On Super Bowl Sunday, it’s not just the players who take a beating. During our Super Bowl parties, our furniture gets ran-SACKED more than a quarterback with food and drink spills. It’s all got to be cleaned up, but where do you start?

The local leather expert from Fibrenew, a leather and plastics refurbishing specialist, warns consumers of the Top Five Super Bowl Party Spills and arms them with The Do’s and Don’ts of Super Bowl Party Clean Up.

“We see a big increase in the damage of leather furniture this time of year with all the Super Bowl parties” says Michael Wilson, CEO of Fibrenew. “Clumsy guests cause damage, but the worst disasters are caused by homeowners who don’t know the best ways to clean up a mess and repair a problem.”

TOP FIVE SUPERBOWL SPILLS (and how to clean them!)*

1) FOOD OR WINE STAIN: Your brother-in-law eats an entire pizza and drops a slice and his fifth glass of wine on your leather loveseat.

• DON’T use window/mirror cleaner because it contains alcohol which will dissolve and destroy the surface coating on your leather.
• DO use a damp towel to wipe up the mess and a dry one to finish the job. Fully-finished leather is pretty much water proof, so a little spill isn’t going to hurt as long as you clean it up quickly, before it soaks through.

2) INK : The spoiled rotten … we mean darling … neighbor’s kid, is keeping score on your leather couch with his new marker set.

• DON’T use dish soap or hair spray to remove the marks. The degreasing agent in dish soap can permanently de-gloss and damage the top coating on the leather surface. Hair spray, another commonly recommended remedy, has alcohol in it and will ruin the surface coating on your leather.
• DO use a soft sponge and specialized leather cleaner. Buy it at most leather furniture retailers – but, for serious problems, your local Fibrenew franchise can help.

3) NAIL POLISH: You try out OPI’s Affair in Red Square red to sexy up those toenails pre-game, but you end up polishing a couch cushion instead.

• DON’T use nail polish remover because it will take all of the color out of your leather and leave a bleached spot bigger than the nail polish spot.
• DO, once again, use a soft sponge and leather cleaner.

4) ANIMAL SCRATCHES AND PICKS: Your new dog gets all excited when Big Ben or Aaron Rodgers throws a touchdown and scratches the heck out of your couch.

• DON’T touch up the spots with shoe polish because it makes an ugly, sticky mess.
• DO try to reduce the visibility of the problem by snipping off the cotton interior strands that often get pulled out when leather gets picked. DO use a hair dryer and massage minor scratches with leather cleaner to try to rub it out. Call a professional to fix larger scratches and holes – this is not a DIY kind of job.

5) BURNS AND DISCOLORATION: Those candles, strategically placed to keep the house smelling fresh, get knocked over when your father-in-law high-fives your nephew because his favorite team won. You lose with a dried out heat spot and a cracked couch cushion.

• DON’T try to rub it out and blend it with the surrounding area, you’ll only make the problem bigger.
• DO bring in some help. When leather or faux leather gets damaged by heat, the only solution is to call in a professional. Regardless of size, a professional repair can make that burn look brand new and can be done on the spot in your own home.

“We hate to see people damaging their leather furniture further by trying to fix minor problems,” says Wilson. “Part of our job as leather and plastics experts is to serve as a resource, helping people understand what problems they can handle on their own and when they need to call a professional.”

*There are several types of leather, and the following tips apply to all fully-finished leather, which makes up 85 percent of the leather market.

Tell this story with a Leather Expert at Hepler Bros. in your town who can damage leather and demonstrate the different DOs and DON’Ts of proper cleanup.

Here’s a shout-out to one of our fellow Fibrenew franchisees, Paul Wittig, in Indianapolis, IN.  Paul appeared on a local news-talk show and did a fantastic job giving tips to folks about how to keep their furniture looking its best.  There’s a link to a video below and 5 tips on upholstery cleaning and leather repair.

Five ways to fix furniture after the holidays : wishtv.com

INK : The spoiled rotten … we mean darling nephew, tries out his new marker set by drawing Spongebob on your leather couch. You become a crabby Patty and scramble to clean it up.

• DON’T use dish soap or hair spray to remove the marks. The degreasing agent in dish soap can permanently de-gloss and damage the top coating on the leather surface. Hair spray has alcohol in it and will ruin the surface coating on your leather.

