How to Remove Candle Wax from Leather

Spilled Candle Wax on Your Leather?

Leather is a beautiful and durable material, but it can be damaged by candle wax. If you have ever spilled candle wax on your leather furniture or clothes, you know how difficult it can be to remove.

As you know, wax is one of the most challenging substances to clean from cloth or clothing. It becomes a tougher problem when the stain is on something you can't wash normally, such as leather. If the wax is still liquid, a quick wipe followed by buffing with terrycloth may remove it. In more serious situations, like set-in stains on suede or other rough leathers, you must extract the wax and soak it up.

There are many ways in which you can remove candle wax from leather. The most commonly known ways are freezing warm water, and methylated spirits. And though there are many ways to tackle this problem and different leathers (such as pigmented leather) require different approaches, the safest way to remove candle wax from leather is to heat the wax with a hairdryer. It can then be wiped away with a cloth.

image: hunker.com

So here are a few basic guidelines to follow if you run into this problem.

Wipe it away

The first step is to wipe away any soft or melted wax with paper towels. Always start at the lowest edge or point to prevent it from spreading or running. Wipe at these edges of the spill inwards to prevent it from spreading as well. Thinnest outer edge to the thickest middle section as a guide.

the Ice Bag method

• Place a plastic bag filled with ice cubes on the wax stain.

• Let the ice bag sit on the stain for 10-15 minutes, or until the wax hardens.

• Use a dull knife or a plastic scraper to gently remove the hardened wax.

• Blot the area with a paper towel to remove any remaining wax.

Give it a scrape

The third step is to scrape off any obvious wax residue with a soft plastic spatula or a disposable plastic knife. Again, working from the outside edges of the wax toward the center or thickest part. Pull the leather gently taut as you work, if necessary. Do not scrape the leather itself, even if the wax is deep in the grain.

Heat it up. Try the Hair dryer method.

The fourth step involves your hairdryer.

• Set your hair dryer to the low setting.

• Hold the hair dryer about 6 inches away from the wax stain.

• Move the hair dryer back and forth over the stain until the wax starts to melt.

• Use a paper towel to wipe up the melted wax.

• Blot the area with a clean paper towel to remove any remaining wax.

Apply cleaner (if necessary)

The fifth step (if you see it necessary) is to apply just a touch of leather cleaner on the terry cloth if there is still wax remaining on the warm leather. Wipe the cloth on the leather in a gentle, circular motion, periodically reversing the direction until the residue is gone. “Wax on. Wax off.” Pun totally intended…. Now allow it to air dry.

Condition it

Lastly, whether you’ve worked on a leather glove, a luxury jacket, or fine leather furniture, this next step is important. Rub the entire leather area with a good leather conditioner on terry cloth. This will even out any residual discoloration and keep your leather looking like new!

Tips

• If the wax stain is on a delicate surface, such as suede or nubuck, use the ice bag method instead of the hair dryer method.

• Be careful not to overheat the wax, as this could damage the leather.

• If there is still some wax residue after you have removed the bulk of the wax, you can try using rubbing alcohol to remove it.

Repeat as Needed

If the wax stain is particularly stubborn, you may need to repeat the process several times. Be patient and persistent, and you will eventually be able to remove the wax and restore your leather to its former glory.

Prevention

The best way to prevent candle wax stains is to be careful when you are burning candles. If you do spill wax, clean it up immediately. This will make it much easier to remove the stain later on.

Here are some tips for preventing candle wax stains:

• Place candles on a stable surface where they are less likely to be knocked over.

• Use a candle holder that will catch any spilled wax.

• Keep a paper towel or cloth nearby in case of a spill.

• If you do spill wax, clean it up immediately with a paper towel or cloth.

By following these tips, you can keep your leather looking its best and avoid candle wax stains altogether.

Additional Tips

• If the wax stain is on a small area, you can try using a cotton swab to apply the heat or cold.

• If the wax stain is on a large area, you may need to use a hair dryer or a heat gun.

• Be sure to test any cleaning solution in an inconspicuous area first to make sure it does not damage the leather.

• Once you have removed the wax, be sure to condition the leather to restore its moisture balance.

With a little care and patience, you can easily remove candle wax from leather and keep your furniture looking its best.

Color Glo Specialist Can Help

Color Glo International produces its own wax and silicone remover that is available to our franchisees nationally and globally. If you are unable to remove the wax yourself or the area is too large, consider contacting your CGI specialist for help on-site at your home or office.

Color Glo International is the industry leader in restoring furniture. Color Glo specialists can repair or clean anything from rips, tears, burns, frayed stitching, beverage & food stains, lipstick, ink stains, and everything in between. Give a Color Glo-certified technician a call.  We are mobile and offer onsite service so there is little inconvenience to you, our customer!  

Our repairs and cleaning are environmentally safe and children/pet friendly.  We use water-based products so you don’t have the dingy chemical feeling after we’ve completed our service.  We even have general cleaning kits to provide you for the next time you find yourself needing a spot removal product that really works!

Automotive Guide To Cleaning For COVID-19

COVID-19 Automotive Guide to Cleaning

The coronavirus has really changed our lives on a global basis. In a place where we are still unsure how to control the virus and all the ways it can be transmitted, there are many concerns about automobiles. The coronavirus can be transmitted through surface contact, so the high-turnover businesses that use automobiles (such as Uber and Lyft), rental car companies, and even car dealers find themselves in a bit of a tough spot.

The risk of COVID-19 has increased to the extent to which any shared vehicles must be cleaned and disinfected regularly. Learn everything you need to know about disinfecting your car and how to keep yourself, your customers, friends, and family safe and healthy and how to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Use a cloth for interior surfaces

Microfiber cloth is ideal for cleaning interior surfaces like leather upholstery, plastic dashboards, metal seatbelts, and other surfaces you may find in your automobile. The engineering of microfiber is perfectly suited to removing surface dirt, instead of smashing it into corners. Microfiber is designed to scoop out dirt and trap it.

Paper materials, such as napkins, paper towels, toilet paper… etc make dirt and grime (and along with those - germs) much tougher to clean. Instead of removing dust and germs, paper products pack the dirt tightly into crevices and fabrics.

Clean before disinfecting

According to CDC guidelines on reopening, before disinfecting, it is crucial to clean the interior surfaces of the car with soap and water. This does not apply, however, for how to clean leather or microsuede fabric. Use standard dish soap and a brush to thoroughly scrub all plastic and metal interior surfaces before whipping away any excess with a clean damp cloth. 

The scrubbing of surfaces is an important part of cleaning car surfaces of coronavirus, which latches onto surfaces. Scrubbing surfaces clean with soap and water acts to destroy these buggers and keep them from sticking to the surface you are trying to disinfect.

Avoid liquid cleaners

You probably have the common virus-killing cleaners around the house or garage. Resist the urge to use these. Using chemicals such as bleach, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, or ammonia on your car’s leather or fabric upholstery will produce results you will not be happy with. And, using these products on LCD screens and touchscreens, in newer vehicles, breaks down the protective outer layer of the screen. 

Cleaning leather seats and upholstery

The first step here is to vacuum the area to suck up dust and dirt that can prevent you from properly cleaning the affected area.

Leather requires special care and attention if you want it to retain its integrity and appeal. And, scrubbing leather often removes the dye coloring applied during the manufacturing or leather repair process. so that is. no-no… For leather seats and upholstery, use a warm water and soap mixture – making sure not to soak the leather. Using a clean cloth, soak up any extra soap and water solution to keep it from pooling. Once the leather is clean of dust and surface contaminants, lightly spray down the surface with an all-natural liquid disinfectant/sanitizer. You can learn more general leather care tips in the article “How to care for your leather furniture”.

Lastly, use a commercial-grade leather conditioner to prevent the leather from drying out and cracking.

Final Thoughts

Now, more than ever, Americans and people worldwide are uber-conscious about their health and cleanliness. How many surfaces do you touch before putting your hands on the steering wheel? If you want to protect yourself and your passengers from the risk of getting infected with COVID-19, you have to know how to clean leather, metal, plastic, and fabric. Period.

This virus can live on surfaces for up to three days, so door handles, seat belts, gear shifters, dash controls, sunshades, your steering wheel, etc. are all surfaces that can remain infectious for up to three days. And much of what you car encounters is “front line” type of encounters that you can not control - things like automotive shops, the grocery store, gas station, or anywhere you happen to land.

Everything and anything your fingers touch is a possible surface for transmission. So, learning how to clean leather, plastic, and other surfaces in your car’s interior is essential to stopping the spread of coronavirus through surface contact in vehicles. 

If you want to learn more about professional cleaning services for COVID-19 reopening and to learn how to clean leather and other vehicle surfaces to help stop the spread of COVID-19.contact a CGI Specialist today.

Color Glo Specialist Can Help

Color Glo International is the industry leader in restoring furniture, boats, RV's, aircraft, commercial equipment & more. Color Glo specialists can repair or clean anything from rips, tears, burns, frayed stitching, beverage & food stains, lipstick, ink stains, and everything in between. Give a Color Glo certified technician a call. We are mobile and offer onsite service so there is little inconvenience to you, our customer!  

Our repairs and cleaning are environmentally safe and children/pet friendly.  We use water-based products so you don’t have the dingy chemical feeling after we’ve completed our service.  We even have general cleaning kits to provide you for the next time you find yourself needing a spot removal product that really works!

How To Determine If Its Worth Restoring My Furniture

To Restore Or Not To Restore

You’ve got that old leather couch or high quality (be it old) fabric chair that needs to be replaced. Or maybe you’ve found a wonderful piece at a vintage shop that is begging you to take it home to refinish it. Easy and affordable right?

Before undergoing the journey of such furniture repair you need to ask yourself a few key questions:

1. What would the replacement cost be vs. restoring it? (might take some homework)

2. What type of fabric is it?

3. What is the furniture worth? This usually includes a sentimental value as much as a monetary value.

Material

Let’s get into material. Usually the piece you are looking to restore is leather (in most cases) Is it genuine leather or is it bonded leather? If the top layer of the leather furniture is flaking and peeling away, then chances are likely that you have bonded leather. Bonded leather isn’t real leather so unfortunately its rather disposable and can not be repaired.

Bonded leather is actually bits of leather sprayed over vinyl. The top side of the vinyl is then stamped and colored to have a leather-like look.

If you’ve determined that you have genuine leather furniture, then you do have some repair options. There are many furniture cleaners and protectors on the market that home-owners can try themselves to repair dirty surfaces, stains rips and tears.

** Pro Tips - If you are in the market for new leather furniture you may want to consult our article about “Top Questions To Ask Before Buying Leather Furniture”

BEFORE (Copy)

AFTER (Copy)

Replacement cost

You probably have already done the math… what is your time and money worth when considering attempting to repair furniture vs. buying brand new. For some, they simply don’t have the time so nearly everything in their lives becomes disposable. But for others, the value of restoring something has a special place. Then cost becomes the only factor.

If cost of replacement is a concern but also time and money spent on on a DIY solution concerns you, then that’s when you should seek a professional. At Color Glo, we offer up to a 70% savings in restoration vs buying new. A CGI specialist will come on-site (so you don’t have to haul your item anywhere) and they’ll work to asses the damage, color match the material and apply special techniques to restore the area back to new.

Leather Care Tips

If you’ve recently bought new leather furniture, you may want to fuel up on some knowledge on how to take care of your furniture to avoid repairs and long-term wear. To learn more, view this article on “How To Care For Leather Furniture”. You’'ll also find some great tips on “How To Remove Candle Wax From Leather”.

