Leather and suede are versatile, yet expensive products, therefore proper care is essential to maintain them. We therefore recommend leather cleaning every three years or whenever a stain occurs. At LA Leather Cleaners we offer a wide array of services. If you do not see the service you need on this page, give us a call at (310) 677-2982. We love new challenges.
Leather & Suede Cleaning | Purse & Handbag | Alterations & Resizing | Fur Cleaning & Repair | Rug Cleaning & Restoration | Wedding Gown Preservation | Beaded & Sequined | Leather Furniture
Leather and Suede Cleaning
Because leather is an expensive investment, proper care is essential to maintaining leather products. Having your leather cleaned by a leather specialist helps make it last longer. In general leather cleaning is recommended every three years or when you spill something on it. Addressing spills in a timely manner is important because age makes it harder to remove leather spots and stains. And even when your leather looks clean the skins probably have dirt particles in them.
Inspection. When we receive your leather garment for cleaning, we first do a thorough inspection to determine its condition for cleaning and repairs. This includes determining the type of leather, the composition and makeup of a spot or stain and any visible damage to the garment. There are many different kinds of leather and what works well on some leathers do not necessarily work well on others.
Treatment of spots and stains. Spots and stains are then treated by hand using a wide range of spotting agents and techniques. The choice of cleaning agents and technique is determined by the type of stain and the type of leather. Stains such as ink, grease, food, beverage, soil, paint, blood, rust, mold and mildew are treated differently. A 100% removal of any stain cannot be guaranteed but over the years we have found much success in treating even the most stubborn stains. We also make sure that stains are removed safely without noticeably altering the appearance of your leather garment.
Cleaning. Your leather garment then goes through advanced dry cleaning and wet cleaning to remove soils and impurities. At the same time, this process restores the natural oil and waxes that are essential to prolonging the garment’s longevity.
Finishing. The garment is dried and a careful inspection is made after the cleaning process. It is then pressed, resized and reshaped using mild heat.
Color restoration. If your garment needs re-coloring, we apply a pigment blended carefully to match the color of your garment and designed for the type of leather your garment is composed of.
Repairs. If your leather garment needs repairs, our repair technicians are on hand to complete the repair in a timely manner. We repair cuts and tears on your garment, replace damaged zippers, replace or tighten buttons, repair damages to the leather skin, replace or repair worn or damaged linings and other related services.
Your cleaned garment is then inspected again to ensure that our work is done with the highest quality possible.
Purse and Handbag Cleaning
With the prices of designer handbags and purses skyrocketing, it makes sense, now more than ever, to take care of your handbag investments.
Cleaning of leather, suede and fabric bags are all possible using our handbag and purse cleaning crafts people.
Handbags can be restored to an almost new condition in most cases. Fabric, leather and suede are all individually cleaned by hand. Color matching and leather restoration is also undertaken. In those
processes, dye is reintroduced to the skin to make it look brand new.
Added protection is given to the exterior of each handbag to help with stain resistance after every cleaning.
Minor repairs can also be made to your handbags as well. We have cleaned handbags made by:
Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Chanel, Coach and many others.
Garment Alterations and Resizing
LA Leather Cleaners provide alterations, resizing and repair services for your garments. We do a wide range of quality alterations from minor repairs to major adjustments. These include zipper and button replacement, repair or replacement of worn or damaged linings, restoring or resizing garments as your body and style changes, shortening or lengthening your garment as needed or desired, replacement of damaged skins with new ones, repairs of cuts, rips, tears and holes, and many more. At LA Leather Cleaners we do our best to extend the life of your favorite garment.
Actual repair done by LA Leather craftsmen
Reweaving / Reknitting
Three type of reweaving are done at L.A. Leather cleaners.
- French Invisible Method can be done on very small holes no larger than a dime. It is a very long and tedious method where threads are taken from an inside seam of the garment and actually hand woven in and out of all other threads in order to close the hole and make it invisible
- Inweave(block) is the method where a piece of material is taken from a part of the garment where it will not be noticed. The four sides of this piece are unraveled and the end are rewoven into the garment. This method can be done on almost any sized hole .
- Reknitting can be done on knitted fabrics only such as sweaters, double knits or wool knits.
Fur Cleaning and Repair
At LA Leather Cleaners we clean, condition and help preserve your fur coat and other fur garments. Because fur is also a precious investment it demands plenty of care and protection. Especially after usage during winter months, your fur coat will be contaminated with dirt, dust, salt and other destructive elements. Before putting your fur garment into storage we recommend that you have it inspected and cleaned to keep it fresh for the next season. Bring it immediately for repairs whenever you notice a small tear or seem opening. If not attended to in timely fashion, these seemingly minor problems can later lead to heavier damage resulting in costlier repairs and replacement.
