How to Prevent Cracked Leather Furniture

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:

1. A manufacturer problem – To make fully-finished leather, manufacturers put a layer of dye and a protective top coating on the hide almost like paint goes on drywall. Leather has a lot of give and will stretch and move as people sit and slide around on it. If the manufacturer doesn’t stretch the leather properly before they put on the dye and protective top coating, the leather will quickly stretch more than the dye can handle, and the coating will crack.

2. Body oil and dirt – Leather is incredibly porous, and it soaks up oil whenever it touches it. Believe it or not, the most common source of these problems is you from your own bare arms, legs, neck and hair. Dirt also gets soaked into the top coating on leather as it gets worn down. As you sit, stand and move around, that dirt and oil becomes abrasive, and it breaks down surface dye which will eventually lead to visible cracks at the surface.

Prevent Leather from Cracking:

There are two key things you can do to prevent cracking of fully-finished leather.

1. Clean and protect leather 3 to 4 times a year. You get rid of the dirt and oil still sitting on the surface of your furniture when you clean it, preventing it from eventually soaking in. A good protection cream will fill in the gaps and spaces in the original top coat of your leather as it gets worn down. By filing those gaps with protection cream, you remove the possibility that they can be filled with dirt and oil later – sort of like putting out the fire before it starts.

2. Avoid exposure to excessive amounts of dirt and body oil. The fact of the matter is that if you use your leather furniture at all, it is going to be exposed to some body oil and some dirt and dust that simply come with the territory. But, you can limit the damage of normal wear and tear. You should avoid sleeping on your leather furniture regularly or sitting down if you come in sweaty and dirty from outside. Also, if you are wearing sunscreen or have greasy popcorn hands, use the less expensive seats in the house. It’s a good idea to try to cover your leather in areas that see a lot of dirt and oil if you can. Try tossing a blanket over the headrest of a leather recliner you know you are going to rest your head on frequently or for extended periods of time.

Repair Cracked Leather:

Once leather has been cracked, there isn’t much you can do for it yourself, but a professional can either re-dye it or replace parts of the piece, depending on the extent of the damage, to eliminate the problem.

Additional Questions?

We’d be happy to answer any additional questions you have. Please ask in the comments below! If you want to show us a photo of a specific piece of leather, either post it on our Facebook page or contact your local franchisee.

Aniline Leather Sofa Conditioner

Aniline Leather Sofa Conditioner – You are in a very good position at this time if you’re thinking of getting a new leather sofa. Leather sofas are always a very popular item but many times people don’t think they could manage them and so this will frighten people away from making this kind of buy. With the recent reduction in costs of luxury leather sofas now could be the perfect time to decide to proceed and get that gorgeous black leather sofa that you have been looking for so long. Or maybe a brown leather sofa works better for your interior, whichever the case might be, a good sofa is not so much from reach.

aniline leather

Do It Yourself Leather Furniture Care Furniture

The amount of leather sofas has long been a problem for furniture shoppers. Many furniture buyers would love to own one of these gorgeous pieces of furniture but on account of the perception which leather-covered furniture is out of their price range, they often do not even investigate the choices available to them in regards to buying a luxury leather sofa. Costs of furniture, generally, have come down quite a bit due to the economy and obviously, the higher-end items have dropped at a higher percentage rate than the regular fabric-covered items.

This places leather sofas well within the cost selection of the regular furniture shopper. I’m sure that it doesn’t require much convincing to realize that the caliber of a leather sofa will be much superior to that of a fabric covered sofa. Almost any leather-covered sofa will be more durable and longer lasting than its fabric covered counterpart but there are differences in the quality of the leather that is on the market today. Best grain leather is the maximum quality leather which it is possible to find. It’s been exposed to the least amount of conditioning and that Helps to conserve its natural oils also provides it the grain and texture that you would expect from true leather. Click here for more of the article!

But if you need a professional leather repair service to take care of any damage or repair. Simply conduct a search in your telephone directory or online to look for one in your area that can perform the job for you. Also make sure that the company you are going to deal with is a reputable one and be sure to obtain a price quote before confirming whether or not you chose them to restore it for you.

Caring for Leather Furniture

Leather furniture is an investment, so good maintenance is important. Here are some do’s and don’ts for getting your leather to age well:

1. Avoid seemingly harmless cleaners such as oil soap; it will stain and darken the leather. And mild soap, though gentle on dish-washing hands, not only will remove the dirt but just might remove the color on the leather as well. Saddle soap may be good for that catcher’s mitt, but keep it away from leather furniture.