Other materials

Leather is not the only material that can be restored. CGI specialists can bring vinyl, plastics, fabric and more back to life. We specialize in both residential and commercial/medical equipment including planes, helicopters, automobiles, watercraft and more.

A CGI specialist restoring a bench seat in a business setting.

View our service categories and learn more about restoring your old items back to new.

Color Glo Specialist Can Help

Color Glo International is the industry leader in restoring furniture, boats, RV's, aircraft, commercial equipment & more. Color Glo specialists can repair or clean anything from rips, tears, burns, frayed stitching, beverage & food stains, lipstick, ink stains, and everything in between. Give a Color Glo certified technician a call. We are mobile and offer onsite service so there is little inconvenience to you, our customer!  

Our repairs and cleaning are environmentally safe and children/pet friendly.  We use water-based products so you don’t have the dingy chemical feeling after we’ve completed our service.  We even have general cleaning kits to provide you for the next time you find yourself needing a spot removal product that really works!

Restoring Pet Damage On Furniture To New

Pet Damage - Yikes!

Our furry four-legged children. We love them, we care for them, we can’t live without them. They’re cuddly and cute and they bring happiness into our lives but they can also cause damage to our leather furniture (and elsewhere around the house).

We get it. Your anger level is likely high after seeing the damage your pet caused to a brand new top-grain leather couch. A couple of things to keep in mind (in the mission to remain at zen) is that your pet(s) will cause far less damage in your home than human children will in your lifetime. ALSO, there are solutions available to restore that expensive leather investment back to new that can keep you from skinning the cat.

There is often no need to replace your damaged furniture as restoring scratches, holes, and tears caused by your furry friends is totally “doable” as well as restoring your love for Fido.

However, this door below may have a different fate….

Dad, look what I did! It was super fun!

Determine if restoration is an option

The first thing you’ll want to to do is consider a small checklist to see if restoration is a good route to explore. Sometimes, pet damage can be a bit beyond saving, such as the cute doggo in the photo above. Chances are that home will need a brand new door. But this isn’t always the case, especially with furniture.

Here are some tips:

1. What is the total amount of damage to the furniture? Is it just a few inches or are their tears measured in feet?

2. What is the type of material the damage is on? This may also help you determine how likely restoration is. For example is your piece genuine leather, bonded leather, or another type of material?

3. What is the replacement value of the furniture itself? Depending on the quality of the piece of furniture you own, it may be more worthwhile to simply buy new. This would usually only apply to lower-cost furniture solutions not bought at higher-end quality furniture stores. If it is a quality piece, Color Glo specialists can save you hundreds or more by restoring to new.

4. Lastly, how much do you love your pet? Ok. just kidding… Fido comes first in all of our hearts.

Can I repair the damage myself?

Sure, why not. But is furniture repair a lane that you typically drive-in? Do you want to? When you’ve injured your body and need medical help (such as stitches) do you handle that task yourself or visit a professional? As with nearly all categories, delegating this type of pet damage on furniture to a CGI specialist has its benefits. Especially if you really like your furniture and want to get it back to looking great again.

Your pet’s handiwork can be restored to new for a fraction of the cost and no headache to you. Your time is better spent on larger ticket items in your home or family life.

Sorry…. I love you!

How much does it cost?

Subjective question. And asking this question or getting a quote won’t cost you anything so it is worth sizing it up. The cost of pet damage restoration will greatly depend on the type of material and the exact procedures needed for the job. If your issue is not necessarily damage but “odor” then it may be a DIY situation. You can get some great tips and advice in our article How To Remove Pet Odor From Your Furniture.

Most professionals will ask for you to send them photos of the damage so they can assess the situation, then provide you information from there.

Color Glo Specialist Can Help

Color Glo International is the industry leader in restoring furniture. Color Glo specialists can repair or clean anything from rips, tears, burns, frayed stitching, beverage & food stains, lipstick, ink stains, and everything in between. Give a Color Glo certified technician a call. We are mobile and offer onsite service so there is little inconvenience to you, our customer!  

Our repairs and cleaning are environmentally safe and children/pet friendly.  We use water-based products so you don’t have the dingy chemical feeling after we’ve completed our service.  We even have general cleaning kits to provide you for the next time you find yourself needing a spot removal product that really works!

Using Downtime To Prepare Spring Checklists

Prepare your spring checklists

It’s an uncertain time, not only in America but across the globe with the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses are closing their doors to the public to help in the efforts in social distancing to slow the spread of the disease. It’s a challenging time for everyone, but we will get through it together, as a nation and as a global community.

Given our current homebound situations, many people have taken the time to slow down, spend time with their family and get the spring and summer checklists into order. This is a task that is typically daunting anyway, but today we have the opportunity to figure out our game plan. You’re already power-cleaning, house, hands, and pet feet anyway - take some time to focus on a healthy, happy home and spring repairs on automobiles, boats and other nagging projects that have been sitting by the wayside.

“Restore & Repair. Don’t Replace.”

This couch suffers from pet damage. A common issue with puppies or cats that have not been declawed.

Do a home assessment. Build a checklist

With the days lengthening and weather warming, spring is a good time to get outdoors and tackle some larger home projects. Now that the threat of winter storms has passed, you can look for damage and make any needed repairs, get your garden in order and clean up the yard. But what about inside your home?

Home Furniture

One way to instantly increase your home’s value and brighten it up for the year to come is to do basic repairs. Here’s a checklist of things you should focus on. Take it room by room; you’ll see recurring themes throughout your home.

• Leather Furniture

  • cracks, rips, scratches, worn or faded areas

• Fabric Furniture

  • tears, burn marks, faded areas, torn nail or stapled areas.

• Flooring - Carpet, Hardwood, Vinyl and Hard Plastic.

  • rips, tears, faded areas, worn areas, damaged areas due to heavy objects, pets, etc.

Automotive

Automotive restoration with Color Glo International

Would you like your vehicle to look even better than when you first brought it home? You will be amazed at the professional quality of our services. We can restore, repair, rejuvenate , and re-color all of the above fabrics and interiors. The perfect time to think through your auto restoration needs are during your extra time that you now have at home while social distancing. Here’s you list of things to look for.

• Pet Damaged Seats

• Cigarette Burns

• Seats & Door Panels

• Dashes & Consoles

• Vinyl Roofs

• Sun Decks

• Convertible Tops

• Carpet

• Ripped and Torn Cushions

Headlight restoration by Color Glo International

Also if you’ve noticed that your vision while driving at night isn’t the best, you likely don’t need to see an eye doctor. The winter months leave our headlights full of gunk that is hard to remove. But it may also be time for headlight restoration.

If you have old, faded, dull and stained headlights or tail lights Color Glo can restore them at a fraction of the replacement cost. In just a few simple steps Color Glo can make your lights crystal clear again. We offer onsite mobile service, so we come to you! This means less inconvenience for you; our customer. We will come to your work or home and restore your headlights or tail lights - on site.

Marine & Recreational

Make that old boat, camper or RV look like new again! Color Glo can Restore, Repair, Clean as well as renew or often change the color of Leather, Vinyl, Cloth, Velour, Woodgrain, Fabric, Hard Plastic & Carpet used on Motorcycles, ATVs, Boats, Jet Skis, Motor Homes, Campers and much more!

• Seats and beds repair.

• Boat tops restoration. 

• Engine enclosures restoration.

• Mildew removal.

• Woodgrain restoration.

• Hard plastic repair

• And much more!

Deodorizing

Whether your clothes or household items have a old musty odor to them from sitting in the trunk of your car, or to the annoying scent of mothballs; Color Glo specialists can remove almost all foul smelling odors with our deodorizing treatments. We neutralize and deodorize using environmentally friendly, biodegradable products.

Deodorizing treatments range from having virtually no scent, to fresh and clean scented garments, vehicles, furniture or any household item.

A professional service that will eliminate bad odors:

• In homes

• In Vehicles

• In Boats

• In Trailers

• Commercial spaces

Other Household Checklists

Outside the world of restoration and repair, we feel this list wouldn’t be too helpful if we didn’t acknowledge the other major components of your home. Though these are not areas, CGI works in, they important spring cleaning items that your checklist should include. Some common areas you might want to consider are:

1. Clean you gutters and downspouts

   1. Clogged gutters and downspouts can cause the wood trim at the eaves to rot, and that can invite all kinds of critters into your attic space.

2. Reseal exterior woodwork

   1. Wood decks, fences, railings, trellises, pergolas and other outdoor structures will last longer and stay in better condition if they’re stained or resealed every year or two. 

3. Inspect your roof

   1. Winter storms can take quite a toll on the roof. When spring arrives, start by making a simple visual inspection of your roof. You can do this from the ground - no ladder required. You will know if you see something that doesn’t seem right.

4. Check for termites or bugs

   1. We often forget about this one, but spring is coming after all. If there’s a bunch of winged insects flying out of a hole in the woodwork, that’s probably termites. Call your guy.

5. Paint Exterior

   1. If you’re planning to repaint your home’s exterior this year, spring is a good time to set it up and there’s no better time to think through all of your options than during this social distancing time period. If you are worried about choosing colors and this isn’t your “lane”, you can simply call a professional painting company.

6. Inspect driveways and paths

7. Inspect sprinkler and irrigation systems

8. Check your screen doors and windows

9. Schedule air conditioning HVAC service

10. Get rid of mosquitoes

    1. Walk around your property, paying close attention to your neighbor properties as well. If you see anything or any area where water stands, fix it, tip it, get rid of it or maintain it regularly. Mosquitoes love water.

Mildew and rot on your home’s windows in the spring.

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Need Professional Help?

We live busy lives these days! Our home becomes the main attraction for entertaining our friends and family. Add a couple of children to the mix and you might have dirty or damaged sofas. Color Glo International is the industry leader in restoring furniture. Color Glo specialists can repair or clean anything from rips, tears, burns, frayed stitching, beverage & food stains, lipstick, ink stains and everything in between. Maybe you’re hosting a Christmas party or Summer barbecue coming up and you just want your furniture looking its best for your guests? Maybe the party was a hit and you need some repairs or stain removal after the entertaining is over? Give a Color Glo certified technician a call.  We are mobile and offer onsite service so there is little inconvenience to you, our customer!  

Our repairs and cleaning are environmentally safe and children/pet friendly.  We use water based products so you don’t have the dingy chemical feeling after we’ve completed our service.  We even have general cleaning kits to provide you for the next time you find yourself needing a spot removal product that really works!

DIY Motorcycle Restoration Tips

Motorcycle Restoration: Restore vs. Replace

So, you want to make your motorcycle (or auto) look like new and restore the paint, plastic, chrome, aluminum, or stainless steel to its original finish…

A general misconception among many people that have automobiles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, medical furniture, home furniture and more that are in need of repair is that, “It is less expensive to replace rather than to restore.” This is a fallacy.

This is the reason why so many people want to recondition cars, boats, trucks, tractors, RV’s, furniture, headlights, vinyl and leather surfaces and more. Why throw something out that could be restored to new for a fraction of the price.

Safety Tip: Though we believe in restoration vs replacement, when examining your motorcycle if a plastic or fiberglass part appears to be damaged severely and has a structural value to it - you may want to consider replacing this part for the rider’s safety.

Is this your motorcycle?

DIY Motorcycle Restoration Tips

Most of every motorcycle’s outer covering or fairings are made from high-strength plastic or fiberglass reinforced resin. These plastics are designed to to repel the sun’s ultraviolet rays, but the sun can still cause fading over time. Depending on how you neglect your bike, you may also experience cracking on the surface of your painted areas.

