Treating Tricky Leather Stains
Posted: Wednesday, December 08, 2010
by Pamela Garner
http://cleaningsecretsinfo.com
The first step in dealing with your leather stain is figuring out what type of leather you have. If your leather is natural or unpolished you cannot use most at-home remedies. If your leather is protected/polished/top coated, which 90% of leather upholstery is, many of the remedies below can work for you. When you are figuring out which type you have be sure to read any care instructions you may come across, either on the manufacturer's label or in online research. Instruction specific to your product will truly be the best source of information.
- The most important part of treating a stain set in leather is to clean it while it's fresh.
- The only fabric that should be used to clean leather is a lint-free soft cloth. You should also look at the leather carefully to see if you can find which direction the leather runs in and rub in that direction. If you cannot find the direction of the lie rub from the outside towards the center of the stain, but never in a circular motion.
- Whenever you are using water on your leather always keep your cloth damp, but not wet. Too much water can be extremely destructive for your leather.
- Another tip when using water to clean leather is that you must dampen the entire cushion, seam-to-seam, edge-to-edge. Leather has to dry evenly or you are left with a water stain.
- If you have a stain that is grainy (such as dirt) set in you can use an old toothbrush to lightly brush the grains out.
- For the most part you should never scrub leather, as it weakens the fabric. Whenever you are asked to wipe, be sure that you do not scrub instead.
Some specific leather stain remedies:
For mildew stains mix 1 cup of rubbing alcohol with 1 cup of water. Wipe the affected area with a cloth dampened with the mixture. Leave to dry.
For fresh (still wet) water stains allow the soaked leather to dry slowly and naturally. Keep the item away from heat sources, and restore its softness with a leather conditioner after it's dry.
For dried water stains wet the entire cushion or area out to a seam or edge with water and a soft cloth. Start wetting the material with the damp (wrung out) cloth at the stain and work your way towards the seam, allowing the moisture to become less and less as you get further from the spot. Wipe, do not scrub. This process can be tricky because you do not want to soak the leather as that can damage it. The goal is not only to release the stain, but to wet the rest of the leather so that the entire cushion can dry uniformly. Condition the leather after it has dried.
For grease stains blot excess grease with a clean cloth. This may solve the problem, but if it doesn't pour white talcum powder or cornstarch on the affected area to completely cover the stain. Let it sit for at least 4 hours; then wipe off the powder.
For gum, rub with a plastic bag of ice cubes to harden the gum, and then pull the gum off.
To deal with discoloration you will have to lay out some cash. Retailers sell leather sprays designed to restore color.
If you're not interested in taking a chance with the home made solutions above there are many store bought products you can invest in that deal with just about any type of stain. Leather Magic is a popular company that sells products for all kinds of cleaning, stain treatments, and repair. You may have to apply these cleansers several times before the stain disappears.
Pamela Garner hates to clean. Her answer? Develop a "Speed Cleaning Secrets" system to make it as painless as possible. You can see more tips on leather care at her sitewww.cleaningsecretsinfo.com. While you are there, check out her free email minicourse on speed cleaning.
Original Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pamela_Garner
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