• DO use a soft sponge and specialized leather cleaner. Buy it at most leather furniture retailers – but for serious problems your local Fibrenew franchise can help.

NAIL POLISH: You try out OPI’s Affair in Red Square red to sexy up those toenails, but you end up polishing a couch cushion instead.

• DON’T use nail polish remover because it will take all of the color out of your leather and leave a bleached spot bigger than the nail polish spot.

• DO once again, use a soft sponge and leather cleaner.

FOOD OR WINE STAIN: Your brother-in-law eats an entire pizza and drops a greasy cheese and his fifth glass of wine on your leather loveseat.

• DON’T use window/mirror cleaner because it contains alcohol which will dissolve and destroy the surface coating on your leather.

• DO use a damp towel to wipe up the mess and a dry one to finish the job. Fully-finished leather is pretty much water proof, so a little spill isn’t going to hurt as long as you clean up quickly before it soaks through.

ANIMAL SCRATCHES AND PICKS: For the purr-fect gift, Santa brings your kids a kitty. Hello Kitty quickly turns into GOOD BYE Kitty when the fury friend (now foe) decides your leather couch is his new scratching post.

• DON’T touch up the spots with shoe polish because it makes an ugly, sticky mess.

• DO try to reduce the visibility of the problem by snipping off the cotton interior strands that often get pulled out when leather gets picked. DO use a hair dryer and massage minor scratches with leather cleaner to try to rub it out. Call a professional to fix larger scratches and holes – this is not a DIY kind of job.

BURNS AND DISCOLORATION: Those window candles get knocked over on your upholstery and are left on overnight. You wake up Christmas morning to a dried out heat spot and a cracked couch cushion.

• DON’T try to rub it out and blend it with the surrounding area, you’ll only make the problem bigger.

• DO bring in some help. When leather or faux leather gets damaged by heat, the only solution is to call in a professional. Regardless of size, a professional repair can make that burn look brand new and can be done on the spot in your own home.

If you get to this point, give Hepler Bros. a call at 904 707-2326.  We’ll make your life beautiful again.

First, everyone needs to know a qualified cleaning professional to call on when necessary!  Hepler Bros. is certified in the cleaning of upholstered furniture, having completed IICRC cleaning courses.  The IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning & Restoration Certification) is a non-profit organization that has been known as the ‘Industry Guardian’  for over 30 years.  They approve certified courses that help set industry standards, thus insuring customers have access to trained professionals.  That’s why Hepler Bros. wants to be sure you know we are IICRC certified, which also means that Hepler Bros. is trained in the newest techniques and uses the latest products recommended for the cleaning of upholstery.

It’s important that you not wait until severe soiling has occurred before cleaning your upholstery.  Otherwise, the likelihood of being able to restore your upholstery fabric to its original color and appearance is greatly decreased.  The average person subjects regularly-used upholstery fabrics to daily soiling from food and beverage spills, body oils, lotions, pet hair, etc., making periodic professional upholstery cleaning key to extending the life of the fabric.

This is the time of year that many of us will decide to spruce up for the holidays which may include having our upholstery cleaned.  And then there are those of us that would rather wait and organize a thorough cleaning after the holiday decorations are put away.  Regardless, it is during the cold winter months, when we tend to spend more time indoors, that we also become more aware of our indoor environment needs.  Upholstery cleaning is one of those tasks that can easily be taken care of during the winter months, meaning one less thing to put on your spring cleaning list!

In the meantime, following are a few Upholstery Fabric Cleaning Tidbits to keep in mind:

• Vacuum thoroughly and regularly to remove dust, dirt & grit that causes abrasion.
• Rotate & reverse all removable cushions periodically to assure even wear.
• Keep pets off as much as possible, as their body oils are difficult to remove.
• Note that newspaper & magazine inks may transfer to upholstery.
• Remove shoes when possible, as shoe polish gets on upholstery very easily.
• Immediate spot removal and spill clean-up is important.
• Blot up liquid spills with a colorfast, absorbent cloth or towel.
• Scrape up viscous materials, like ice cream, with a spoon.

Just remember, there’s no need to cry over spilled milk!

Call Hepler Bros. today at 904 707-2326.