[Bernard Hibbs]

I have to clean a leather suite.  I have read extensively on this forum about this, but there are conflicting opinions out there. 

On my carpet cleaning course, I was told I could clean leather with a carpet stain remover.  Infact the bottle is labeled as leather cleaner and stain remover.  It is an emulsion (so has both solvent and water).

Is it OK to clean with this?  It does a very good job and doesn't seem to cause any instant damage.  I would clean the leather, wipe off the emulsion then rejuvanate the leather with leather cream.

Any help?  I'm sure someone from LTT will offer thier opinion which is fine - but I would appreciate someothers as well.  Surely if a manufactuer recomends a product, he is then liable if something goes wrong?

[LTT Leathercare]

Hello

Yes I will make comment because if you use a solvent cleaner on leather furniture it will remove far more than just dirt. The problem with many providers of product is that they just dont understand themselves the things that can and do go wrong.  There are many hundreds of different finishes on leathers today and these have to be understood before you can safely go ahead and clean leather.  The solvent cleaner may not appear to do any immediate damage as you say (although if you understood leather cleaning you would probably recognise that it is) but long term if it has removed finish it will shorten the life of the suite considerably as the leather would be exposed to dirt more quickly.  As we have written previously 'rejuvinators' or 'conditioners'  do not generally do any positive good for your leather furniture, what they need is water based products (this will do the conditioning for you) and a good protector which will inhibit dirt and stains from getting down into the leather.

As you say immediate damage cannot always be seen on leather and after a while it would be difficult to tell exactly what was causing the damage, this is why we try to educate consumers to use good products from the start.

I wonder why you are so reluctant to take advice from us and are asking for wider help from people who have had little or no training in the subject.

Hope this helps

Regards
Judy

[Bernard Hibbs]

Thanks.  That is the answer I expected.  Don't be offended by my asking for others opinions.  When two different manufacturers tell you 2 different things, you have to decide by either experiance or by others experiance. 

Judy, how can I get some of your leather cleaning solution, the protector and some instruction of what to do with it?  I do not have enough time to get on a training course at the moment (i will see you at Carpex if you are there).

Thanks
Bernard

[Ian Gourlay]

Bernard,

Take a look at Judys Web site by clicking on the Globe.

[LTT Leathercare]

Hello Bernard

Thanks for that, you can telephone us on 01423 881027.  The prices you see on our web site are for consumers so trade prices will differ but there are some useful articels on cleaning on there.

We will be at Carpex as Andy is doing one of the seminars so you may like to pop along and listen to it.  I am not sure yet whether we are having a stand.

Regards
Judy

[Bernard Hibbs]

Your websites links seem to be bad.  The articles link points to the products page (gives a bad impression ) 

If you would post the link to the articles then fix your website it would be helpful.  I will give you a call sometime.

[carpetclean]

hi bernard today is the second day of the leather course at the national flood school. first day went well everyone there enjoyed it and felt they learnt a lot. one guy been cleaning leather for 5 years now realises he has been doing it wrong. well worth doing. amazing what can be fixed including knife cuts!!

[SteveGPoulos]

Bernard,
     Here's another comment from across the pond. I'm Steve Poulos. I teach the IICRC LCT Course and I work for a Compnay called HydraMaster. We make Van Mounted Carpet Cleaning Systems. We sell ZERO products for leather.
With that out of the way, I love leather cleaning. Select your products well. Many products say they clean leather. Fewer still are for Leather Furniture.  Leather covers a lot of territory. Shoes, belts, coats, gloves. Furniture however has the longest life span. Our job when entrusted with our customers goods is to do the very best, Unless your the second best of course.
     Like carpet cleaning products, there are good and there are bad. Same with leather.
      The type of solvents your product contains I can not say. You will find that painted (Pigmented or finished) leathers have a clear topcoat finish to protect the paint. Today, they are usually a nitrocellulose finish or water based urathane with a plasticer to keep it flexable. If your solvent attacks the top coat, the leather will look fine but may begin to feel sticky or gummy and soon show cracking in the finish (fractured).
     Many contain an organic solvent from citrus and castor or Rincus oil called a condtioner. Great for boots, bad for furniture as it blocks it's moisture absorbtion rate and promots dryrot and seam failure.
       You have many choices. pick well and be a success. Don't expect a manufacturer to be liable however for your actions. If you hold yourself out as a professional, it's reasonable for your customer to assume you have taken the time to learn your trade. Have a great time and keep it clean out there.
Best Regards, Steve
     

[Ian Gourlay]

Is the IICRC LCT course a more practical course than cct.

Or is it mainly theory based.

How many questions in the exam.

[LTT Leathercare]

The IICRC courses do have alot of theory but the LCT course which we will be running at the National Flood School and in Harrogate will have as much of a practical element in as we can, bringing in as many elements from our 2 day technical course as is possible. The IICRC course is however only the cleaning of leather and so we will aslo be doing a one day practical course after the 2 day course to bring delegates up to speed with minor repairs and colour restoration for those that want it.  The exam is multiple choice and has 160 questions 10 of which are practical leather identification. 

I think the main problem we found on the courses in Cornwall and Harrogate was that delegates were expecting the course to be much more on the repair of leather which is why we have decided to do the 3rd day as well.

Anyone interested we have places on 11th - 12th September at the NFS and on 10th - 11th October in Harrogate with day 3 on 13th September and 12th October.

Hope this helps

Judy