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Leather Cleaning Procedure Page

Understanding The Aesthetic Element Of Leather Cleaning

Leather Cleaning is a service that falls into a very unique categories we refer to as " An Aesthetic Service" . What does this mean? It means that the mechanics of the service are so simplistic that if we do not add special tools, professional props, and industry unique devices, we can easily lose demo's and customers because the customer will simply say:

"Heck I could do that myself".....

This is one of the biggest mistakes technicians make when doing Aesthetic services. They don't think like a customer....

Drapery Cleaning and Leather cleaning are the two primary services we call "Aesthetic Services". In both cases showmanship and professionalism play a huge part of the customers overall experience and perception of the service. The customer must witness elements of the service that indicate a "professional level".

The reality is, that leather cleaning is extremely easy to do. The truth is, a customer could take a bar of hand soap or dishwashing soap,a terry cloth towel and a soft brush and do an ok job at removing most leather buildeup..

We have to create the experience that makes the customer say.."That's a professional service" I don't even have the tools to do that. To achieve this we need to "Professionalize" our service.

IF YOU DO NOT DO AN EFFECTIVE JOB OF PROFESSIONALIZING YOUR SERVICE. YOU WILL LOSE DEMO'S CONSTANTLY WITH LEATHER CLEANING......

Here are 5 techniques for Professionalizing your service:

1.)	Always Wear Gloves

2.)	Always Put A Tarp Blanked Under Upholstery You Are Cleaning

3.)	Invest in Drill Brush Attachments. These round brusheads attache to a standard drill and provide excellent agitation. There cheap. About $15. And customers love the professionalism of this tool. (Make sure its a soft brush) Here Is The Web Address: www.drillbrush.net

4.)	Invest In A Large Leather Cleaning Tool Box


5.)	Invest In Cotton Bonnet Pads. These are excellent at wiping the buildup off of leather. And again they are much more professional then cotton towels. (Which a customer could use.) We recommend going to power-flite.com for great priced bonnet pads.

Understanding The Two Primary Types Of Leather

There are 2 primary types of leather. One is what is called pigmented leather or "finished" leather. This is the most common type of leather and is found in multiple colors. This type of leather is very smooth like a leather tennis shoe.

A great example of finished leather.

Here are some examples of furniture that is pigmented or "finished" leather:

Pigmented or "Finished" Leather.

The other type of leather is called Nubuck Leather or "Raw leather". This type of leather has a rough texture like a mochason shoe...

A great example of raw leather......

Nubuck or "Raw" Leather.

The mechanics of how we clean these two types of leather are the same. But depending on the brand of cleaner you use. They may have 2 versions of the product. One for pigmented and one for nubuck. (Check with your supplier). Some products can be used on both types of leather.

The Tools You Will Need For This Service

Professional Leather Cleaner And Conditioner There are many professional cleaners you can buy. We recommend always using professional products where the cleaner and conditioner are combined.	Prochem Fine Fabric Shampoo Think of this as your booster for heavily soiled areas. This shampoo is actually excellent for lathering heavily soiled areas. But it does to a small extent dry the leather. Always condition the leather after using this.	Magic Eraser Pads. This simple tool can be purchased in a grocery store. Or extra large ones can be purchased on line. Don't let it fool you. This is a leather cleaning secret weapon that is extremely effective at stain removal and heavily soiled areas.	A Drill Brush. This is the best tool for agitating Leather. Customers don't want to see you scrubbing with a brush. (Again thoughts of I COULD DO THAT) will dance in their head.	Bonnet Pads. This is the best tool for wiping up the buildup off of the leather, after the agitation step. AND IT LOOKS VERY PROFESSIONAL!!

Horse Hair Brush This is used to set the nap when cleaning raw leather.

One Of The Best Leather Kits We Have Found

IInterlink Supply sells a great leather cleaning kit made by a company called Hydro-Force. It has all the basic products you need to start cleaning both types of leather. At about $88 its a great value.

The link to purchase this kit is here

Basic leather do's and dont's...

	Never use hot water when cleaning leather. The factory sprayed on finish can easily be removed with heat. Always cold or room temperature water. Especially if fine fabric shampoo is ever used.