Replacement parts can be very expensive and sometimes hard to find depending on the age of your motorcycle. Follow this guide below if you’d like to save money and restore what you have. You’ll feel great about your savings and your micro-impact on your carbon footprint in reducing one more plastic purchase.

The Tips

Some things you’ll need.

• Concentrated liquid laundry detergent

• 100 percent cotton rags (terry cloth)

• Painter's masking tape

• Plastic conditioner

• Plastic polish

• Plastic buffing compound

• UV sun blocker for plastics

Wash thoroughly

Wash the damaged plastic thoroughly, using a concentrated liquid laundry detergent. A good guide is 3 teaspoons detergent to about 16oz of hot water. Remember detergent in concentrated so you don’t need to overdo it. More is not better. Plastic buffing compounds, conditioners and polishes require a grease-free surface to work properly. Plastic motorcycle parts are exposed to grease from the engine, as well as dirt and debris from the road, therefore, a complete cleaning is absolutely necessary. Wipe everything down with cotton terry cloth and allow the surface to dry before going forward with your job. You may need to plan this into your schedule.

“As usual, you should follow any special manufacturer’s instructions regarding the conditioner.”

Examine the area

Examine the plastic surfaces to determine what type of damage has occurred. Most sun damaged areas will be faded, fogged or yellowed. Fogged plastic will have a hazy look that leaves the plastic's finish cloudy and unclear. Use painter's masking tape to create a 2-inch border around the damaged areas.

Apply plastic conditioner

Many plastic conditioners are designed to neutralize yellowing or fading, thus restoring the plastic to its original color. Work the conditioner into the surface of the plastic, moving the cotton rag in a circular motion. Allow your work to dry for at least two hours. You can reexamine the damaged surfaces for fogging and micro cracks and redo areas if necessary.

As usual, you should follow any special manufacturer's instructions regarding the conditioner.

Apply a plastic polish

Apply a plastic polish to the reconditioned surface (we’re talking about the area you just conditioned). Apply the polish with a 100 percent cotton terry cloth. If there are any noticeable scratches visible after polishing, proceed to the next step. If there are no scratches, remove the masking tape - you’ve come to completion!

Apply buffing compound

Plastic buffing compounds come in two strengths:

1. One for deep scratches.

2. One for light scratches.

Micro cracks from sun damage are repaired with a light scratch remover. Buff the scratches out, using a circular motion rather than moving the rag back and forth parallel with the scratch. This avoids creating a depression or indentation on the surface being buffed. Once the scratches are removed, wipe the area down with a your clean cotton terry cloth or rag.

The buffed area does not have to be reconditioned before proceeding.

Apply a plastic polish

Apply a plastic polish by lightly spraying the surface with enough polish to leave a thin coating across the the damaged areas. Most plastic polishes come in some sort of spray bottle. If the polish doesn't have a spray top, use a couple teaspoons of polish per square foot of damaged area. You can rub the polish in until a glossy and uniform finish is achieved across the entire area. Wipe the damaged area down one last time to complete the project.

Product Tip: Many plastic conditioners offer products that contain a sun blocker formulated for plastics. This sun blocker is similar in concept to what you may apply to your own human canvas when relaxing on the beach.. Apply a coating onto all the motorcycle's plastic parts to extend their life.

You can restore your headlight to! Don’t buy replacement parts when you can restore to new. Check out our article on “How To Restore Your Car Headlights to New”

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Need Professional Help?

Color Glo professional restoration specialists are trained to see beyond the misconceptions. Our specialists know that prioritizing mitigation and restoration efforts will stop further damage, reduce loss and expense and you get up and running again very quickly - motorcycles, vehicles, office furniture… you name it.

Preparing Your Boat For Winter

Winterizing your boat

Like anything in life, preparation is the key to success in your endeavors. Boat ownership is possibly one of the most important things you can ever put preparation into place for. 

Some may not realize it, but winter “time off” can be especially hard on your boat. Extended periods of inactivity will accelerate wear and tear and can contribute to breakdowns in the next boating season. If left unchecked, corrosion and rust can spread extensively and moisture can intrude and freeze during the winter. Lubrication can congeal and basic neglect can really take its roots over the long, cold months. If you don't take the time to get your boat ready for winter, it may come back to haunt you when you're itching to hit the water again. 

For these reasons, it’s vitally important to get your boat ready for that “long winter’s nap” with a proper autumn lay-up. Even if you don’t live in a place where the waters freeze and the snow piles deep on the ground, following some basic tips will keep your boat “ship shape” and ready for action after an extended period of storage.

Is this you.... It might go well when April/May arrives.

Keep your boat clean

Seems basic but it's hard to do for many. A clean boat will weather the time of winter storage better and will reduce the work necessary when the time comes to take her out again.

• Wash the topsides, bottom, and deck (with a coat of wax on the topsides too) and clean all hardware and trim.

• Check for any blistering in fiberglass boats, especially for boats that spend extended periods in the water. If any blisters are found, treat and repair these problems.

• Don’t forget to clean windscreens as well as any bi-mini tops, spray hoods and the like.

• Let all canvas dry thoroughly before neatly storing these away. If possible, remove all canvas from the boat and store indoors.

• Some parts of your boat should be drained, where moisture can cause corrosion during these winter months.

  • Drain the gear case and watch for water intrusion. This can cause gear oil to look milky or discolored. If moisture is present you may have leaky seals. 

  • Completely drain any fresh water tanks and the hot water heater.

  • Open seacocks to allow any water to drain.

  • Drain all water from the engine.

  • Check bilges and remove any standing water, dirt, and oil

A boat that starts its winter holiday clean will help keep dirt and corrosion from getting a foothold and will be much quicker to get ready in spring.

Prepare the fuel system

Top off your fuel tank to avoid build-up of condensation over the months of storage. Change the fuel filter at the end of the season. Add a marine fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank as per instructions to reduce the build-up of gum and varnish, and to keep the fuel and entire fuel system clean during storage. After adding stabilizer to the tank, run the engine for a few minutes to ensure it circulates through the system.

Take care of the engine

It also seems like common sense, but most of these maintenance tasks are simply overlooked due to timing or life events. How many times have you skipped your daily workout or not brushed your teeth before bedtime. They all lead to degradation - the same goes for your boat. There are products out there formulated to leave a protective chemical film over internal engine surfaces without leaving a greasy residue or causing smoke when the engine is re-started. It’s also a good idea to spray fogging oil on a soft rag and apply a light coat to visible areas of the engine exterior. We can't give you specifics on how to treat your engine as your manufacturer and reseller probably have brand-specific instructions, so check with them or take it in to be winterized. 

Pressure wash the entire hull and running gear. Blast off barnacles and other growth on your shafts, props, rudders, struts and everything else on the lower unit. Clean the topsides, deck and lower unit with soap and water. Wax the deck. Check for blisters on the hull, and should it the hull need it, wax or sand and paint it at this time.

Check for leaks – keep an eye on the strainer, valve or seacocks, or any other areas where you may recall a leak occurring.

Other liquids to flush, change or add

Certain systems on your boat will require flushing and liquids such as fuel, oil and antifreeze should be changed or added.

• Thoroughly flush your cooling system with warm fresh water in order to remove any salt, dirt or corrosion.

• Change the engine oil and oil filter after the engine has been slightly warmed up in order to help flush out sediment and impurities with the discarded oil. Refill the engine with the appropriate oil recommended by your boat’s manufacturer. Change transmission fluid as well.

• As mentioned above, use fogging oil to protect the engine against rust and corrosion. Spray it into the air intakes while the engine is running. Remove spark plugs and spray into each cylinder. Also, spray fogging oil onto a soft rag and apply to the visible areas of the engine exterior.

• Run antifreeze into the cooling system and engine by using an intake hose to the water pump. Start the engine and run the antifreeze until it exits the exhaust. Run non-toxic antifreeze through your freshwater system, including shower, faucets, and any wash-down areas until you see the antifreeze coming out. Put non-toxic antifreeze in the water heater as well.

Take care of your batteries

Your batteries also need to survive the winter. You'll want to keep them with a healthy charge so they are ready to go and provide long battery life for you.

It may be best to unplug your battery charger and test the charge on your batteries once a month. If you see the charge drop below 75%, plug in the battery charger, and top off your batteries with a full charge over night. In the morning, once fully charged, disconnect from the power. Repeat this step next month.

If you’re in an area where freezing occurs, it’s best to remove batteries entirely from your boat, and store in your home or some other warmer place. Get a portable charger to keep your batteries healthy during the winter with a periodic charge.

You'll also want to remove all electronics, fire extinguishers and other valuables from the boat. Obviously, you'll avoid losing them but it will also keep them safe from moisture damage, freezing or other damage that may occur. 

How about the vinyl and surfaces?

You probably read our article on how to Bring Your Boat Interior Back to New, where we reminded you of the acronym B.O.A.T. ...

You work hard to buy a boat and work harder to keep your boat looking good. You routinely put it in and take it out of the water, wash it, apply wax, and do your best to ensure it remains the boat of your dreams. Then it happens; one of our friends (hopefully invited) spills their adult beverage all over your well-kept carpeting, or they spill a cleaner or bleach on our vinyl seats and seams. Read our article "Top 4 Tips For Cleaning Marine Vinyl Interior" to really snap your boat into shape before the winter season. 

And when springtime rolls around again, pull out this article "It's time to unleash the boat and repair" if restoration wasn't in your winter budget at the time. 

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Need help restoring areas of your boat or some advice on winterzing. Call a Color Glo Specialist. 

How To Remove Pet Odor From Your Furniture

We all love to cuddle with our pets, whether that be dogs, cats, rabbits, or anything with fur. The days when pets were simply working companions are gone and in almost every circumstance the idea of the pet living outside is eradicated. The family is family. Not only do our pets cuddle with us on the sofa or our favorite chair to watch TV, but they snuggle with us in our beds, go on long holiday trips and even out to dinner at our favorite dog-friendly restaurants. 

All of this one-on-one time means that all of our furnishings are going to hold the distinct smell of dog (or cat or whatever), and even the most rabid of dog lovers amongst us may not want the whole house to smell of a dog that needs a good washing. This is specifically true if we want to enjoy the company of human guests. So let's focus on dogs because they tend to have smells...  How do you get rid of that smelly dog smell? It's actually pretty easy. 

How to Eliminate Dog Odor

First thing is first - you have to start out by taking all of the furniture apart – pillows, blankets, etc. then vacuum everything thoroughly. If the sofa and chairs have removable slipcovers or cushion covers, take those off for washing. You'll have to get into the crevices of the furniture as deep as possible to remove all the hair and flip the bed mattress to get both sides. On the floors, make sure to get under all of the furniture and in the corners, where “hair bunnies” tend to gather.

Image: pliantalliance.org

How to remove pet odor from carpets and furniture

Next, gather your deodorizing supplies to work on removing pet odor from carpets, furniture, and beds. It’s really pretty simple; all you need is a big box or two of baking soda and a bottle of apple cider vinegar. Wash all of your linens, blankets and cushion covers in a mix of oxy powered laundry detergent and a ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar. There are also pet odor removers available at pet supply stores, but the home remedy works just fine. 

On the carpets, bed and furniture, sprinkle baking soda liberally, using a cleaning brush to spread it around and into the fabric. Let it all sit overnight so that the baking soda has a chance to absorb the odors. For the bed, you might want to do this in the morning so that you can clean and remake the bed at the end of the day. Follow up by vacuuming all of the baking soda from the bed, carpet, and furnishings and returning the bed linens and cushion covers or slipcovers to the furniture.

