How to clean a leather chair?
Furniture covered with leather, has always been a prototype of solidity, wealth of the owners, and now remains a prestigious, stylish part of the environment. But do not forget that the leather chair is still a household item, and in the process of use can rub off, lose its former beauty. How to prevent this? Are there universal methods of care? Is it possible to keep your favorite chair in pristine condition for a long time? Today’s article is devoted to these exciting questions, as well as ways of leather restoration. Make yourself comfortable, we’re getting started.
General recommendations for cleaning leather armchairs
Modern leather, like any other material, has a lot of variations, so care for it should start with the instructions attached by the furniture manufacturer. We emphasize the word modern, because the leather upholstery of the 90s is significantly different from the current one. Earlier, for furniture upholstery used quite rough, dense horned animal skin, which stood for years without special treatment, while not cracking. Modern material, having increased in assortment, is slightly inferior in properties. It needs regular care, the use of special means, without aggressive impurities, and polishing. The type of processing of raw materials plays not the last role in the choice of care products, so you can not skip the stage of studying the instructions. If the manufacturer’s recommendations are not at hand, or they are lost, we offer a universal algorithm for cleaning soiled leather surfaces (if you want to save money and not contact a cleaning company in Calgary).
- Remove small particles of debris with a vacuum cleaner. To do this, use a soft nozzle that will not create scratches. It is important to pay special attention to joints, depressions, hard-to-reach places, in which the concentration of dust is higher than on the surface.
- Treatment of the chair with a warm soap solution. This is the next stage of cleaning, produced with a flannel or microfiber cloth. Soap can be taken household soap, experience shows that it best copes with contaminants. Do not wet the surface, but slightly moisten it with circular movements, leave it for five minutes. After you need a clean, damp cloth, remove the soap residue, and wipe the seat dry.
- Removing stains. If there are visible stains on the surface, treat them with a product designed for this type of leather, according to the instructions. Again, it is better to contact professional cleaners in Calgary, they know all the nuances of this type of work.
- Polishing the chair. The final stage of furniture cleaning is the restoration of the lipid layer of the leather, its polishing. For these purposes, both special impregnations and ordinary castor oil are suitable. A small amount of the product is applied to a sponge, and light, circular movements, rubbed on the surface. The oil is almost immediately absorbed by the porous structure, but the coating still needs to be polished with a clean, dry cloth.
Proper care of white leather surfaces
Caring for a white leather chair is not too different from standard care, and the cleaning company in Calgary knows this very well. It’s just that you need to pay attention to the chair a little more often, because dirt is more visible on the light-colored surface. So, weekly vacuuming, wiping with a damp cloth, will cope with the settling dust, and to keep the chair to continue to please with its whiteness, we offer a few lifehacks:
- silted armrests, embedded dirt, you can wash from a light-colored chair with ammonia alcohol. It should be diluted in water (in the proportion of 1:4), and sponge gently go over the surface;
- refresh the graying seat will help a solution of vinegar. It is treated with a white chair without excess moisture, and wipe dry. But this is a folk method and therefore say that the result will be flawless is not worth it;
- soften the surface and return it to color will help warm milk. Wiping it on the chair, you can remove particles of dirt, and at the same time moisturize the skin, because the milk contains fats that nourish the protective, lipid layer;
- traces of coloring substances (cosmetics, felt-tip pens, pens), from a light seat are removed with acetone. So that it does not damage the structure, you do not need to apply a lot of means to the absorbent cotton and rub hard.
After all these manipulations (except for treatment with milk), it is desirable to polish the surface with a stearin sponge, or another means that protects the skin from drying out.
Restoration of leather armrests and other parts of the chair
Unfortunately, leather is not immune to mechanical damage. Small scratches, claw marks, wiped paint, over time begin to catch the eye, and give a solid product a pathetic look. Is it possible to restore worn armrests? What to cover the holes with? How to remove scratches? Answers to the questions below.
Let’s start perhaps with the most common problem that can be encountered immediately after buying a chair. These are accidental scratches when the furniture is brought in, or formed during the cleaning process. Such damage is the easiest to eliminate, it is enough to pick up in the catalog liquid leather of the desired shade, and carefully apply it to the surface. This product “tightens” the imperfections, merges with the skin, creating the effect of a smooth, beautiful coating. The only disadvantage is that the method works only on a small area, it is impossible to “cure” a large area of skin.
The hole on the leather chair is restored in another way, namely overlay applique. To do this, a fragment of the necessary size (to completely cover the hole), color. The surface is pre-greased, a thin layer of furniture glue is applied, and the patch is applied. After drying, the edges of the application can be treated with liquid leather, so that it does not stand out too much against the general background.
Restore tattered armrests is also possible at home. Before starting work, the cracked area is degreased and covered with a layer of neutral paint. It will fill all the cracks, slightly smooth out the roughness. After drying, the surface is sanded to a smooth state, and apply the main paint. To achieve the desired shade, you can use several layers, not forgetting to dry them. The final result is treated with a water-repellent spray or other preservative.
How to keep your chair looking good for a long time
To keep your leather chair looking presentable during use, you need to take the time to clean it and take care of it in a timely manner. Regular cleaning will preserve the color of the furniture, will not allow the appearance of ingrained stains. Treatment once every few months with moisturizers will prevent drying out and cracks, and quick removal of defects will preserve the structure of the leather, not letting it spread to holes. In other words, the basis of beauty and long service of the chair is a careful attitude to it. Well-groomed furniture always looks attractive, and causes the desire to sit down on it.
And to make sure that everything is in order we advise you to contact our cleaning company in Calgary. Our specialists will cope with cleaning of any complexity.