2. Don’t use soap or detergent, no matter how mild. We can use mild soap on our skin because our skin is still alive and will replace the oils that soap washes off, but a leather sofa doesn’t have that ability. It will eventually become brittle, dry and damaged. Why not wash with soap and then apply oil? Because the oil will stain the leather

3. Avoid placing leather furniture in direct sunlight. Virtually nothing is safe for long in the light and heat of the sun. Avoid extreme temperatures that would cause leather to dry and crack. If you’re too cold or too hot in a room, so is the leather. Don’t place leather next to air conditioners or radiators.

4. Blot spills quickly using clean terry cloth towels or paper towels. If you spill grease or oil, use talcum powder or baking powder to help absorb it. There are also leather-furniture cleaners that would work, available from upper-end furniture stores and from some manufacturers of leather furniture.

5. If leather furniture is brand new, protect it right off the bat with a professionally applied leather protector. There are also products available for do-it-yourselfers on the after-market. If the furniture is older, have it cleaned professionally and apply the leather protector. Keep the furniture free of dust and occasionally wipe it with a barely damp cloth.

Source: Caring for Leather Furniture

Infographics: Sofa Stories

If your sofa could only talk what secrets would it reveal? To know more about furniture care and repair visit us at http://www.fibrenew-franchising.com/.

 

Sofa Stories Infographic – If your sofa could only talk what secrets would it reveal? By Habitat

 

Fibrenew’s Commitment To The Environment

Long before the marketing departments of many large corporations touted their green nature, Fibrenew was playing its part to help save the environment. The mobile service company, which was founded in 1987, specializes in restoring damaged leather, plastic and vinyl. The company’s service helps save thousands of items from ending up in landfills each year.

“It’s win win.” says the company’s CEO, Michael Wilson. “We have built our business by offering a service that everyone needs. There is leather, plastic and vinyl everywhere that becomes damaged at some point in its lifecycle. Its in homes, offices, clinics, hospitals, boats, planes, trains and automobiles, you name it. Fibrenew helps customers save money, time and the environment by restoring damaged items and we make a living doing it. Everybody wins.” . . . read more!

How to keep auto interior looking new

Eating fast food in your car is unavoidable on some busy days, and we’ve all had those, “Oh crap!” moments when fries went flying all over the car seat.  Although this isn’t unusual or uncommon, it’s probably not something you should brush off too lightly if you have leather seats. Grease and oil, even just the natural oils in your skin, can really add up and cause damage to your leather seats. In fact, oil (from food or just the oil in your skin) is one of the main reasons leather car seats end up looking old and worn.
How does oil damage leather car seats?

There are two main ways that oil causes damage to leather auto seats:

1. Oil combines with little bits of dust and dirt, acting like a fine sand paper that wears down the protective coating on your seats as passengers get in and out of your car.  That protective layer makes your leather seats more resilient to scratches, water and heat damage as well as other types of wear and tear, so, once that layer is worn thin, your seats are more susceptible to all types of damage.

2. When oil gets on your leather seats, especially once it starts to break down that protective coating, it is soaked into the back side of the leather—the part you can’t see.  Over time, the leather will “fill up,” and the oil will rise to the surface. Once the oil saturates the leather, the result is typically ugly oil stains.

How to prevent oil damage to your auto seats

To prevent oil damage, you should clean and protect your car seats 6-8 times a year, cleaning the most used areas more frequently than those that aren’t used very often.

Additionally, never treat your leather with olive oil, petroleum or any other type of oil. A lot of people do to try to prevent drying, but the oil you use will get soaked up just like any other oil, resulting in spots and discoloration.
How do I get rid of oil damage?

If you find oil spots on your car seats, you can try to remove them by rubbing the area with a soft leather cleaner. You may be able to temporarily remove the spot, but since more oil remains deep within the leather, you will probably see it resurface over time.

Depending on the extent of the damage, a professional may be able to do a more thorough cleaning of the leather seat than you will be able to do yourself, as they have special cleaning tools and processes that can cleanse deep into the leather.

Post any additional questions in the comments or visit us at Fibrenew Franchising.

Source: Fibrenew

Sun damaged car and motorcycle seats

You may notice that, over time, your soft leather car or motorcycle seats become dry or faded. Many people attribute this to wear and tear, but it is actually caused by heat and light from the sun. Because the leather in your vehicle is likely to be exposed to a lot of sunlight and heat in parking lots, vehicle manufacturers use leather that is highly resistant to sun damage in their seats.

Most car seats are made from fully-finished leather, and it tends to hold up a lot longer in the sun than other types of leather. But, even the strongest of leathers will be damaged by heat and sunlight over time, so it’s a good idea to clean and protect your seats 6-8 times a year to boost their resistance to damage.