This will get rid of a great deal of the smell, but to really do a thorough job, you might want to rent a carpet cleaning machine with an attachment for furniture – or call a cleaning company to do it for you. Always start with neutralizing as much of the smell as possible before the shampooing, though, or all you will be doing is creating a hybrid of dog smell and perfumed shampoo. Not a good combination. And don’t use carpet shampoo on the furniture, or you could end up with ruined and smelly furniture.

Lastly, some people like to use a perfume product to help neutralize the smell. If you do this, make sure that it is non-toxic to animals. Many products that are safe for humans are not always safe for dogs or cats (in fact, most of them aren't safe for us either). Some home air fresheners, sprays, plug-ins and scented oils can be harmful to a pet's health. When in doubt just stick with the home baking soda remedy. 

And if you have a cat that likes to scratch or spray, there are natural remedies for that to! Read our article on "How to make your own cat repellant spray". 

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If you need help with large cleaning and de-odorizing project in your home, call a Color Glo specialist today. 

How to Tell If Wood Furniture Is Worth Refinishing

We've all done it - found a piece of worn wood furniture at an estate sale or flea market and thought "I'll just refinish this and it will be brilliant". 

When you find a piece of wood furniture like this, it's really tempting to pull out your wallet and slide it in the truck. Often times though, we don't realize how much work this may equate to. It may also far exceed the cost of simply buying new (in some cases). There's a handful of things you need to consider before making the choice to refinish wood furniture.

Read on.

Is it high-quality construction?

This is the most important thing to consider. Wood furniture pieces that endure the ages are a high-quality build. Its hard to find these days in modern furniture design, so you are probably running across these in estate sales or grandma's attic. Know your construction standards. 

“Your find doesn’t have to have antique value to be a great vintage piece that will give you years of service.”

You'll want to look for signs that the piece was made before 1950, maybe even 1960, but really no later... It was after this time period that particle board and laminate surfaces began cutting corners and cheapening production cost. By today's standard, even furniture that was mass produced on an assembly line in the 1950's would be much sturdier and of a higher quality than today's cheap furniture. 

Your find doesn't have to have antique value to be a great vintage piece that will give you years of service, but still, you need to be extra-careful with really old pieces. There are a lot of vintage pieces of wood furniture out there made before the 1850's and attempting to refinish them yourself can really hurt their value. If you find a piece like this and you inevitably want it, consult an expert before starting this project. 

Is the piece of wood furniture painted?

Put on your expert eye here. You should be leery of things that are painted - there is usually a reason for that. If a piece of wood furniture had run its course, the owner may have painted it to cover water damage or stains, burns, filled holes, etc. It could ultimately reveal a double-time job and not yield the result you were expecting.

You are probably better off finding something that an old stank on it, like aged dirty varnish that just needs to be stripped off. You can typically see through varnish at what lies beneath - there shouldn't be too many surprises. It's also easy to do with some basics from the hardware store; it should come right off. 

Does the piece require re-gluing?

Next up. Give the wood furniture piece the rocking test. Put your hands on it and rock it back and forth, test drawers, look for sway, sit on it, etc. If the piece is not sturdy, you will have to take it apart and re-glue it using clamps. This isn't necessarily everyone's lane, so if you don't have the skill or workspace for that, you'll need to hire a professional woodworker to help with the job. 

It does take time to knock a piece of wood furniture apart and completely remove the old glue and start from scratch. If you need to hire an expert to re-glue this piece for you, you can expect to pay a nice penny for it. For example, a chest of three drawers can easily run you $350 - $400. 

What will it look like when it's done?

It's really hard to know what the piece of wood furniture will look like once it's refinished. To get an idea of what your piece will look like refinished, find a protected spot where the original wood is visible, such as the back of a solid-wood drawer front, underneath the top surface of a chest of drawers or the backside of a leaf in a drop-leaf table. This is where you can determine if you like the look of the grain and that you understand what color will emerge in the end. Wood that is older will often re-finish much darker than newly milled wood. 

Make sure that you like the look of the grain and that you understand what color you’ll come out within the end—old wood often finishes much darker than newly milled wood. Here are the characteristics of several common types of wood on older furniture pieces:

Walnut

Walnut has a more lively grain than cherry or maple. It is one of the few wood types that can actually get lighter over the years. So the range of tones that you can achieve with stain can be limited by the natural rich brown color.

Cherry

Cherry is a very smooth wood with a mild grain that can be stained a variety of colors. If the wood furniture piece is 100 years old, however, and you've stripped it, the refinished wood is going to be very dark. 

Mahagony

Mahagony is a love it or lose it wood type for many. No matter what you do to it, you are going to expel a reddish color during the refinishing process. It may be brown-red, but in the end, it will be red in appearance. For some, this is defining and unique, elegant and rich. For others, they couldn't imagine it in their home. You decide.

Pine

Most pine, regardless of era, would have probably been painted right away. So in this case, it's pretty rare that you'll run across one that you'll want to strip and refinish. But who knows... If you do, you can expect a honey-brown color that is darker than new pine. 

Maple

Maple pieces made from the 1890's through the 1920's are often a beautiful figured bird’s eye or tiger maple and will have a strong yellow tone if you refinish them. Plain maple from the 1960's, (which was often stained an orangish color) can be stripped and made more modern with a light brown stain.

Oak

Oak was the core element of Victorian furniture. "Old" furniture was often made of quarter-sawn oak with a bold flecking in it. When you refinish the type of oak wood furniture, you can get a beautiful old tiger oak grain that appears golden in color. Very royal!

“Just remember to buy the piece for what it is rather than what you think it could be. 

”

 

Will the refinishing job be difficult?

If you a DIYer, its all about the process for you, but you need to be prepared for the level of involvement in this project in order to restore a piece of wood furniture to new. Just be on the lookout for a few signs that your project may require extra work, advanced techniques or help from an expert. 

1. The piece has slats or spindles that are very close together
2. Different parts will need different applications.
3. It's made from random boards that are not from the same tree. 
4. It has deeply carved or applied filigree. (Time-consuming...)

The bottom line

Be prepared to walk away. Not every piece you find will be an amazing story of restoration. It could just end up being a tremendous headache and expense. It starts with a time investment into some furniture history, tell-tale signs and some patience in your quest. If you can exercise these things, you'll find your gem in the rough.

If you've acquired a piece but you are not sure what you have, then consult an expert. You may also want to contact professional restoration specialists to help bring it back to life before your journey gets too treacherous. 

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Want to hire a professional?

How To Refinish Wood Furniture

Some essential tools for refinishing your wood furniture

If you're thinking that your wood furniture is worn, beat, sun-faded and potentially scratched up by the cat, then you might consider refinishing the wood. Such items in your household might be a dresser, nightstand, family room table, dining room table, chairs, etc. There are basic essential tools you'll need to perform this job properly.

Step 1 - Round up your tools

• Wipe-on stains and finishes
• Good cloths
• Fine steel wool and paste wax
• Some random odds & ends

• Stripper for paint removal
• Stripper for finish removal
• Power sander
• Good sandpaper

Fox Chapel Publishing

1. A thick stripper for paint removal. There are all kinds of strippers available on the market, but for these types of projects, you'll want to get thick coats of paint off an old piece of furniture. You'll need a thick product that clings to it in order to get the job done. As your local hardware guy for his advice. 
2. A thin stripper for finish removal. For old finishes, you won't need something as "powerful" as the above recommendations. Look for a watery stripper that you can use to wash down the piece by soaking it over and over again with a brush (earmark this brush for this function). The stripper dissolves everything and it should fall right off. Obviously, you'll want to do over a drop cloth, pan or something to protect the work area. 
3. A power sander. Once you've stripped the surface of the wood furniture piece you are working to restore, you'll need to smooth the surface out by sanding it. You can sand by hand, if you want..., at about 150 strokes per minute. If you're like us though, you'll want to cut this tedious activity down and save your arm by using a power sander. This will increase your productivity to around 7,000 strokes per minute. You'll probably want sander discs on hand in grit sizes from 80 - 200.
4. Sandpaper. In addition to power sanding discs, get some 320- and 400-grit sheets of sandpaper plus a couple of blocks for hand sanding. Again, there is sandpaper galore when you explore the hardware store, but some do actually stay sharp and last throughout your project; as your guy. There are also a lot of blocks on the market, but to keep it simple, use a felt block or a wood block with some cork glued to it to save your sandpaper in use.
5. Wipe-on stains and finishes. If you're a novice in this area and getting into your first or second project, you may want to use wipe-on polyurethane and gel stains (or gel topcoat) products. They take a bit longer to use, but they are easy to use and they turn out looking really nice. Brush on products are also an option, but they are thicker and stay wet longer so drips, sags, brushstrokes etc are more of a common challenge you'll have to deal with. If you're a pro, well... then you're probably on to spray guns.
6. Good cloths. That's right, your cloths must be "good", and by this we mean spun cotton products that stand up to the test of time. There's no need to buy new shop rags: just wash some old cotton T-shirts. One thing to be careful about is to make sure they are lint-free. You'll leave little visitors all over your product otherwise.  After using your rags or cloths, put them outside to dry right away. Dry rags won't combust like a wet rag has the potential to do.

7. Fine steel wool and paste wax. The curing of your wipe-on finish may take some time - a couple of weeks to be exact. At this stage, you'll want to do a soft rub-out with fine steel wool and paste wax. By gently rubbing the surface along the grain and buffing it out with a soft rag, you'll end up with a beautiful soft finish.

8. Odds and ends. Plan ahead. Like any project, it’s a good idea to have a few things on hand before you start a refinishing project. These items could be painter’s tape, pencils and markers, disposable plastic cups, finishing nails, stirring sticks, household ammonia for brush cleaning, clean canning jars, old tablespoons and yellow wood glue. You'll be looking for all of this stuff throughout your project.

Fox Chapel Publishing

How to refinish wood furniture

Apply stripper

Depending on the size of your project, you will have chosen the appropriate stipper. Use your thick stripper for above for large projects and wood furniture with layers of paint on it. For small projects, you can now use aerosol spray paint stripper. It’s easy to control and it won’t spill, so it's convenient for a lot of people that are doing projects at home. Once you've applied your stripper, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. You’ll see the old finish start to lift up off the wood.

Remove any old finish

Use your scraper tool to remove the old finish. Keep a disposable shop cloth or paper towel roll around to wipe the blade between scrapes. You may have to apply stripper and scrape more than once in order to remove the majority of the old finish.

Image DIY Network

Clean it with mineral spirits

You'll want to clean the area at this point. It's kind of like a medical procedure... everything must be in order and as clean as possible. So once you’re done stripping and the surface and it has dried, wipe the wood with mineral spirits using a clean cloth. This will remove any residual stripper from your project. Allow it to dry for a few hours at least.

Sand it smooth

You've heard the phrase "smooth like a baby's butt" - this is your time. Use your power sander with medium-grit sandpaper (about 150-grit) until you can see the bare wood. Then switch to a finer sandpaper (such as 200+ grit) until the entire piece is uniform and "smooth like a baby's butt". Afterward, wipe down the entire surface with a clean tack cloth to remove any sanding residue.

“You may need to apply multiple coats until you achieve the color you’re looking for.”

 

Apply the stain

We talked about wipe-on stains above and we're assuming you are in that novice category. Staining is easiest to do with a staining pad. Just dip the pad in the wipe-on stain and wipe it on using long, even strokes. Just like painting a surface, you'll want to apply even pressure and length to your work.

