Five ways to fix furniture after the holidays

Paul Wittig, owner of Fibrenew Indy West talks about the Top five ways to fix furniture after the holidays.

1. INK : The spoiled rotten ... we mean darling nephew, tries out his new marker set by drawing Spongebob on your leather couch. You become a crabby Patty and scramble to clean it up.
   • DON’T use dish soap or hair spray to remove the marks. The degreasing agent in dish soap can permanently de-gloss and damage the top coating on the leather surface. Hair spray has alcohol in it and will ruin the surface coating on your leather.
   • DO use a soft sponge and specialized leather cleaner. Buy it at most leather furniture retailers – but for serious problems your local Fibrenew franchise can help.
2. NAIL POLISH: You try out OPI’s Affair in Red Square red to sexy up those toenails, but you end up polishing a couch cushion instead.
   • DON’T use nail polish remover because it will take all of the color out of your leather and leave a bleached spot bigger than the nail polish spot.
   • DO once again, use a soft sponge and leather cleaner.
3. FOOD OR WINE STAIN: Your brother-in-law eats an entire pizza and drops a greasy cheese and his fifth glass of wine on your leather loveseat.
   • DON’T use window/mirror cleaner because it contains alcohol which will dissolve and destroy the surface coating on your leather.
   • DO use a damp towel to wipe up the mess and a dry one to finish the job. Fully-finished leather is pretty much water proof, so a little spill isn’t going to hurt as long as you clean up quickly before it soaks through.
4. ANIMAL SCRATCHES AND PICKS: For the purr-fect gift, Santa brings your kids a kitty. Hello Kitty quickly turns into GOOD BYE Kitty when the fury friend (now foe) decides your leather couch is his new scratching post.
   • DON’T touch up the spots with shoe polish because it makes an ugly, sticky mess.
   • DO try to reduce the visibility of the problem by snipping off the cotton interior strands that often get pulled out when leather gets picked. DO use a hair dryer and massage minor scratches with leather cleaner to try to rub it out. Call a professional to fix larger scratches and holes - this is not a DIY kind of job.
5. BURNS AND DISCOLORATION: Those window candles get knocked over on your upholstery and are left on overnight. You wake up Christmas morning to a dried out heat spot and a cracked couch cushion.
   • DON’T try to rub it out and blend it with the surrounding area, you’ll only make the problem bigger.
   • DO bring in some help. When leather or faux leather gets damaged by heat, the only solution is to call in a professional. Regardless of size, a professional repair can make that burn look brand new and can be done on the spot in your own home.