rest of the set.
- Consider the age of the furniture. If it is relatively new furniture that is already showing some wear, it could be a sign that it won’t hold up well in the future. However, if the furniture is an older piece and is still only showing a little wear, that is likely a good sign of things to come.
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
- Dinginess – If the piece is just a little dirty and dingy looking, it doesn’t cost much to pay a professional to thoroughly clean it.
- A few minor scratches and scuffs – many professionals charge based on the number scuffs or scratches, so a few is going to make for a cheap repair.
- Small Pen mark
Mid-range Fixes
- Dog chew hole
- Color missing on cushion surfaces and arms
High-end fixes
- Body oil stains and spots
- Visible stains
- Damage near seams is always trickier and more expensive than damage that does not affect a seam
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!
Cracked leather
To be totally honest, if aniline or semi-aniline upholstery leather cracks, it’s often too far gone to be worth repairing. Now, this is not always the case, but when these leathers crack, it’s usually the result of problems that have been neglected or unnoticed for a long, long time. Fully-finished leather is different, though. Check out another of our blog posts for explanations of the most common types of upholstery leather.
Cracking of fully-finished leather is actually a very common problem that leather restoration experts can easily fix, but like most things with leather furniture, it’s easier (and cheaper) to take care of the problem before it really becomes a problem.
Why does leather crack?
Our estimate is that 95% of cracking in fully-finished leather starts with one of these two culprits:
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Unfortunately, sun and leather don’t usually mix well. Too much sunlight will do one of two things (and possibly both) to leather furniture and other upholstery– fading and drying.
Sun-damaged, faded leather chair
Fading is commonly seen in semi-aniline and aniline leathers, but is a little rarer in fully-finished leathers that have a protective top coat. It’s one of the most common problems we see, and if you put leather furniture next to a window that gets some serious sunlight, you can start to see fading in as little as 4 to 6 months.
Drying, on the other hand, is something the sun will do to almost any kind of leather – fully-finished or not. The heat of sunlight causes the moisture in the leather’s natural oils to slowly evaporate, and eventually, it will dry, stiffen and crack.
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One of the worst things to eat on leather couches is buttered popcorn – yes, the all-time favorite movie snack. What a bummer.
Unfortunately, folks, leather is extremely porous by nature, and it will soak up any oils you put on it – and that includes popcorn grease, lotion and the natural body oils that we all have on our skin. You won’t notice any damage at first, but oils can cause some real trouble down the road.
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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!
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