[kinder clean]

Have been to clean a leather suite, have taken some photos but they won't upload. ( Ahhhhhhhh !!! )

Basic tan coloured 2 str leather suite purchased from SCS 4 years ago. ( she had taken the 4 yr extra warranty, expired 2 moths ago )

The custy showed me on arrival where she had started cleaning the sofa herself, but gave up and googled me instead.
 
She had used a liquid leather cleaner, ( I think it was a lakeland product ) the area cleaned, the front of the seat cushions had gone a  lighter shade where she had cleaned it, she commented how dirty she thought it was.

I cleaned another area using FC ultra clean mousse at the front of the seat cushion and again the colour went lighter, but there was no delamination, the surface was smooth to the touch with no tell tale bitty breakdown of the top coat.

There were several areas, the left arm, middle of the 2 seat cushions, right rear cushion about head height, where the top coat had clearly peeled away leaving the same much lighter colour beneath.

I test cleaned another small area on the the seat cushion and this cleaned with no colour loss and no delamination.

This 2 str sofa was part of a 3 piece suite, with another 2 str and a chair, both of which showed no signs of delamination, yet the custy said they had more use than the 2 str in question, I didn't dare attempt cleaning the others.

Bottom line is I turned down the clean, the custy is dissapointed that her suite is only 4 years and wants me to write a report of my findings so she can put in a claim with SCS.

Does this sound like a faulty suite to you ?

Any advice greatly appreciated. - Can e mail photos to anyone willing to take a look.

Cheers

Paul
 

[richy27]

Paul email me some pics   info@pt-cleaningservices.co.uk

regards

Rich

[Dennis]

Do you administer your own website? If so upload the pictures to http://www.kinderclean.co.uk/images/home/ and then link to them in your post.

[kinder clean]

Thanks Richards, sending now.

Dennis, I have no control on the site unfortunately.

Paul

[Dennis]

Paul's pictures:

[davep]

This will need the colour respraying, top coat prob weak due to custy scrubbing away at it  :  Find out what they have been using on it?

[Mark Lawrence]

Is it a 2 tone Paul? its hard to tell from the pics. This is one of the reasons I wont clean 2 tones due to this exact problem.

Mark

[robert meldrum]

I assumed two tone before your photos.........could still be two tone but the top layer has come away usually due to overzealous cleaning action or wrong or too strong cleaner.

If Not two tone you can remedy by removing top coat / cleaning thoroughly and refinishing. Ask Ben to have alook on here and recommend the best finishing product.

Looked again at photos.Definitely looks two tone which can still be refinished but you will definitely need some help.

[kinder clean]

I was told by someone in the industry to look out for delamination on suites above 8 yrs old, so do you not think 4 yrs is a bit soon ?

This was the first time the suite was cleaned, the areas on the arm, centre of cushions and head area of rear cushion have delaminated through normal use and have not been cleaned - is this not a fault ?

What would you write in a report ? - Buy a new suite !  She paid £2000 plus for the suite, I'd be annoyed if my suite started falling apart after 4 years use.

Robert & Mark - Yes I would say it was two tone, so are 2 tones / antique finishes uncleanable ?

Paul

[Jim_77]

She's not going to get anywhere making a claim against SCS!

this sounds like someone who:

1) hasn't read any small print ever when buying anything
2) likes to scrub her leather suite with jif.

I'd be careful if you choose to get involved any further.  I wouldn't write any sort of report unless you've got letters after your name, because they'll shoot you down in flames.  Sorry to say this but the likelihood of this leather having been faulty when it was supplied is tiny.

I'd be annoyed if my suite started falling apart after 4 years use.

Who would you be annoyed at if the engine on your car seized up because you'd never put any oil in it?  The supplier or yourself?  Would Ford give you a brand new Focus if you crashed the old one into a tree?

[robert meldrum]

Delamination can happen in six months through improper use.............there are suites much older than 8 years which have NOT delaminated because of good maintenance.

Remember it's the added " plastic " top coat that's coming away here, it's not delamination of the actual leather's top layer coming away from the fibrous part beneath.

The " leather " is probably fine but needs the top coat stripped and re laquered being two tone is slightly more complex, but it can be done.

Call Ben

[Mark Lawrence]

2 tone is a nightmare in cleaning terms because all that soil and grease can literally hold the top finish together - which all looks fine.

Then you come along, clean it and it comes off. No fault of your own as the lacquer has worn - but cant notice. It would usually then be YOUR problem i.e. you have to colour match, get the same top coat mottled effect (very difficult), and then fiish with new lacquer.

And thats if there isnt any grease in it  :

Mark

p.s. its only an scs suite, not top notch and she aint got a leg to stand on.

[Joe H]

Are you sure its 2 tone?
Looks like a photo taken on generally crumy mobile phone.
Are you sure its not just a cream suite that the top coat has started to come off.
Repaint job on its way I reckon.

[Neil Williams]

I did the LTT course only last week, now I'm not saying I suddenly know it all because I don't.
I wouldn't say that was two tone although if you can lay your hands on a 30x microscope (£10 ish from LTT) that will show up a lot more detail on what it is and possible what the problem is.
Andy did tell us that problems along these lines are more common than you'd expect, a suite that looks perfect until you start to clean it and then the top coating starts to come away/break up. This is not the fault of the cleaner but actually a manufactures fault.
Amazingly someone who brought a sofa with them to do a clean on had this very thing happen at the training centre where if you put a cleaner on it and rub with your palm the top coating statred breaking up.
At the end of the day this would be a simple recoating job.

[robert meldrum]

Neil

Upper left quarter of bottom photo is the best area to look at for two tone effect evidence. At 4 years old this suite has not suddenly given up it's top coat. It's been rubbed too hard or has been cleaned with an abrasive product. It's not the darker colour that's coming off it's both colours plus the protective top coat................