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has anyone had much experance with leather i have to cleane a large couch and love seat and chair brown color very dirty i started on the chair cusions worked ok on cuions for 2 hours still dirty i though i might try a car buffer to rub it out better ? and how much do i charge 😡
Kim,
There was a thread on this on the old bulletin board a few months back. Take a look at this link:or just do a search for leather — only a few threads will come up. The one at this link describes how one operator cleans leather with good results. I’m sure you could contact him directly for more info.
I haven’t cleaned any yet. I believe most operators set a higher price for cleaning leather.
Good luck,
Mike
Kim,
There was a thread on this on the old bulletin board a few months back. Take a look at this link:or just do a search for leather — only a few threads will come up. The one at this link describes how one operator cleans leather with good results. I’m sure you could contact him directly for more info.
I haven’t cleaned any yet. I believe most operators set a higher price for cleaning leather.
Good luck,
Mike
I attempted to clean a CHEAP Italian leather sofa 2 weeks ago that was made by a manufacturer that is no longer in business.(MAB Industries) Customer had a matching sofa, loveseat and chair. Loveseat turned out good because it wasn’t very dirty nor worn. The couch, however, was extremely dirty and showing it’s 4 years of abuse. I was unable to remove the soil with our leather cleaner/conditioner so I lightly sprayed pro-spotter on it and worked it in with an open hand. I then followed with a towel to wipe the soil off, but to my surprise, I was removing the finish from the leather. The customer now wants the sofa replaced but can’t find a match to it. They now feel I should replace all 3 items. I don’t believe I should have to but, I would hate to have my first customer, of 1700, upset. I think I have a furniture store talked into selling me a set, retailing for $1800, at their cost of $900. If I can then peddle the used set for $500, I won’t be out too much.
I’m only posting this as a warning. Be carefull with cheap leather!!Beware of leather period…We will not touch at all. Dan came back from class pumped about leather and suggested I am leaving money in some homes…. Well, perhaps I am. But not my money in their pockets from mine.
Unless you are a leather expert, be careful…some of it is very, very expensive to replace.
Learn from Brian. Great advice Brian…thanks, and wish you the bestin your trading….might look into atrade with the furniture store. have cleaned one here two times now.
Kim, I have had a similiar experience. I cleaned a set of leather furniture oversized chair, couch and loveseat that was very dirty and didn’t look like normal slick leather. I used a car buffer like you thought and it seemed to work pretty well, until I ran out of leather cleaner and had to reorder and go back two weeks later to finish job. This particular leather did change color also when i was cleaning it, but when I went back to clean the rest, the piece I finished looked pretty good. Leather takes awhile to clean i would charge accordingly. I gave this lady a break because it was the first leather job i had attempted. I will only clean leather now that is similar to that which you would find in an auto. If Im not sure I’ll turn it down, hence the situation Brian Sutton is facing.
You have to inspect and TEST leather like any other piece you attempt to clean…if it is old nasty dirty … it will change color …brown tends to be the worst .. i charge $200 for a 7 ft sofa…just be smart and don’t get in over your head…… On heavey soiled sofa i used a battery powered black and decker scrubber with a nylon scotch bright type pad …worked good…
they are alot of work…educate your customer on these type items…I have a customer who has a red dye colored leather sofa when I tried to clean it my towel came up red bright red I used a light solution of spotter 4 oz of citrus and 4 oz of 101 with water to preclean a small area then used leather cleaner. Any suggestions on what I can use to clean this item without changing the color of the leater the sofa has pen marks water stains grease stains and soil.
“cheap leather” is probably not leather, in other words, it is either leather or it is not. I have had success on all leather I have cleaned. Please look at my picture post below. If can’t see it, let me know. This is from the current procedures manual listed on-line.
Notice the part about cleaning smooth, finished leathers.
Please notice guys, don’t mix it with other products. Sorry Brian, but that is probably why you are biting the bullet on this one. I apply a dot of this stuff to a terry towel, or regualar towel, or even the hand mitt. I then buff it in or on the fabric. If it is a stubborn area, I use one extra dot of the clean/conditioner and elbow grease and comes out fine. When I say a dot, I mean the size of the top of the bottle. I press towel to top, turn bottle slightly over to get my dot, and then off I go. This stuff goes a long way. I wait untill I see no more “shiny” coming from the towel, hand mitt, etc, and just keep going to all of couch, chair, or whatever is done. My copy of the older procedures manual (June 2004), has this procedure written in it. It does not tell you everything I just did, but simply says to use a small amount. Here is another picture pasted here from the current procedures manual listed on-line:
Detergents or other stain removal agents should not be used. As stated below.
This helps to outline the differences between leather and vinyl, which can be tricky at times. Vinyl cleans up real nice, I have found so far anyway. Let’s look at the next one.
This helps to point out the different types of leather and what to look for. By doing this research I found out that I am not using enough. But hey, my customers have had no complaints. 😀
I am not doing this to rub anything in anyones face guys, but this is what they mean when they say to update your procedures manual or call and ask questions. I have been on-site and have no problem calling corporate if I don’t have an answer. You can make a trip to your van and call corporate. I realize it may be rude, but it’s either that or bite the bullet guys. I hope this helps at all. Let the flood gates open.
Mike Nowlin
There are many different types of leather grades on the market that have a wide range of quality. The Dyes themselves that are used can be the difference. The best thing is to always test a small area.
As for the flood gates Mike I think that if you are expecting some feedback than you already know that you tend to let it be known that you really really like to read up on the procedure manual, and you have corperate on speed dial. You seem to be very PC when it comes to comments. I think that it is great that you have not had any complaints. You must be better than Brian Sutton he had his first one and it only took 1700 customers. I personaly think that you just have not been around long enough to have a humbling experience that Brian sounds like he is going through. I know that I have.Mike I am sorry for the above comments. I know you try to come off possitive, and there is nothing wrong with being politicaly correct. I was having my own little moment.
I guess I was trying to say that the manual as good as it is is not the Bible. There are different circumstances that come up that might not be the norm. Sometimes the greatest lessons learned stem from our own experiences good and bad. I wish you all the best and good luck with the hotel cleaning your input in Las Vegas will be missed.I’ve had those moments too bro. I feel ya. I don’t think I am God’s gift to Heaven’s Best. I’m just a research kind of dude. Brian has taught me more than he knows. If I had 1700 clients, I would bite a bullet in a heartbeat just to try something out to see the results, trial and error. I posted and said what I said becuase there has been a lot of controversy over how to properly clean leather. One thing we can agree on is that none of the pages I posted really have the answer. I was just trying to help dude. By posting those I learned that I wasn’t puting enough cleaner. So, see bro, I caught myself in a contradiction, but hey, it’s all good. Hope you guys have fun. Hope you win the van bro.
God Bless,
Mike
🙂 the new leather cleaning kit will be available soon.the national seminar was very detail on our new leather cleaning attack.this will be very promising.go to http://www.leatherpro.org or email leatherpro111@aol.com .the new kit and results will have incredible results
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