You can also try using window shields in a car or covers on a bike to keep some of the light and heat off your leather if you park in the sun for extended periods of time.

It is also a good idea to seek out parking spots in the shade instead of in direct sunlight.

How to fix dried out, faded leather

You can have a leather professional repair franchise re-dye faded leather for a reasonable cost.  But, once the natural oils found in leather are gone, they’re gone for good.  Leather professionals can do a number of things to make it look better, but there is no way to truly restore it to its previous condition.  That’s why preventative maintenance is so important!

How to clean and repair your leather furniture

When it comes to repairing and caring for leather furniture, there are hundreds of options.  Furniture stores and online retailers offer up products that do everything from cleaning to dying leather.  However, you should proceed with extreme caution when you use these DIY products on your furniture.  I’ve heard and seen the effects of horror stories where these products ruined people’s leather furniture, so here are a few pointers on what to look out for.

1. Don’t use any products that contain alcohol or acetone.  Alcohol seeps into and damages the protective surface of furniture leather.  Acetone will remove the dye and color from leather.

2. Be sure to use products designed for upholstery.  Leather used for shoes, jackets and clothing is very different than that used in furniture.

3. Only use products designed for the type of leather you have.  Most furniture is made of aniline, semi-aniline or fully-finished leather.  Because of the differences in finish, it is very important to use only products designed for the leather you have.

4. Dying leather is a highly specialized art.  Professionals receive extensive training on color matching and dying, and it’s not at all likely that any DIY dye kit will produce very good dying results.  So, be very careful with these products – test them on a part of the furniture that no one will ever see before you use it on the visible part of the piece.

5. Stay away from products that say they are for multiple surfaces, even if one of those surfaces is leather.  Most of the time these products contain elements that will damage leather.  It is best to stick with products made specifically for leather.

Also, there are lots of people out there who have heard old wives’ tales about household products to use on leather.  Some of these can be helpful, but there are many that do not work and will ruin your leather furniture.  One example is using olive oil to fix minor dings and scratches on leather.  People also try using finger nail polish remover, shoe polish and window cleaner, among other things, to work on damaged leather.  All of these options can cause major damage to your leather down the road.

For more info on how to clean and repair your leather furniture visit us at www.fibrenew-franchising.com.

Keeping your leather chair last longer

For common cleanup as well as maintenance regarding natural leather, you should utilize an excellent top quality water-based natural leather solution. Don’t ever work with everything containing natural skin oils, waxes or perhaps silicone. (Most ‘conditioners’ contain waxes or perhaps natural skin oils as well as furnishings enhance consists of silicone). DON’T work with mink acrylic. A bottle regarding top quality natural leather solution ought to do your own furnishings 1-2 occasions.

Little one wipes are the most detrimental matter you can use since they will kill the conclusion in your natural leather. They’re very good alkaline cleansing agents for you to counteract urine (acid) on baby’s skin tone so one of these are certainly not the right matter to make use of on natural leather.

Saddle cleaning soap is too unpleasant to make use of on today’s leathers as well as saddles require dealing with otherwise for you to furnishings. A great deal of natural leather wipes contain compounds which will kill the conclusion or perhaps keep residues around the natural leather which will destruction the item.

Fairy water as well as house shower gel contain far more salt these days for getting points fresh which will separate the conclusion decrease in your natural leather. It’s been confirmed with the suppliers (as while using the little one wipes).

It’s also wise to adhere to cleanup using a good normal water based natural leather guard which will behave like a ‘scotchgard’ as well as prevent dirt as well as staining coming from currently being absorbed as well as create cleanup less difficult next time.

It is very important keep a typical cleanup program. Cleanup dirt journey surface area regularly as well as inhibiting the ingestion regarding body natural skin oils in to the natural leather using a guard is the better.

Utilizing house items can happen to operate but will, ultimately, degrade the natural leather complete quicker and it may then always be unattainable to bring back. It may look like more cost-effective to make use of items through the supermarket but if they just don’t function or perhaps destruction the natural leather and then it is a limited sighted protecting.

When the complete or perhaps natural leather features started to indicate signals regarding have on or perhaps cracking and then cleansing agents will not likely assist you to. You need to call up a tech whom is able to accomplish repair/restoration work towards the item. Don’t be tempted by means of BUILD IT YOURSELF items since they may result in added troubles.

For more about leather care and franchising visit www.fibrenew-franchising.com.

Baby Wipes Damages Your Leather Furnitures

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 Franchising is always available for any leather repairs you may need!

Source: http://www.fibrenew.com/blog/baby-wipes-silent-killer-of-leather/