	Never use an overly abrasive brushing devise. Remember leather is best cleaned with a "lathering" approach. Think of the lather you generate when you shampoo your hair. That's what we are going for.

	Don't be afraid of "over wetting" leather. Again we want a good lather when we are cleaning. Moisture is good when we are cleaning it.

Understanding The Importance Of Conditioning The Leather After Our Cleaning...

When performing a leather cleaning service, it is critical that we always "condition" the leather after the cleaning. When leather is cleaned, a certain degree of "drying out" of the leather occurs. This dry condition can make the leather appear faded and discolored. When we condition the leather we moisturize the leather to give it its true appearance and to protect it from cracking in the future.

*Sometimes the difference in conditioning the leather is very dramatic. When leather is sensitive to conditioning , this can sometimes lead to situations where the customer gets "very concerned" because the leather will not look right after you clean it. Be aware that conditioning the leather always brings back the true appearance it is supposed to have.

Check Your Products:
Some leather cleaning products clean and condition in one step. Others require you to purchase a separate conditioner.

So please remember:

Always Condition leather after cleaning it. This is critical to get the best look on the leather possible. And will correct the leather from having a "dried out" look.

Look how dramatically different the leather can look after conditioning...

Performing The Demo
(And Winning The Job)

Demo's are common....
It is a fact that the public does not have the same experience with leather cleaning , that they have with carpet cleaning. Because of this, a lot of customers will take advantage of our demo guarantee and base their decision on the results of the demo. It is critical that you utilize both showmanship and cleaning expertise to perform an effective demo. Here are the basic requirements of a great demo....

When You show up, show confidence.
One of the worst things you can do on a demo is show any form of negative expectations. Remember your customer was told you are one of the best at what you do. The customer wants to feel that whatever you achieve was the best possible. The confidence you express and display is huge in achieving this.

A demo is not the time to discuss everything you can not get out....

Make Sure Everything Is Clean And Professionalized.
Make sure your uniform is clean and complete. Your appearance is enormous when it comes to Demos. When questioned, customers always express appearance to be a huge factor in their opinion of a cleaning company.

Remember to have your professionalized items. This is very important in leather cleaning:


Gloves	Drop Blanket	Drill Brush	Bonnet Pads

Beginning The Demo

Pick a high soiled area and spray or apply your leather cleaning product.

If you have heavily soiled areas, have your fine fabric shampoo ready to use. (Same dilution
as for regular upholstery)...

Use your drill brush to agitate the leather thoroughly...
Again using the fine fabric shampoo when you have to...

Shampoo lather Is Your Friend....
Remember: With leather cleaning we want a lot shampoo foam. This creates a "lathering" effect that is very effective with leather. So do not be shy about using your fine fabric shampoo to really lather the upholstery up while agitating it.

For the really bad areas, use your eraser pads...

These Eraser Pads are amazing at removing the really bad stuff..

Use your vacuum to dry extract the leather
This technique is mostly aesthetic. It gives the service a "professional feel". Use a "light pressure" approach as you dry vacuum the leather . We do not recommend ever running hot or warm water through the hand piece.
*Hot water can damage the finish!!!

Cold Mist Rinsing

For the worst case scenarios
For extremely heavily soiled leather , a technique that can be used is "cold mist rinsing". This involves rinsing the leather with just a light mist of cold or room temperature water from your hand piece.

If you do not have full temperature controlle of your truckmount water to fully reduce the heat. Use this technique:

Lather the leather with fine fabric shampoo. Then put room temperature water in a professional pump up hand sprayer. (Never use a squirt bottle) Spray water on leather.

Then dry vac with your hand piece.

Dry wipe with a clean professional bonnet pad . This is the final step of removing the buildup from the leather.

**Never use towels or cloths. Customers will frown on this.
Again this creates the "I could have done that myself effect" that we are always trying to avoid.

Condition The Leather

Set The Nap (If Raw Leather)
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Like velvet upholstery, raw leather has a nap that must be brushed one direction to create a uniform look. Use a standard horse hair brush. This is the final step of the cleaning with all raw leather.

*Failure to do this may result in redo's because the customer may think the offset nap darkness is build up. Always brush to the "light side".