When you're done, you'll want to use a clean wiping cloth to remove excess stain. Wipe lightly along the grain - this will prevent streaking. Just like trimming your filet mignon, if you go against the grain, you'll get funky results that fight with you along the way.  You may need to apply multiple coats until you achieve the color you're looking for. Follow this process until you like the end result, but it is key to let it dry between coats otherwise you won't see the true color of the stain. 

Apply your paste wax

This the stage where your steel wool and paste wax come in handy. Do a soft rub-out with fine steel wool and paste wax. By gently rubbing the surface along the grain and buffing it out with a soft rag, you'll end up with a beautiful soft finish.

Or you may want to apply an oil-based clear coat for a final layer of protection. Keep in mind, this will also give it a whole new sheen and luster, so if that's not the vintage look you're going for you can skip this (knowing that you may damage your newly refinished wood faster). You can sand with fine paper.

Let it dry

After you steel wool-rub or clear coat it, let your finished piece fully cure in a warm, dry, well-ventilated area. We recommend doing this for at least 24 hours before you put your wood furniture piece back to use. 

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That's it! With a little time investment and some good products, you can turn your old, worn wood furniture piece into a striking new accessory for your home. Here's a video below from the DIY Network showing you one process on wood trim.

Nicole shows how to restore painted wood trim to its original beauty.

Want to hire a professional?

How To Prevent Color Fading In Your Home

Some tips to prevent color fading

Depending on the layout and interior design of your home, you have probably sat in your favorite chair in the early evening and been amazed as the rays of sun play tricks on the walls and surfaces that adorn your home. Maybe you're an early riser and have sat in bewilderment at the splendor of natural light filling your home and flowing through the rooms at sunrise. 

The colors in your home become so rich and vibrant as the sun penetrates the room and various pieces of furniture and items of interest get drenched by the God of light. The sunlight adds depth and charm to your home, enhancing the appearance of everything in its path. It provides a natural ambiance unique to your home, and your home only.

Revel in it. 

Allowing this natural wonder of light into your home, however, has one major drawback – it can literally ruin your carpeting, fine furniture and artwork on the walls. The UV rays in the sunlight can break down many of the chemicals that exist in furniture and fabric dyes and cause permanent discoloration and fading of wood. You'll want to prevent this negative by-product of the sun's beautiful rays on your home investments by finding an efficient way to protect them from color fading and deterioration. 

In order to prevent color fading in the key areas of your home and preserve your furniture for many years, you need to take adequate protective measures against the harmful effect of the sun. And remember that UV rays are present even on cloudy days. The same rule applies as if you had your skin directly out in the elements all day long. 

Protect your furniture from the sun

• Abstinence. The easiest method to save our furniture is to keep your pieces away from direct sunlight. Place your furniture, especially the more valuable ones, in shaded areas of the room, away from direct sunlight, windows, and skylights. You may want to reorganize your room to accommodate the natural light. Most people have never thought of this, so you'll be ahead of the curve.
• Window Treatments. Use window treatments of some sort. This can come in form of hanging curtains and draperies, blinds, and shutters, or use shades and awnings to block out the sun. This will also be useful during the hotter summer months of the year in terms of keeping your home's temperature regulated.
• Apply window film.  Window films are a great way to handle sun and natural light in your home. High-quality solar window films can reflect up to 99.9 percent of the sun's UV rays. Window films are installed on the inside of your windows to create a protective layer that filters out harmful rays. They will not restrict your view, so they're really an effective tool. You can save on the energy bill by adding a window tint.
• Re-invest into your home. If the home is a long-term plan for your family, you may just want to install new windows. Modern windows are specially designed to block UV rays (they filter about 85 percent of the harmful rays) and improve the energy efficiency of your home.

“UV rays are present even on cloudy days.”

 

Protect furniture from fading

You may want to take another step. In addition to preventing sunlight exposure, you may also want to look at some kind of coating to protect the furniture surface. 

Seal your wood furniture

Sealants will protect the wood from sunlight, heat, and water. Some sealants can also greatly enhance the beauty of the grain. Depending on the type of wood and amount of exposure you have a few options.

• Varnish. Varnish will seal the wood fibers and provide good protection against ultraviolet light and water. It is made from resins, oil, and solvents, and comes in a variety of different finishes.
• Lacquer. A lacquer will create a hard shell over the furniture surface and provide it with a durable, long-lasting protection. It is not recommended for coarse grain woods or super-soft woods.
• Polyurethane. This is also very durable and long-lasting but can be susceptible to cracking under intense heat. So if this is the alternative to removing your piece from direct sunlight, then you should probably consider something else. Again, a combination of these products and key room placement is the best idea.
• Shellac it. Shellac is a natural product that brings out the richness of wood grains. It looks very attractive on walnut, mahogany, and fine veneer woods. It isn't super durable though and offers only average resistance to sunlight and wear. Your best bet with a shellac is for use on a decorative piece of furniture that doesn't see much daily use. 
• Wax it. Oil it. Waxes and oils require regular upkeep but will enhance the appearance of wood furniture substantially. So if you're looking for beauty with a splash of function and you can commit to a monthly routine of curating your amazing home - this one is for you. 

Protect fabric upholstery

We can't think of a fabric that is not highly susceptible to fading from the sun. The more "high-end" the material such as silk or linen will fade and wear faster. Materials blended with acrylic, polyester, and nylon are less likely to fade (at least quickly). To prevent the fabric on your furniture from discoloration and premature wear, you'll want to consider spraying your pieces with a specialize fabric protector. You may also want to check out our article An Ounce of Prevention For Your Furniture. 

“Make sure you choose lighter colored furniture pieces that are likely to sit in the sun, as lighter fabrics show less fading than darker ones.”

 

Condition your leather

Ah, the forsaken... the abandoned. We talk about leather all the time; it gets bought, placed, used and abused. But it doesn't have to get worn and beat to the point of replacement. The beauty of your expensive leather investment is that it can indeed, last a lifetime. 

When leather pieces are exposed to direct sunlight, the leather’s natural oil evaporates (just like your skin does). As a result, the colors fade and the leather stiffens and cracks. The darker the leather, the quicker it will fade. Conditioning the leather can help prevent drying and discoloration. You can read a bit more about How To Care For Your Leather Furniture. 

In the event, family, time and life just get away from you and despite your best intentions your leather furniture cracks and fades - all is not lost. Sun fading can actually make a piece feel vintage and antique - perhaps the end result you were after. If areas of your leather furniture have turned to damage and despair, you can bring them back to life with some natural products that fun to make and healthy to use. Make sure to read our article How To Make Your Own Beeswax Leather Polish for some great advice. 

Stay tuned for "How to restore faded wood furniture"

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Want to hire a professional?

How to Restore Your Leather Handbag

Cleaning your leather handbag/purse

For many, leather handbags and purses can be a wearable piece of art that defines who we are out in the world. And for many... it's a real investment that many of us are willing to make. Though women tend to "invest" in handbags more than men, the men of today carry handbags and leather luxury goods more and more. 

A Proper Man-Purse. 

Like a diamond engagement ring or collector's watch, when you've invested a lot of money in a handbag, you'll want to make sure it sticks around for a lifetime. But taking care of leather goods can be tricky - and when it's an item you've fallen in love, with much more lies at stake.

So, how do you clean a leather handbag?

The very first place to start is with an ounce of prevention. This should begin the day that you purchase your leather handbag and you should treat your bag with a cream or leather care product designed for it, at least once every 60 to 90 days. 

Secondly, regular cleaning should be a no-brainer - even if it's a quick wipe down. For quick, regular cleanings simply wet a damp cloth and remove dust and build up that can damage the bag, it's lining and interior pockets. But once your bag has some age or wear on it, it will typically need a more thorough cleaning by a professional color restoration specialist every few months to keep it like brand new. 

“Protecting your handbag can prevent the pentration of grease, staining, and all other spills and mishaps later on. ”

 

Here are the DIY do's and don'ts. 

• Once per week - wipe your bag with warm, soapy water. You can mix a small amount of mild liquid soap with warm water and use a soft damp cloth to wipe away any dirt from the outside of your handbag. Make sure to wipe with the grain of the handbag to avoid ruining the leather. If you've ever sanded a board or trimmed a filet, you get the idea. Grain is where it's at. 
• Avoid the usual household wonder liquids. You should never pull out baby wipes, vinegar or any other 'home remedy' for cleaning or tackling stain removal on your luxury handbag. These products have chemicals (whether occurring naturally or man-made) that can destroy your hard-earned investment. 
• Ink and pen marks! The key to removing ink marks is to treat them immediately. Your best bet here is to call your local Color Glo Specialist and schedule an appointment. If you're a die-hard or simply unable to, try a special ink removing product for leather and follow the care instructions, making sure to condition the area afterward. Then leave it to dry properly before using the handbag again. If the ink stains are old, do not try to remove these yourself. Seek professional help... you will need it.
• Stuff your bag while not in use. If you're a collector of leather handbags or have a few of them that come out on special occasions, then it would behoove you to stuff your bag with terry cloths or some filling material. It will keep its shape for a lifetime. 

Keep your handbag stuff when not using it. Photo: Handbag Clinic

• Grease Stains. Just wipe them off. Using water or liquid will simply make them a mess to clean up. 
• On tougher dirt and ground in problem areas, use a professional leather cleaning agent. A good cream does not need to be rinsed (which could damage your bag further). You may find a bit higher investment in good leather conditioning creams, but like most things in life, they will perform far better. 

“Use a leather conditioning/cleaning product that is made for the material your handbag is made out of.”

• Always use a product designed for use on your particular material. A general leather cleaner will not be as effective on a suede or nubuck interior than a product specifically designed for it. Just do your homework or consult with the manufacturer's recommendations.
• Spot testing is key. Always, always spot test a small area that out of sight. You would do the same thing before spraying Scotchgard™ on your brand new fabric couch. You should take the same care with your luxury leather handbag purchase. It's likely you paid more for it than the couch...
• Dust bags - use them! If your bag came with a dust bag, then you should probably ask yourself, why? Dust bags are not intended for nice branding and good looking packaging, they are intended to keep your handbag DUST-FREE when they are not being used. 

You can always use a pillow case or something similar if you don't have a dust bag.

• Sunlight. Don't leave your handbag in direct sunlight. Just like your good furniture, you wouldn't leave in the window in blazing sun every day. The same color fasting will occur. 
• Do not use saddle soap. It will most likely be too strong for the leather on your bag and could cause it to discolor.
• Smelly bags... to forever banish lingering effluvia, put an open container of baking powder carefully inside your bag, place your bag into a dust bag or pillow case and leave it to sit for 24 hours. It should absorb that scent you didn't like.

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For the Fashionistas...

You may not have thought of this, or maybe it has affected you already. Do not rock light color handbags with dark clothing. The dye from your dark clothing may run and transfer to the handbag. This is one of the single hardest stains to remove.

If you do end up with a really stubborn stain, try matching a shoe polish to the color of your bag and buffing a small amount over the affected area.

Want to hire a professional?

An Ounce of Prevention for Your Furniture

We've all heard the saying...

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Benjamin Franklin was talking about fire prevention in the city of Philadelphia when he coined this phrase, but it’s one that can be applied to any situation. This philosophy will go a long way if we apply it to the objects that make our body comfortable ­– that is, the furniture we sit on, such as restaurant and office seating; transportation seating, and yes, even those dentist chairs!

