Leathers is a flexible material created by process of tanning animal skins and rawhide. They can be divided according to the categories of full grain, enhanced grain, top grain, corrected grain and split leathers.
Leathers, available in all products are no doubt superior to synthetic products. It is fortunate that leather products are quite resilient and hard-wearing, but they do need to be often washed because of grease, stains or house germs, etc.
Fun facts about leather
- Almost US$53.8 billion is raised per year by the leather industry world wide
- At a given time, we are using 4 leather products on an average
- Cowhide is the mostly used skin in the leather industry
- In 1790, first leather show with holes and shoelace was discovered
- Ostrich, alligator and even deer skin are used in making leather products
- It is very difficult to produce white leather
- Once leather was used as wallpapers also
- Since 3000BC leather is a popular material
- Depending upon the environment, leather texture can be altered
Some Tips That’ll Help You
Being an expensive material, you must surely have a fear of damaging your leather while cleaning it. Leather has some properties which make its method of cleaning different from other household things or clothes. The property of leather will be damaged if it is cleaned in the same way.
So here we are providing you some few simple tips that will keep your leather product look good.
Before cleaning first know some tips to keep your leather safe:
- Always keep our leather product out from the direct sunlight as it may damage the property of leather.
- Clean your leather product regularly using a soft cloth or use a fiber cloth for dusting the surface of the leather.
- Also, a damp cloth can be used for commotion of the leather by wiping it with a moisturizing soap.
Always keep in mind that before cleaning the leather try to test the cleaning method out of the way and if it works, then you should proceed further. Take some rubbing alcohol and dip a cotton cloth into it and try to rub the spot on the leather. This method helps in removing ink stains too. However, if this process doesn’t give you good results then use a non-oily cuticle remover. Wipe it off with the help of a damp cloth in the morning after leaving it for overnight.
Spots and stains on leather can are of different types, here are some few methods to remove different spots on leather.
- To remove normal spots from leather: Take some lemon juice and some cream of tartar in the ratio one is to one and mix them to make a paste. Take the paste and apply it on the spot using a soft cloth, and let the paste sit for few hours if dust remains after working on it. Apply some more paste over it after few hours and wipe it off with a cloth. Water spots in leather are also a concern. It can be removed by letting it or blowing a dryer after moisturizing the spotted area with a little more water. Avoid placing your leather in contact with the direct sunlight.
- To remove road salt from leather: Take some water and white vinegar and mix it in the together to make a solution of one part of vinegar and one part of water. Dip a smooth cloth in the solution and coat it lightly or blot over the leather to remove the salt. The entire surface of the leather cannot be cleaned at once; the process needs to be repeated several times. After finishing the leather becomes new. Keep your leather well-polished with a paste and wipe them regularly with the help of a smooth cloth.
You can use the following homemade recipe to keep your leather product flexible:
Take some vinegar and some linseed oil and mix it making a solution of one part of vinegar and two parts of linseed oil. Now transfer the solution into a jar with a lid and shake well. Apply the solution on the leather using a soft cotton cloth and allow the solution to sit for at least twelve hours and let it become hard. While applying the solution if the cloth starts to get dusted, change it. Keep the leftover solution in stock for further use in future.
Suede is a very different type of leather. Removing spots on them is a different process. You can use an art gum eraser for suede shoes and if this trick doesn’t work then take a soft cloth and dip it into an undiluted white vinegar. Don’t make a mistake to rub while cleaning a suede shoe, always try to blot it carefully. After removing the spot, use a shoe brush to work on the fibers of the suede and let it dry for some time.
