Have your guests cleared out yet? If so, it's time for the
real work to begin: taking stock of the disaster left behind -- and often it's the furniture that bears
the brunt of the beating.
Whether it's the wine and food stains left behind on the
ottoman, the crayon and marker mementos from excited kids etched on leather
couches, or the ruined upholstery on cushions and pillows from boots, high
heels and mid-day naps, it's all got to be fixed.
But where and how do you start?
This holiday season, the leather experts from Fibrenew, a
leather and plastics refurbishing specialist, are warning of the top five ways
holiday guests trash your furniture and providing the dos & don'ts of
holiday furniture clean up.
"We see a big increase in the damage of leather
furniture this time of year with all the holiday 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."
Problems & solutions
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.
- INK: The spoiled
rotten -- er, uh -- 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. Most
leather furniture retailers have it.
- NAIL POLISH: You try out OP''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 greasy cheese and his fifth glass of wine on your leather loveseat.
DON'T use window/mirror cleaner. 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. 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.
"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."