Whether you’re an individual or business, making and keeping these types of seating comfortable is important. However, in this article we’ll focus on homeowners and their furniture.

Furniture problems and preventions

So let’s talk problems and prevention. And if you’re picturing grandma’s plastic-coated furniture, then know there are better solutions. Here are some things you can do to not only keep your seating comfortable but looking good as well. Try to do as much prevention as possible to avoid having to go for the cure. Also, realize that the type of seating material is going to determine the type prevention as well.

Problem: Scratches

Scratches can result from a variety of sources: pet claws and sharp objects being the most common. We’re talking about human-caused scratching and other marks (we’ll deal with pet-related issues in the last point).

• Prevention: A large part of the prevention of scratches is simply being mindful of what we have in our hands and how we let that object come in contact with our furniture. A protective coating can help protect tiny scratches, but a deep scratch can only be prevented by carefulness on the part of the person who uses the furniture.

Problem: Stains

Stains can come from a variety of sources. The list is endless: food spills, liquids, ink, bodily fluids, and even water. We think that a quick swipe with a cloth (or our sleeve) solves the problem, but the surface isn’t really clean and residue can remain.

• Prevention: Once again, stains can generally be prevented by carefulness on our part. Be mindful of how and where you place things that could stain your furniture. And if you do spill something, clean it up immediately, making sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions so as not to cause further staining.

Problem: Dirt & Dust

Dirt and dust mostly come from constant use and the environment. Sometimes it’s brought in by people and pets, and it’s pretty much always around, and furniture is often the recipient.

• Prevention: Since most of this unpreventable, being proactive in keeping the furniture dust free, vacuumed and wiped clean, will stop the buildup of dirt and dust. If you let it build up your furniture will look dingy and clean up will take longer and require more effort.

Basement and lower-level living spaces can naturally cause dust and dirt build up.

Problem: Tears, Cracks & Punctures

Cracks can come from constant use, while tears and punctures are caused by sharp objects coming into contact with the material.

• Prevention: There isn’t much we can do about the cracks that occur from constant use. But you can keep the material well-conditioned to prevent dryness that will lead to cracks. As for tears and punctures, once again be mindful of the objects you have in your hands. If you’re carrying something sharp, like a knife, have it in a sheath or make sure the blade is in such a position that it won’t come in contact with the soft material of your furniture. When talking specifically about your leather furniture, you may want to learn how to make your own beeswax leather polish to ensure your expensive investments last a lifetime. 

Problem: Fading & Bleaching

Constant use will lead to fading or a worn look in the material, while bleaching is due to the furniture being exposed to direct sunlight on a consistent basis.

• Prevention: This problem is actually a fairly easy one to prevent. Simply put, keep your furniture out of direct, constant contact with the sun.

Problem: Pet-Related

Pets can cause a variety of problems: smells, residue, stains, and scratches. Some pets can be trained, but others (like cats) consider themselves the rulers of their domain.

• Prevention: We all know that pets have a mind of their own, and generally don’t care about our wishes and how we want them to treat our furniture. In some cases, they can be trained, while in others we may need to use a product that will deter them from damaging our furniture. Take a look at our post on How to Make Your Own Cat Repellent for some natural ways to discourage your pet.

Final thoughts on your furniture

As you can see, most prevention involves carefulness and mindfulness on our part. If we are proactive in the care of our furniture, that will help prevent many of the accidents that can occur. It will keep our furniture looking good and comfortable to sit in. When something does happen to damage your furniture, be sure and take care of it immediately so that more damage does not occur from neglect.

We have several articles on our blog that will give you some good tips on taking care of your furniture: 

1. Leather Furniture Care Tips

2. How to Clean a Microfiber Couch

3. How to Care for Your Leather Furniture

4. How to Clean Upholstery Tips

5. How to Clean Velour Upholstery

If your seating has been damaged to the point where a homemade, natural or store-bought solution cannot cure it, then it may be time to turn to our professional color restoration and repair technicians. Find a Color Glo Franchise Location HERE on our website.

How To Clean Plastic Interior Car Parts

How to clean plastic car parts

We've talked about how to clean the exterior of your car in the past, and even the leather seats and upholstery. But what about your plastic car parts?

Well, there is more to cleaning a car than just filling up a bucket with mild soapy water, scrubbing it down and rinsing it off. The plastic interior needs to be kept clean as well. Your car's plastic will build up dirt and dust naturally just by moving and operating or even sitting there. Your clean natural clean tendencies are simply not enough. By cleaning your car's interior, you can keep it looking newer much longer, which is good for resale and good for you.

Your car has both interior and exterior plastic, which may require some different methods. You just need to make sure you are using the right products on your plastic interior.

You can keep your classic car or sports car looking this good with a little bit of TLC.

What you need to clean interior plastic

Vacuum the interior first. Before you begin this project, vacuum out your car to remove any debris, dirt, and dust. Your cleaning products of choice will perform much better if you take care to vacuum before getting started. You can avoid scratching your plastic dash and other areas by using the soft brush attachment. 

1. Remove the floor mats BEFORE your start to vacuum. 

2. Take extra care around vents, knobs, and accessories. You can damage these easily if you're not paying attention. 

“Vacuum out your car first, to remove any debris, dirt, and dust”

 

Cleaning the interior

Dust the plastic. Use a soft damp cloth (water only) or soft hand-held dust mop (available in the car care section of any grocery or discount store) to clear away dust. Some people use a vinegar solution for this too. Generally speaking, this should be ok as vinegar is a non-abrasive natural cleaner but depending on the composition of the plastic, you may find that it leaves a residue. With today's composite materials and expensive replacement costs, sticking to water is a great option.

A small, soft-bristled paintbrush works well to clear dust from crevices around the gear shift and hand brake, the radio controls and other tight spaces where dust can settle. You can also use a soft-bristled toothbrush and Q-tips to clean crevices and hard to reach areas.

Tip. If you used a damp cloth, go back with a dry soft cloth to dry the plastic.

Photo: Your Mechanic

Treating stains on plastic

If your plastic is stained, apply a very small amount of mild soap, laundry detergent, or plastic auto cleaner to a damp cloth. If you need advice on what auto cleaner to use, just ask your local Color Glo Specialist.

Never apply any cleaning solution directly to the plastic. Wipe the area until it is clean and follow it up with a clean, dry rag. If you cloth begins to show dirt, turn it to a clean spot otherwise you'll simply be in the business of re-distributing dirt. 

Tip. Always apply any cleaner to an inconspicuous spot to test how it may react to your plastic.

Image: Wikihow

Keeping your shine

Apply a protectant. Once your plastic is cleaned, you should apply a protectant. For DIY'rs, you can visit the automotive section of of any larger retailer or auto parts store to get some advice on what might be a good option. Always apply sprays or chemicals to your cloth or rag vs. directly on the plastic. You'll avoid spots and over-treated areas. Replace your cloth or applicator as necessary. 

Use a polish. To add some shine to your plastic, use a plastic polish. Or you can use some natural products such as olive oil or boiled linseed oil. Put some oil or polish on a soft cloth and then rub it into the plastic. Then use a clean soft cloth to rub away any excess product. Boiled linseed oil can be purchase from a hardware or paint store. You can find your favorite strength of virgin olive oil at your favorite grocer. 

Tip. If you find a good all-in-one product that you like, you can cut down the amount of products you use and potentially some cost. They are out there.

Need to hire a professional?

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How to Clean Velour Upholstery

How to clean velour and velvet

We can't help it, we love velvet and velour, especially nice grays or deep blues. But you struggle to help it retain its luster or keep from being a hair and dirt trap.  

The velvety appearance of velour (and velvet) makes it an elegant, beautiful choice for upholstery. But it does require some extra care to keep it looking beautiful and luxurious. With dirt and dust, the fabric loses its soft touch and becomes stiff and dull looking. You may also notice slicked wear spots over time where your head or face often sits.

There is some hope. Check out these tips on how to clean velour upholstery for new looking furuntire all the time. 

What you need to clean velour

First thing is first. You need to round up some basic household supplies. Gather these items:

• Soft brush
• Vacuum with brush attachment
• Bucket
• Water
• Mild liquid soap (Ex: Woolite Upholstery Soap or mild dish soap)
• Ammonia
• Muslin fabric
• Suede brush

Steps to cleaning velour upholstery

1. Use your brush. Your starting point is to remove as much dirt as possible by brushing it away with your soft brush.
2. Loose dirt and visible dust can be removed by using a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment. 
3. Fill up a bucket with warm water.
4. Add a small amount of mild soap and stir the water. Do not agitate the water to form suds, just mix in the soap nicely to create a soapy liquid. Add a few drops of household ammonia for extra cleaning power if you think you need it. Up to you.
5. Muslin fabric is a special type of material and is gentle to keep from damaging the soft fibers of the velour.
6. Dip the fabric piece into the soapy water and wring it out completely. Wring it out until it just feels damp - excess water will not be your friend here.
7. Rub the moistened cloth over the surface of the upholstery. Use a back and forth motion as you are cleaning. "wax on, wax off..."
8. Repeat as necessary until the surface is clean.
9. Change the cloth and water as necessary to keep working with clean materials.
10. Once the surface is clean allow it to dry completely.
11. Brush the surface with a suede brush to restore the soft texture.

“Wring it out until it just feels damp - excess water will not be your friend here.”

Velour tips and advice

1. Do Not... clean velour with high heat cleaners. An example of this is a steam cleaner. The heat can (and will) damage the material and cause discoloration.
2. Do ask advice... Velour is a sensitive fabric and is often best left to cleaning and color restoration professionals. If your piece is very soiled or you just don’t want to risk damaging the surface, hire a professional who is experienced with velour.
3. Choose wisely. When choosing a liquid soap, avoid those with additives and color. A clear soap is the best option.

Lastly, about your velour

If it's hairy and fuzzy...
Vacuum any accumulated dust or dirt with a special upholstery attachment for velvet - this may or may not come with your vacuum. This will also remove any fuzz that has formed on the surface of the fabric. Run your vacuum attachment back and forth until the surface is clean.

Remember the days of pantyhose trickery? It works here to. If you don't have the proper attachment for your vacuum, then place a piece of pantyhose over the nozzle and start lightly vacuuming your velvet or velour. Fuzz be gone!

If you've spilled...
The number one thing you should do in a hurry is blot. Find a clean, super-absorbent cloth or paper towel and let it soak up the excess liquid. Do not dab or rub the area - you'll just work it deeper into the fibers. Its very likely you can just leave the cloth in place and it will absorb most of the liquid and it can then air dry. A spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide may get any excess staining out just by spraying and letting it sit, but be warned, you should color test an area that is out of sight first. 

If your velvet or velour has lost its sheen...
Try directing a steamer at the reverse side of the matted areas to make the fibers fluffy again. Then dry brush the area, making sure the pile is going in the same direction.

Need to hire a professional?

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How To Clean the Exterior of Your Car Like a Pro

How to wash your car

When it comes to washing your car, its a love/hate relationship. You either enjoy your vehicle as a hobby and it is your pride and joy or you hate the thought of even cleaning a floor mat and just assume it rot where it sits. So here are some tips for the enthusiast to clean your car's exterior like a pro. 

Are there general guidelines I should follow?

Yes. If you're in the category of enthusiast and washing your car is chicken soup for your soul, then you know there are some things you need to think about. Washing your car can be easy and enjoyable and regular washing helps a new paint job keep its luster. But as simple as washing your car may seem, there are some things to watch for so that you don't accidentally scratch or degrade the finish. Below are some basic car-washing tips.

