Friday, January 4, 2013

How to Clean White or Light Colored Vinyl & Leather


We do a lot of cleaning and repairs around here and when it comes to vintage, we rarely come across something light colored that is in mint condition.  A little trick I figured out when I was in a jam a while back and out of leather cleaner was to use a magic eraser.  Mr. Clean makes the original version, but I buy the generic offered at Target and it works just as well.  Just wet the eraser, squeeze out any excess water and wipe clean.  A few tips:
  1. be sure to test it first on an inconspicuous spot, it could cause discoloration.
  2. if you're only cleaning a small spot, cut or tear the eraser in fours and just use one piece.
  3.  you may need to apply more pressure to dirtier surfaces (some spots on this coat had to be scrubbed).
  4. the eraser starts to shred after a lot of use.  when this happens, turn it over or get a new piece. 
  5. this trick is best used with vinyl, but can be used on leather in small areas, however it may remove the finish, so try a test spot first.
  6. if you have a very expensive or priceless item, leave the cleaning to the professionals.
Good luck and let me know if you have success with this!

1 comment:

  1. Dearest Beth,
    That is a great tip and especially for light colored leather.
    Wishing you and your family the best for 2013!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete

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