Handling Cat Damage
The biggest danger to your leather furniture is not from humans – it’s cats. Dogs are not as dangerous as cats are to leather because a cat’s claw is thinner and sharper than a dog’s claw. Dog damage usually is just a scratch, easily reparable if you know how to repair scratches. When a cat damages leather, it’s claw can tear right through it. If the leather is full grain, it can be even worse. A cat can rip full grain leather to shreds because of the supple quality of the leather. How do you fix a problem like this? The easiest way is to make sure your cat never damages your furniture in the first place. Let’s face it: we’re dealing with a cat. These things can be a force of nature if they want to. So how do you fix cat damage?
There are actually several ways to do so. Keep in mind that sometimes it is cheaper to hide cat scratches on leather than to fully repair the leather. The easiest scratch to repair is a small one that has only just torn the leather, so that only a small patch can be lifted. Usually there will be a white patch visible underneath the leather; this is the backside of the leather. It’s simple to handle scratches like these. First, take a non-permanent marker or shoe polish that matches the color of your leather. Next, gently dab and dot the white part of the tear until the tear vanishes. Then, wait for it to air dry. Finally, take a moist soft towel and lightly swipe it across the area in the direction of the tear flap. This should work like a charm. Don’t forget to clean the leather after you finish.
For bigger and more noticable scratches, this obviously will not work. The down-and-dirty hiding method will not do the trick. An example of serious damage is a tear where a large section of leather separated from the furniture piece. Ouch! This obviously can’t be hidden unless you are willing to sew the leather, which is a tricky business at best.
The one item you must have is a good leather cleaner. Otherwise, it will be impossible to repair the leather in the way it needs to be repaired. (Plus it will look terrible when you’re done.) It’s important to make sure the cleaner you choose is the right strength for the leather. High quality leather does not like cleaners that are too strong; some are so strong they can remove the color from the leather like bleach if you’re not careful.
Using the leather cleaner is only one step in the repair process. You’ll need to use a pin or needle to hold down the torn leather while you apply the cleaner and the protector. This will help the adhesive on the back of the leather stick to the rest of the couch. Using a hair dryer to dry the leather after you wash it with the cloth will help preserve it. After all this, don’t forget to apply the cleaner and protector again if you feel it needs it. A word of caution: don’t dry the leather immediately after you have applied the protector with the hair dryer. Let it dry overnight. This way, the leather will be unharmed from the heat. Only use a hair dryer to evaporate the water, not dry the leather itself.
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Leather Tub Chairs For The Home
Leather tub chairs are regarded as being the best you can get. The price is often very expensive, and this reflects the quality of the hide used to make them. Many of the examples you will find in the retail chain furniture stores are of a poorer standard and use inferior processing techniques to treat the leather. The following information will help you find the right chair at the right price.
Top grade leather has many intricate patterns and unique details in it. It is these small defects that bring out the character and charm that people seem to love. Natural oils are contained within the hide and these are what provide the supple, soft feel associated with the finest examples. The smell is also very noticeable and recognisable to all. These oils prevent cracks and splits appearing after hard use. In fact real leather tub chairs get better with age, as the leather conforms and stretches, and the hide becomes even softer to the touch.
Cheap leather is very different to the real thing. The oils are removed during the processing as it is a cheaper method, and makes the material go further. Because of this they are more susceptible to drying out and splitting. If possible try to avoid placing your tub chair next to a fire, as the heat will speed up the drying over time. Faux leather is also an imitation. The finish is usually very shiny and without any defects. These chairs are much cheaper because they are made to look faultless as the consumers like this look. The natural graining and patterns are removed, and they do lack any sort of character and charm because of it.
Cleaning leather is pretty straight forward. Just wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any stains. Avoid cleaning products as they can attack the oils present within and cause degradation. A simple way to find out the origin of the leather on your chair is to take a look underneath. Here you will find the label, which should include all the relevant information about the chair, including the grade of the hide used to produce the leather.
