Pondering the color loss to your leather furniture?

With the peak of flea and tick season upon us, conscientious pet owners are regularly treating their pets.  One of the most popular application methods, while produced by various manufacturers, is applied in liquid form along the back and neck area of the pet.   While only a small amount is used, it combines with oil on the skins surface to move through the haircoat.  These products are quite popular due to their effectiveness.  But the little known fact by the vast majority of pet owners, in particular those that own leather furniture or have leather auto interiors, is that these products will remove the protective leather top coat and cause color loss.  Pet owners with leather should also beware of other products with flea and tick medications including shampoos, sprays and dips.  Many pet owners happily allow their pets to lounge on their furniture, and those that don’t may have pets that are sneaking and doing it when they’re not home.  Why we even saw a sofa this week that had color loss to one arm only.  Yep, right where the family lab merely rested his recently medicated neck just to get his head petted!  The best soloution to eliminate this possibility would be to consider oral medications.  Otherwise, try and keep a blanket covering the area where your pet lounges.  And, if this tidbit of information has given you and ‘aha’ moment, just remember Fibrenew Upstate  is available to help with your pet pains . . . I mean stains!

You rescue the dog, Fibrenew Upstate will rescue the furniture!

I know I’ve said it before, but we lovepet owners . . . and I might add, pet owners love us!  Just last week, we were called upon for repairs due to damage by a newly adopted pet.  It seems the owner had an Australian Shepherd that enjoyed lounging on their lovely – and obviously, quite comfortable – over-sized leather ottoman.  This was never a problem until a second Australian Shepherd, in need of rescue, was added to the family.  Apparently the rescued dog didn’t have quite the same upbringing and manners as the original pet, as it quickly chowed down and took out a large chunk of both leather and foam from the top of the ottoman.  Not knowing about the leather repairs that Fibrenew Upstate is capable of, the owner had tried keeping the damaged furniture covered so that it didn’t get any worse and so it wasn’t noticeable.  A task that is easier said than done with a couple of dogs in the house.  Luckily, for both of us, the owner read about Fibrenew Upstate in the Greenville Business Magazine and gave us a call.  Other than the freshly chewed hole in the center, the leather was in great shape.  The ottoman top was tufted, covered in buttons and had a muted sauvage finish – all of which made this repair more challenging.  Being careful to set reasonable expectations, we set out to restore this rather expensive piece of leather furniture as best we could.  The end result is what we term a ‘functional’ repair, meaning we arrested the damage so that it would not worsen and the piece of furniture remained functional.  While we knew from the onset that this would not be one of our prettier restorations, the owner was pleased with our rescue work and I’m pretty sure the dogs haven’t complained.  Until next time…

Don’t Despair – We Repair!

Whether it’s chewed leather, cat or dog claw marks, urine damage, discoloration from flea or other medication, or general wear and tear caused by pets, we’re here to help you return your furniture (or vehicle) to its former beautiful condition.  We provide repairs to leather and vinyl…  We’re experts at color matching…We’re an economic and green alternative to buying new…and, we’re a convenient mobile service!

Got Pets? How about pet damaged furniture?

Big or small, young or old, trained or not . . . your pets and your furniture are not very compatible.  Over time, their dander and body oils are absorbed by the upholstery and / or leather and require diligent cleaning.  And even when there is no destructive intent, claws, be them canine or feline, cause surface damage to your furniture.  I wonder just how many of us have pets that have intentionally wreaked havoc on our favorite easy chair?  We once received a call from a woman on the very same evening she had given her husband a new leather recliner for his birthday.  It seems during the two hours they were away from home, enjoying his birthday dinner celebration, their dog chewed the back corners of the ‘just delivered’ recliner.  Apparently, the smell and taste of the new leather was very appealing to his canine palate.  And just last week we had a call from BJ, the owner of a little dog that loves to lay on the upper back head rest of the leather sofa.  Both BJ and her little pooch had assumed their usual, comfy positions on the sofa for the evening, when suddenly their large, outdoor dog barked loudly and startled the little one – literally scaring the ‘pee’ out of it!  BJ, wet shoulders and all, quickly grabbed clean-up towels and went to town wiping down the leather sofa, but the damage was done.  The urine drips removed the top coat and dye from the back sofa cushion, causing permanent discoloration.  Fortunately, she called us at Fibrenew Upstate and we were able to clean, re-dye and top coat the leather cushion, restoring it to blend with the original sofa finish.  While pet damage to furniture may not always be intentional, one thing is for certain, it is inevitable, even with the best, most well behaved pets.  That being said, we wouldn’t want anyone to give up the love and companionship that pets provide.  Nor would we want you to discard an expensive piece of furniture that could be refurbished.  So, we at Fibrenew, strive to provide a solution to your pet damaged home furnishings, whatever they may be.  Guess it goes without saying that we consistently find pet owners to be at the top of our regular client list.  So please, by all means, Keep On Petting . . . but just be sure and keep Fibrenew Upstate’s contact details handy!