How to Repair and Care for Leather and Wood Furniture

REPAIR leather funiture-fainting chair

These are some quick repair and easy care tips for the upkeep of leather and wood furniture. Cracks in wood, scratches in leather, these are old school ideas that continue to work. Try them if you haven't already.

Things You'll Need

• beeswax
• soap
• paraffin or tallow
• vinegar
• linseed oil
• turpentine
• pallet knife
• alcohol

Instructions

1. 

   CANE FURNITURE. Some of us have old cane chairs in our homes. When the seats begin to sag, rub top and under side with hot soap suds and allow to dry in the air.

2. 

   CRACKS IN WOOD FURNITURE. Whenever cracks or splits occur in wood furniture, they can be filled with softened beeswax. Press into the holes and smooth the surface. When it is hardened, sandpaper before polishing. If you do not choose this method you can fill with a mixture of sawdust and glue. Treated the same way as above mentioned, it will become as hard as the wood itself.

3. 

   LEATHER FURNITURE. One part vinegar and two parts linseed oil, applied with a soft cloth, will clean and soften leather. Rub and polish with a dry cloth.

4. 

   WICKER FURNITURE. To clean wicker furniture scrub with a stiff brush and warm salt water. Salt not only cleans the wicker but prevents it from turning yellow.

5. 

   WOOD DRESSER. If the drawers stick, plane off the sides and bottom, never the top. Rub the runways with soap, paraffin or tallow. If the knobs are loosened, remove bolts and place between bolts and inside of the drawer rubber washers such as used in faucets. Another way to tighten the knobs is to insert a tiny piece of wooden toothpick in the hole before screwing in the knob.

6. SCRATCHES IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL WOOD FURNITURE. Scratches on mahogany, walnut and fumed oak can be painted with iodine to restore color. Repeat until the color is exact and allow the iodine to sink in and thoroughly dry before polishing. The meat from black walnut or pecan nuts, freed from the skin, will sometimes restore scratches to the original color. Rub in the oil from the nut meats and allow to dry before using a polish.

Resources

• Photo Memory Frame
• Folding gaming chair
• Queen Size Raised Downy Airbed