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How To Fix A Big Tear On Your Leather Couch
A leather couch is a valuable piece of your furniture collection, and you can not afford to have it ruined by a tear. Fortunately, fixing the tear is pretty easy. All you will need is a piece of leather (this will be used to make a patch for the tear later on), paper, a pencil, glue, and a heavy object.
To repair the tear:
1) Take the piece of paper and lay it over the tear; trace the outline of the tear on the paper using the pencil. Next, draw a circle around the trace on the paper about an inch from the edges of the tear. This is what you will use to make the patch from the leather piece. Cut out the tear from the paper, overlay it on the leather piece, and use it to cut out the patch. Apply the patch to the tear, making sure that you cut a patch large enough to cover the tear. Then, glue the patch to the leather couch and set a heavy object that won’t stick to the leather in place overnight. This is so the patch will stay affixed to the leather while the glue is drying.
That is the basic process, but a question you probably have is “how do I disguise the fact that I used a patch?”. You can make the patch not stand out on the couch by using a leather dye. To do this, all you need is a wash rag, dye, and paper towels. Before beginning it is advisable to make sure the leather dye is the same color and tone as the majority of the leather on the couch.
All you need do is to wet the wash rag with the dye and apply the dye using the wash rag to the patch. Rub in it thoroughly, using the paper towels to wipe away any excess. Let it dry overnight, and reapply the dye as needed. That is all there is to it.
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Buying a Leather Armchair – 4 Reasons Before Buying
So, if you are still thinking whether it’s worth getting a piece of leather furniture for your home, believe me it is worth it. I have had my brown leather armchair for nearly four years and it just looks better and better every day. Yes, it will be an expensive purchase but it will be worth it. You will know it immediately once you sink your body in that leather armchair, especially after a long hard day at work. Some even use a leather armchair to release stress.
If that does nott convince you, here are four reasons why you should get a leather armchair for your home.
Leather is a very durable material. It’s tough so you don’t have to worry about it at all. Your armchair will last for a very long time. In fact, leather is the best upholstery you can have for your furniture.
Because of its durability, you can be rest assured that it also gets better as it ages. The color of your leather will not fade. So, if you don’t want the hassle of replacing your armchair, leather is your material of choice for your armchair.
Leather does not soak in water. If you have small children running around the house, you won’t have to worry about them and leather. If they spill anything on your leather armchair, you can just wipe it clean, leaving no stain whatsoever.
Leather armchair blends in with whatever furniture you might have in your home so don’t worry too much about it being out of place. Be it modern or antique, your leather armchair will fit right in.
I hope the reasons above can help you out in getting your own leather armchair soon. You won’t regret having it. It will be one piece of furniture that you’ll be proud of for many years to come.
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Furniture Made From Mid Grade Leather
Mid grade leather furniture has one advantage over furniture made from other grades: it is less of a hassle to clean because the quality is somewhat less than other grain. Paradoxically, full grain leather, while mainting the quality of the animal hide, is more difficult to clean because of it’s quality. This is because full grain leather requires a gentler, more precise cleaning solution that is more expensive than other leather cleaning solutions. In addition, more skill is needed to handle the solution and apply it to the leather properly. Not so with mid grade leather, as this works well with your average cleaner.
The basic process remains pretty simple. Using a wet wash rag, soap up the rag with the cleaner, then apply it to the leather furniture you want cleaned. Using a non-soapy wet rag, rinse the leather and reapply the cleaner. Repeat this cycle until the leather is glossy and shiny. Remember, always rub the cleaner into the leather gently. Let the leather air dry, preferably over night. This way you will avoid potentially damaging the leather through drying it. It’s better to let the air dry the leather because some towels can scratch it.
Mid grade leather furniture has another advantage as well. Mid grade leather is rougher and less delicate, enabling it to withstand wear and tear more easily. It’s more pet friendly (though I would not encourage your pets to jump on it or use it as a scratching post) and more child friendly, as well. (Again, I would not encourage your children to use it as a toy, either.) These two advantages make mid grade leather much more attractive to certain customers than finer grades of leather, depending on the needs of those customers.
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