1. Shade is your friend. Your vehicle’s surface needs to be cool. If the car is hot, the soap suds will dry too quickly, staining the surface and requiring another wash. Enjoying washing your car goes as far as doing it one time on your afternoon off. 

2. Pre-soak. Pre-soak your vehicle to remove grime, bug shrapnel, and heavy contaminants like rocks, water bottles, McDonald's wrappers and bunny remains.

3. DO use mild liquid soap and a soft car wash mitt or some other towel designed to respect your paint job's luster. Renew your water regularly. 

4. Patience young Jedi. Many times, we just soap up the entire car and get to work. Negative ghost rider - wash one section at a time, and then rinse it off. You should start with the roof of the car, then proceed to the hood and the rear. It makes perfect sense to go top-down rather than create more work for yourself. 
   
   Next, clean the upper quarter panels, then move to the lower areas, including the rocker panels. The lower area of your car will always have extra "stuff" on it and the longer pre-soak as you work your way down will help eliminate this crud. The top to bottom sequence is also important because you run the risk of having small pieces of debris adhere to the mitt or sponge which may scratch your vehicle.

5. Hose off your mitt! This is the toughest piece of advice because it is a human diligence requirement. We all want to just put the mitt or cloth back in our water and rinse it there while soaking up some more soapy water. This is bad! Always hose off your mitt or sponge before putting it back in the wash bucket to re-soap. Start with clean water and end with clean water. Dipping your dirty mitt into your bucket, just helps you apply the grime right back onto your automobile. If you've every wondered why the car is streaking while you're washing it, this may be your answer. 

6. Rinse, rinse, rinse. Rinse your vehicle thoroughly and all over. When you feel satisfied and think you're finally done rinsing, go ahead and rinse it one more time. 

7. Rims and tires. Your car washing drawer should have a few different mitts and cloths in it. We heavily suggest using a different mitt to clean the tires and rims of your car then the body. Using a separate mitt for the wheels will reduce the chance that you’ll scratch the car’s paint with brake dust and dirt you pick up from the rims. You'd be surprised how many people just use the same water and same mitts for washing and rinsing everything. You might as well drive right to the auto body shop when you're done. 

8. Wheels. Ahhh, your pride and joy. Be very cautious when cleaning wheels, especially if you’re using a spray-on wheel cleaner. Wheels can be extremely hot if the car has just been driven or sitting in the sun. When you spray wheel cleaning chemicals on hot metal, the chemicals will vaporize and you will inevitably inhale them. Needless to say, this is not good for you health routine and depending on temperature and the chemical, you could cause some damage to products like Chrome or special coatings.

9. DON'T buy the pricey automotive cleaners. Instead, use a mild, liquid soap that is well diluted. This will accomplish everything you need, such as removing dirt, grease, and films without damaging plastics or other materials. Some people use household soaps but you also need to be careful to not use a harsh detergent. Stick to mild soaps and if possible find one that is safe for cars. The huge benefit is that it will cost you pennies over the heavily marketed auto detailing brands. 

10. The drying process. Dry your vehicle immediately to prevent water spots. Chamois work very well and can help you move quickly through a vehicle that may have the sun on it. 

What's next after I wash my car?

You should follow your wash process by waxing and cleaning the windows both inside and out. Applying wax to your car is like putting sunscreen on your skin. It adds a layer of protection from UV rays to prevent fading, as well as anything that may land on the paint.

You will be able to preserve your high gloss finish for a much longer span of time. You can find wax in a carnauba or polymer form. Both types of wax perform the same, but a polymer wax won't haze as it dries and can usually be wiped off soon after applying. The choice between using carnauba or polymer wax is similar to choosing synthetic or regular engine oil. A polymer is a bit more expensive but is easier to apply and some say performs better.

For the glass, the rules are pretty simple. Stay away from what you inherently want to do which is to grab Windex and other household glass cleaners. They can contain ammonia which can damage your car's window tint. Use an auto window cleaner for best results and wipe down twice to ensure the cleaner is removed. In a pinch, you can use a diluted white vinegar solution as it's a natural, low-cost, healthy household cleaner that should be fairly streak-free. 

Last thoughts and tips...

Don't... move your sponge or mitt in circles. This can create light, but noticeable scratches called swirl marks. Instead, move the sponge lengthwise across the hood and other body panels. If you drop your sponge, rinse it thoroughly. Never reapply a sponge that has hit the ground or gone into polluted soapy water. Take that extra time to change out your bucket. 

Maintain a shine. If you're going to lose sleep at night because the thought of pulling your freshly waxed car out to run an errand or (God forbid) go to work, then you may want to keep some supplies on hand to maintain your shine. There are several spray mists out there designed to remove daily debris and keep your wax job in top form. Toss this and a micro-fiber cloth in the trunk and you're armed and ready. 

Headlights

For headlights that are sun-faded, full of crud, or just plain old, you can check out our guide on "How To Restore Your Car Headlights to New".

If your car is nearing that "vintage" stage or you just can't bear to part with it, but it's an eyesore, you may want to recondition it. You can read about the difference between detailing and reconditioning your car.

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Should I Use Silicone Based Conditioners In My Auto Interior?

Top questions about cleaning leather

1. Does my leather really need conditioning?
2. What kind of conditioners are best?
3. What about cleaning my car leather?

Color Glo specialists work to repair worn auto interiors and bring them back to life. 

Starting With The Basics

With decades of experience in cleaning and refurbishing surfaces, we've learned a few things along the way.  The single most important thing to remember is that we live in a marketing society that is overloaded with information - much of it incorrect. So how do you disect what is good and bad for you care interior, for your boat interior, for the health of your home, for your family... You catch our drift...

"In Our Opinion", based on experience

Research has only confirmed that leathers of today are not the leathers of yesterday. Hopefully, you've come to this same conclusion with many products in your life. Today's modern pigments, dyes and finishing processes have produced a car leather that is very resistant to the wear and tear that leather must endure inside the operating environment of our families, our jobs and our recreation vehicles. 

This also means that the days of searching for the best auto leather conditioner are mostly a thing of the past.  Since many of you may be "old dogs" and since old rules die very slow deaths, you will likely continue your search for the best auto leather conditioner that your money can buy, regardless of updated teachings. 

Quest on my friend.

About cleaning leather interior

• Virtually all car leathers used today are finished with a clear protective coating that is applied for protection and durability of the leather. What does this mean? It means you will actually be cleaning, treating, or conditioning a clear protective layer that is made up of different types of resins, polymers, synthetics. The point is that you are not dealing with the actual leather, but the clear protective layer; just like the clear coat on your car paint. 
• Keeping your car leather clean is the most important and critical part of the health and beauty of your car leather. In the experience of Color Glo professionals, keeping your leather clean and safe from elements consistently over the life of the car can keep your interior looking just like new 10 years later. 
• With all that said, SOME auto leather conditioners can still play a role in the health and beauty of your car's leather interiors. Do your homework or ask your local Color Glo specialist. 

So let's get to it

As mentioned, if you want your chariot to look clean and new for its lifetime, then weekly cleaning of its interior is a key point here, specifically for your leather. So what are the essentials?

Leather Care

Color Glo International specializes in leather cleaning and refurbishing. 

If you have an older car, you just might have leather that is un-coated with modern day clear coats. Your high-end luxury exotic has a completely different technology behind it's leather pilot's seats than your 1964 Ford Fairlane that took you on Friday night pink slip laps around the neighborhood.

Silicone dressing for automobile interior.

You should pass. Let's talk about out auto leather conditioner for a bit. Car leather today is the product of advanced engineering and manufacturing. It is highly resistant to wear and tear and daily use and abuse. Most of us that are in our early 40's and beyond, remember the day of hard cracked leather seats, hot surfaces, and deep conditioning. Gone are these days. 

The thoughts of massaging some magically engineered car leather conditioner into our car leather that can take it from a state of wear to gleaming new, is the stuff of legends. These philosophies still sit deep-rooted in our society's heads, but in reality, this is clever marketing to keep you buying into manufacturer's "kool-aid".

• Don't think you can apply auto leather conditioner without cleaning your leather first. The only exception is if your car is literally brand new. There will always be some form of dirt regardless of how clean your leather looks...so make sure you clean it first. Talk to your local Color Glo professional about mild cleaners that are designed to the job well. 
• Cleaning your car leather only will leave it with a satin, or matte appearance. If you want it to have a little shine then a dressing or conditioner may be the way to go, but be warned about dressings. Ryan explains why below. 
• Black or very dark leather interiors will typically have an inconsistent appearance after cleaning, making them more difficult to keep looking "like new".  For this reason, we do suggest using a conditioner/dressing in most cases to create a perfectly even appearance after the cleaning process. 
• As you may have noticed, humans get lazy and like to skip steps. So you might find yourself wanting to skip the cleaning part next time around and simply be seduced into applying a fresh coat of dressing. This will create a worse problem over time as you will be rubbing a fresh coat of dressing along with any dirt deeper and deeper into every area of your fine upholstery. Over time you will create a nice build-up of dirt and conditioners which will actually begin to deteriorate your automobile's protective top coat. Keep our number handy... you will need it. :-)
• Lastly, beware of the brands labeled as "long-lasting" or "water-resistant" as these silicone based dressings/conditioners will be difficult to clean completely off each time you do clean your car leather. Don't take the Tim Allen approach here form Tool Time and assuem that more is better. When it comes to dressings/conditioners, you actually want a product that will clean off easily each time and therefore allow for complete cleaning of your leather each time prior to a new application of conditioners. 

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Ryan Feeborn from Color Glo Oregon gives us his thoughts on silicone based dressings. 

A few tips on auto leather conditioners

Just be smart and educated about your leather and auto interiors. Now that you're armed with a little bit of information based on real world experience, you can use the recommendations above to begin your own search. You may want to implement a schedule on your calendar if you're serious about protecting your investments. The "garage" or Man Cave schedule. 

• Clean your car leather once a month. If done regularly, it's just minutes of your time. If you procrastinate, it's a much bigger job which requires some beer and complaining - maybe that's better for you.... A microfiber cloth dampened with cleaner and aggressive rubbing is all your particular car leather may require if done so regularly.
• Use a Color Glo leather conditioner if it makes you and your car leather feel a bit better about it all.
• Use a canned aerosol dressing after cleaning any colored car leather to create a nice sheen. This will provide a consistent appearance after cleaning your car leather. This auto leather conditioner/dressing will also address the black/dark colored leather/vinyl interiors issue mentioned above. 

Motor On!

Top 4 Tips For Cleaning Marine Vinyl Interior

Should I be careful when cleaning my boat?

Yes. Yes, yes and yes. You probably read our article on how to Bring Your Boat Interior Back to New, where we reminded you of the acronym B.O.A.T. ... But our Color Glo Specialists wanted to make sure you know the Top 4 Tips for keeping your boat interior in good shape. 

You work hard to buy a boat and work harder to keep your boat looking good. You routinely put it in and take it out of the water, wash it, apply wax, and do your best to ensure it remains the boat of your dreams. Then it happens; one of our friends (hopefully invited) spills their adult beverage all over your well-kept carpeting, or they spill a cleaner or bleach on our vinyl seats and seams. 

Proud boat owners know this feeling well and have learned to keep their watercraft "in the family" due to it. Boat ownership is exhausting as much as it is rewarding, so we thought we give you a few more tips on how to ensure your work pays off in the end. 

Check your grades of marine vinyl.