When you bring in your fur garment for cleaning and repairs it first goes through a thorough inspection. We then clean your fur by hand to remove dust, dirt, soil, body salt and oils and other stains. Stains are also removed from the linings. It is further cleaned using a process to remove any remaining dirt and conditioned by using a process known as glazing. Glazing helps restore the luster of fur after it has been cleaned and replaces some of the oils so that the furs do not get stiff.
We also do repairs on the smallest rip or tear to a replacement of a complete section or lining. Finally we do a thorough inspection before delivering your cleaned garment back.
Rug Cleaning and Restoration
Your area or sheep skin rugs are given special care and attention at LA Leather Cleaners. We first determine the condition of each rug, looking for stains, spots, dirt, dust, grime, molds, tear, damage and odors. This helps determine the appropriate cleaning and repair technique and procedure to use. Special tools and compressed air are used to remove dust, dirt and grime that might lie buried deep in the carpet. Spots, stains and other remaining dirt are removed by pre-washing the rug using spotting techniques. (Discoloration and fading due to wear or chemical reaction is irreversible, however.) Our deodorizing treatment at the time of cleaning can also help eliminate minor odor problems created by pets. We then gently dry and groom your rug after cleaning to restore its natural feel.
As with leather and furs, it is important to arrange for the early repair of your rug, before any further damage is done. Repairs to rugs are often simple if done at the earliest possible opportunity. These repairs include fixing tears and holes, reweaving lost ends, repairing water rot, repairing moth damage, re-fringing and binding.
Wedding Gown Preservation
Most brides treasure their wedding gowns and will choose to preserve them. Since they were worn only one day and may not appear to be soiled, wedding gowns are often stored in the closet or in a container box right after the wedding. Unfortunately, the gown is already soiled to some degree by perspiration and body oils and may contain not-so-visible stains which could set in and become much more difficult or even impossible to remove later on. Sugar-type stains and salt stains cannot be removed by ordinary dry cleaning and could cause unsightly brownish marks later on and even damage the fabric. To ensure that your gown is preserved for years to come, have your gown cleaned and preserved professionally right after your wedding.
Once you bring your wedding gown to LA Leather Cleaners we carefully inspect it for stains, wear and tear, age, discoloration, etc. This will help us determine the most suitable method of cleaning. Our methods will remove oils and visible stains as well as stains that are not visible to the naked eye. As mentioned earlier the latter can cause discoloration and even deterioration of the fabric if left untreated. We will also clean other memorabilia that you wish to include with your gown such as shoes, veil, garter, bouquet and ring pillow among others.
After cleaning, the gown is prepared for placing in a special storage box. It is carefully pressed, folded and inserted into the preservation box. We take special care in folding your garment, making sure not to create tight creases that will leave a permanent mark on the fabric. Our storage boxes are acid-free. After your gown is carefully placed inside the preservation box, the box is sealed and the oxygen is removed through a process designed to prevent oxidization. The whole process protects the wedding gown against dust, infestation, oxidizing and “yellowing.”
Beaded and Sequined Garments Cleaning
Exceptional garments with intricate beaded and sequined items require special care to continue looking its best. Many local cleaners do not want to handle items with beads and sequin because they lack the necessary expertise and experience and are afraid to damage the garment. We do this all the time at t LA Leather Cleaners. Not only do we clean or repair your beaded or sequined garments but we treat your item with utmost care and attention to detail. We carefully inspect each garment to determine the most appropriate cleaning material and method. We then employ gentle methods of cleaning that are safe for beaded and sequined items. You do not have to worry about discolored or melted beads and sequins with us. We treat your beaded and sequined garments with the loving care and respect they deserve.
Leather Furniture Restoration
LA Leather Cleaners will restore the beauty and condition of your leather furniture. We clean, refurbish and repair your leather and suede furniture. We eliminate molds and mildew, remove dirt, spots and stains, treat cracks, tears and holes, eliminate foul odors and restore natural oils and colors to your treasured leather chairs and couches.
To clean your leather furniture our technicians first remove spots, dirt and stains. This is a process carefully done using equipment and materials that are selected depending on the kind of damage to and the type of leather. Next we fill and restore cracks, holes and tears and touch up worn areas on the furniture. This step not only improves the appearance of the leather but also increases its strength.
Natural oils are restored to smooth and soften the leather and to prevent drying and cracking. Colors are re-tinted to give a “like new” appearance to the furniture and to allow the leather to breather and retain a soft and pliable texture. To end the process, a clear finish is applied to protect against soiling and to protect the surface color.