[Done 'n' Dusted]

A friend of mine has a cream leather suite which is 3 years old. She has tried a number of leather cleaners to get rid of the dirt build up you generally get on leather suites, but she is finding that the surface layer is coming off the suite and she is left with a rough texture to the surface. She has used Cherish leather cleaner which was given to her when she bought the suite, and a leather rejuvinator, but neither has either got rid of the dirt, or rejuvinated the suite. It is the friction from cleaning that has made the surface layer come away. When cleaning she has used the cleaner in the correct way and sprayed the rejuvinator on as necessary to keep the leather supple. The suite has not dried out, but she has asked if there is anything that can be used that is efficient in cleaning the leather and stops her having to peel layers of leather off each time!! cheers!

[Dynafoam]

DuD,

The finish that has been stripped off by your friend can be restored by a trained leather techician but if inappropiate products are continually used te new finish will suffer the same fate.

Whilst there are a number of products suitable for the maintenance, these must be sected to suit the type of leather being cleaned - not all leathers are the same.

Judy of Alan at LTT wil be able to advise. Email: judy@LTTsolutions.net

[LTT Leathercare]

Hello

This sounds like quite a serious problem as the leather is now exposed and vulnerable to stains and dirt which will over time deteriorate the leather itself.  It is important to get a trained leather technician in to look at the problem and see if the finish can be replaced.

Once this has been done it is important to use correct products for cleaning and a good quality leather protector which will inhibit dirt and stains and make cleaning easier.  We have found that many products on the market do not actually do anything at all (we have actually been told this by suppliers) so it is important to buy and use products that have been tested and have been specifically designed for leather.

Please telephone or email us if you want to talk further about this.

Regards

Judy

[Done 'n' Dusted]

thanx for the replies, my pal is going to be away for the New Year but I will speak to her in 2005

[Splashgroup]

I have a leather suite of 4 years now and this is how I clean it.
1. Bucket of very hot water
2. add a cup of pure soap flakes (Lux) to water and mix.
3. A soft brush (not bristle)
4. Add brush to water and soap, then gently wash suite down.
5. Use a clean cloth to remove dirt.
NOTE: if water get to anything less than hot, change it as the hotter the water the better the clean.
6. I would then use a creame conditioner to re moisturise the hide, you can get this from http://www.eurochem.co.uk

Stuart

[LTT Leathercare]

Hi again

The suite in question already has a damaged finish and it is important to sort out this problem before using any more cleaning products.

Whilst the cleaning process is not rocket science, understanding the correct use of products and recognising any problems that may happen is vitally important.  Lux flakes were always recommended as they are the mildest cleaner that was available and for a long time this was fine.  Just recently we have had many reports from our technicians who have seen problems when Lux has been used.  We understand that a lot of cleaners have been reformulated to be more efficient in their cleaning of clothes and this seems to be now a problem if used on leather.  It is much better to use a recognised leather cleaner.
Water based products as mentioned help in the rehydration of the leather as the water is retained thus helping to stop the leather drying out.  Leather does not need oil or wax based products unless being used to enhance particular types of finish.  A water based 'protector' will do the leather a lot of good.

Finishes on car leather are generally much more robust than on domestic furniture but otherwise can be treated in the same way and again water based products should be used to aid rehydration.