Vinyl upholstery fabrics come in different grades, but this grade does not reflect fabric quality; it refers to the price it cost to make the fabric. You cannot find consistency in the vinyl fabric grading process because each manufacturer sets its own grades, much like tire manufacturers rate tires for speed without government or industry standards. So buyer beware...

Some boat interiors take a little more "TLC" than others...

Price grades range from "A" to "F," with the "F" grade representing the pricier fabrics. Rather than selecting vinyl upholstery fabrics by grade, choose the type of vinyl upholstery material you need according to its intended use.

Marine grade vinyl is a type of vinyl that you should want in your vessel to withstand time, torture, and sun. The problem is that not all boats come with it. Check your sales guy.

Cleaning your vinyl the right way

You might be tempted to spray bleach on your boat interior seats or use other harsh chemicals to try and mitigate some crude. JUST SAY NO. 

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Brenda from Great Lakes Color Glo in Michigan give us the scoop on great marine interior cleaning advice. 

The process can be very simple if you take the time maintain your boat after each and every use. Just remember these quick tips. 

• Clean off the vinyl with a damp cloth first, removing salt, grime, dirt, and other debris.

• Apply a thin layer of Vinyl cleaning material, such as the Color Glo Vinyl Clean that Brenda recommended above. 

• Rinse with fresh water, dry, and repeat as needed.

If you have deep mildew stains or other mold problems from improper care, a good firm brush may be needed along with a water/ammonia solution to break up the mildew growth. 

How about UV protection?

Today, its a sales benefit as many people are aware they need UV protection - not only on their vinyl but our skins and everything else in our lives. The sun will beat your marine interior down and chew it up. So the question to ask is simply this:

Does my boat interior come with a high-grade vinyl that has UV protectant manufactured in?

If they answer is yes, then you're in really good shape by the time you've gotten to this question. If it doesn't, it's not the end of the world. You can still have high-quality interiors but have to use a Color Glo product to ensure your vibrant boat colors stay in check. Just contact your local Color Glo Specialist for advice. 

Choose your personal UV block with caution!

What you put on yourself will transfer to your precious craft. Choose your sunscreens and sun oils wisely as some will stain or leave oily marks in your vinyl, which can be very difficult to remove. In today's market of more health-conscious consumers, your options for organic products, oil and paraben-free products and creams that boast not being greasy are numerous. 

Choose wisely for the health of your skin and your boat's skin.

Lastly... Vinyl seats and covers on your boat are susceptible to drying, fading, and cracking. The sun, water, and regular wear and tear all age vinyl very quickly. Any vinyl on or in your boat should be regularly cleaned and protected to maintain it over the service life of our boat. 

The worst enemy to vinyl is extended exposure to the sun's rays and dirt and grime/sand/dirt build-up. UV rays from the sun fade and dry vinyl out. Dirt and grime retain moisture on the surface and together cause the protective topcoat on vinyl to deteriorate, cause mildew or other mold problems. 

The best advice we can give is to treat the boat like your own body. You clean it every day (hopefully) and brush your teeth. After every use of your boat, bring its livelihood back to new by brushing off seats and rinsing them, cleaning the interiors and exteriors and storing it with a cover to protect it from the elements. 

Happy Boating!

How to Make Your Own Beeswax Leather Polish

DIY Beeswax Leather Furniture Polish

Leather, of course, comes from a once living animal. Just like our skin, it can dry out, crack, tear and have damage based on how its taken care of. You can use a waterproofing spray to delay the inevitable degrade of leather that happens through vicious cycles of wet / dry, cold / hot, etc. But eventually, your furniture, boots, purses or what have you is going to need some love. 

Make your own leather polish & conditioner

If you want to take care of your leather aging leather furniture, or better yet you really love your leather shoes, wallets, purses, and boots - especially if you have a problem with boots... then you'll need a good, organic, home-made waterproofing and leather balm to help maintain your leather goods to last a lifetime. 

Tools

• Measuring spoons
• Tins or cups for your polish
• Pyrex measuring cup
• Small pot
• Small aluminum pie plate (optional)
• Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

• Beeswax - solid
• Mineral Oil or Castor Oil
• Coconut Butter
• Olive Oil or Sweet Almond Oil

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Step 1

Setup is really easy. Flatten the small pie tin and punch holes into it (if you opt to do this). This allows bubbles to pass through it and it keeps your preparation from burning (the pyrex sitting directly on the pan bottom could cause burning). Next, fill the pot so that the water just cover the pie tin by 1/4 of an inch. Then set your Pyrex cup on top of the tin. 

Image: The Modern DIY Life

Ratios. Ingredients are broken down into three categories; solid, semi-solid and liquid. The ratio of each depends on the consistency of polish you are trying to create. A safe mixture ratio would be 2-1/2-1/2 liquid to solid and semi-solid respectively, however you can change it up depending on your application.

If you want a softer polish (say for furniture), you can increase 3-1/2-1/2 or even as much as 4-1/2-1/2 however, I wouldn't go much softer than that. The more beeswax / butter means a firmer mixture, while more oil means softer. It's your choice really...

Step 2

NOW, Add the beeswax and coconut butter. If you need a measurement to start with you can use a one-to-one ratio such as: 1/4 cup of beeswax and 1/4 cup of coconut butter.

Keep stirring then slowly add your almond oil or olive oil (1/4 cup). It will cool the mix causing lumps so add it slowly allowing the mixture to re-melt. When it's fully blended, you can start adding the mineral oil (1/4 cup). It's a thicker oil, so you'll need to really blend it.

Image: homefarmer.co.uk

You'll need to keep the heat on your preparation for another 5 minutes or so. Make sure that is DOES NOT BOIL. If you see some steam rising from the mixture, you'll want to reduce the heat and continue to stir. If you think too much steam has gathered on the outside or top of the Pyrex cup, just wipe it off and keep going. 

Pouring Your Mixture

Get your tins or cups ready by removing the lids and lining them up. Pour mixture directly from the Pyrex cup into your tins, filling them just below the lip of the container. You may want to find plastic cups or creative containers at your local craft store or dollar store. 

Image: homefarmer.co.uk

That's it!

Now, just let the mixture cool down. This concoction will work on a variety of materials and is very long lasting. This is actually the base mixture for common things you use, like lip balm, oiled canvas, waxed leather and more. It really boils down (no pun intended) to the ratios inside your mixture. 

Experiment. Have fun. Save Money. And if you need to clean your leather furniture first, then visit this post: How to care for leather furniture. 

Just look how this boot cleans up with a little home-made beeswax leather polish. 

Image: instructables.com

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Lastly, we found this gent over at Hands on History who gives us a nice video walk-through of how you can make this preparation yourself. His focus is medieval so he's a lot fun!

How To Care For Your Leather Furniture

Purchasing furniture can be frustrating as well as exciting for many people. If you're like most of us, when the time comes to make decisions, you begin to have doubts about your choices. This is pretty common with leather furniture. We've gathered up the best leather care tips to help aid you in your leather furniture buying decisions. Have no fear! Make leather furniture purchases with complete confidence. 

The piece of leather furniture can really make a statement. 

Leather Furniture Myths Debunked

Leather furniture gets easily damaged by children and pets. No. Your leather furniture is as safe as any other furniture in the house. For an added layer of "piece of mind", you can choose a protected leather for your furniture, which has an extra finish applied to it to make it extra-resilient to potential hazards. There are some dogs that think the couch is their chew toy and some cats that assume it is their scratching post. That is a different issue altogether. The later issue can be resolved by making your own cat repellant spray. 

Leather furniture is too cold or too hot. No. You're basing your leather discrimination on your automobile's leather seats in a midwestern environment. Outside is typically either "too cold" or "too hot". Leather furniture indoors will remain pleasantly cool in the summer and warm to your body heat in the winter, with no harsh beginnings as your home usually comfortable inside. Our only tip may be to keep it out of the direct sun. The sun can both heat the leather up and make it uncomfortably hot as well as fade its character.

Leather furniture doesn't last. Negative ghost rider. Leather furniture (if bought at a high quality) is something you purchase for a lifetime. Since leather is a natural product, the process of aging brings out its natural patina. To some, leather furniture may age like a fine wine, bringing out deeper layers of beauty over time. Generally speaking, leather furniture is a sound home investment. 

Leather furniture is only for rich people. No. Though leather furniture may look luxurious in many cases, you don't have to be a rock star to outfit your home with it. Even if buying at the top-end of leather furniture, you'll find that it lasts much longer than fabric and be a much better value for your home. 

Leather furniture is too hard to care for. No. It's all in routine, just like your other household responsibilities. Leather is very easy to care for. You'll want to use a conditioner every 6-12 months and wipe up spills as they are occurring with a clean cloth. Avoid using abrasive cleaning supplies like soaps, detergents, solvents, etc. These will only leave stains and dry up or damage your leather. Saddle soap? Only for catcher's mitts. 

This brings us to the next section. 

Tips & Tricks to Care For Your Leather Furniture

Here are some tips and tricks for keeping your leather furniture beautiful and easily cared for,  for many years to come. ** Some leather comes with very specific cleaning and maintenance. Always be sure to consult the manufacturer's recommendations before following this guide. 

1. In normal living conditions or what the manufacturer may consider normal usage, all that should be necessary to keep your leather furniture in tip-top condition is a regular vacuuming in the crevices and a dry cloth dusting to remove direct and dust build up. 

2. Purchase a good leather conditioner (your furniture retailer can recommend one). Make good use of it every 6-12 months. 

3. Like any upholstery material, leather can fade if over-exposed to the sun. Protect your leather furniture from sun, as well as outdoor elements. 

Use a clean terry cloth to wipe spills and clean up messes.

Methods of Cleaning Leather Furniture

Just like bleaching your hair using self-tanning spray... always try any cleaning method in a hidden area first. You would hate to turn your plush burgundy office furniture blonde in one vigorous cleaning extravaganza. 

For minor spots and spills, wipe up any excess liquid immediately with a blotting sponge or clean absorbent cloth. If necessary, use a lightly moistened soft cloth with clean lukewarm water, and let it air dry naturally. If you're using water, clean the entire area where the spot occurred.

• Do not use soap or soak the stain heavily with water. This may cause more damage than the stain itself.

• Do not use cleaning solvents, furniture polish, oils, varnish, abrasive cleaners, detergent soaps, or ammonia water.

• For butter, oil, or grease stains, wipe off excess with a clean dry cloth, and then leave alone as the spot should dissipate into the leather after a short period of time.

• If the stain persists, it is recommended that a professional leather specialist clean the leather to avoid any potential damage to the leather itself.

• For minor or slight scratches on the surface, use a chamois or clean fingers to gently buff the scratch. If needed, moisten lightly with distilled water to work scratches out.

• Remember that leather is a natural product and requires some care to maintain the natural beauty of the hide.

• For cracks, tears, or punctures seek your local leather furniture restoration service to quickly fix the affected area and keep it from spreading to further damage.

Source: American Leather Furniture

Terry of Color Glo KC says "treat it like your own skin" 

Interior Design & Leather Furniture

Many people can't wrap their head around how to design their space with leather. They begin to feel like their home may be too "woodsy" or too sterile. Understandably, you've probably been to homes or cabins where this is exactly the case. Those are byproducts of home themes, not good spatial advice. 

If you feel like your loving that perfect leather furniture and you're now convinced that it's easy to take care of, but you just can't get your interior design thumb flexing, then hire a professional to help in your mission. We defer to a professional Interior Designer in Minneapolis. 

Leather Interior Design in Minneapolis. CW Lofts by Tiffany Hanken Design.