Leather Cleaning & Restoration
Leather Cleaning Specialists
Pixies are leather cleaning specialists serving customers in the South West from our office in Bristol, and customers in the Midlands from our office in Tamworth, Staffordshire
In Bristol, our many clients include the Ivy Hotel, Clifton. We cleaned, refurbished and redyed all their leather.
Leather Cleaning Methods
To clean properly first requires an accurate assessment of the type of leather finish that we are dealing with.
We can now clean high-end leathers such as aniline – this is usually associated with very high-end super-soft leather on all sofas.
There are many different leather finishes, by far the most popular of which is pigmented or painted leather. These are typically cream or off-white, but can be black, green, blue, pink. To clean these effectively requires good-quality chemicals, specialist stain removers and hard work.
Stain removal is more complex and depends on whether the stain is on the pigment, or has been absorbed into the leather. If it’s on the pigment, then there is a good chance of removing stains, although ink or dye transfer from, say, a cushion or ‘throw’ can be very difficult. If the stain is in the leather, then it is almost certainly going to be impossible to remove – this is where leather protectors become important.
A good-quality leather protector such as the one used by us will form a barrier to stains, allowing them to be much more easily removed. It will also prevent body oils sinking into the leather and undermining the pigment.
Other types of leather are much more difficult to clean. Aniline dyed leather is absorbent, so stains and dirt will sink in and become permanent, making protection even more important, as it is far better to prevent rather than attempt to cure.
Suede and Nu buck are very absorbent and virtually uncleanable. Again, protection is the key.
Leather Restoration Service
- Marks – we are now able to remove ink and grease marks to a high standard
- Scratches – from a cat’s claws to jean studs and anything that breaks the leather surface. These marks are filled and repainted.
- Dye transfer – denim blue transfer or any other colour movement onto the leather. The transferred dye is removed as much as possible and then recoloured.
- Holes and cuts – where possible, they are patched and filled, then colour matched and painted.
- Semi-permanent recolour – a less expensive option, and is designed to bring lacklustre or tired leather back to life. This process will not cover up scratches and cuts, but will give the leather a refresh.
- Full colour repaint / dye – depending on leather type, we can match the current colour or change it to a new colour, very useful if you want a new look without the cost of replacing your sofa or car interior.
All training was provided by LTT Leather Care. They are regarded as one of the world’s leading training and chemical supply companies, offering training to most of the major furniture and retail companies. All info can be found on the LTT website.
Protection Guard & Pet Friendly Chemicals
All our cleaning products are child- and pet-safe and eco- and allergy-friendly.
Please feel free to ask any questions if your are concerned in any way.
