Understanding Leather & Fabric
Living with Leather
Purchasing real quality and real leather upholstery from Reid represents a substantial investment and its appearance is a true reflection of your individual taste and personality. In order for you to enjoy both the appearance and comfort of your furniture and to ensure you choose the correct leather that relates to your individual lifestyle, Reid have written this information to help you understand leather. It is important that we stress the undoubted uniqueness and the characteristics of this natural product.
Leather Characteristics
Leather will always bear marks of its natural origin. Each sofa group takes approximately seven to eight hides to make. Each hide used in the manufacture of your leather furniture will have its own variation in grain, shading, distinctive markings, insect bites and blemishes. Each hide is totally individual. The typical markings you find on each individual hide are natural and are the hallmarks of authentic leather, but depending on the type of leather you select will factor in the amount of markings and characteristics that are visible. High protection leather will have most natural markings taken out of the leather during the tanning and finishing process to give a uniform finish. Whereas, a complete natural / aniline leather will show all the characteristics that make leather a truly original and natural product. All of the above characteristics and markings are never detrimental to the wearing properties of your suite. In the first few weeks leather acquires natural creases and wrinkles, commonly known as puddling, sometimes more accentuated in sofas with fibre filled seat cushions. These in fact are features of leather which discerning owners appreciate.
Natural Leather Natural Leather
Natural leather which is commonly known as Aniline or Sauvage leather, is the most expensive category of leather made from the most carefully selected hides. Dye is impregnated into the hide and the surface remains natural with no artificial finish. It is the softest and most pure looking leather with all the variations in shade and all the natural markings shown clearly. Because it does not have any surface finish it has low resistance to light and it is more absorbent to staining.
Top Performance Leather Top Performance Leather
Top Performance leather which is also known as semi Aniline, combines the natural beauty of leather with a delicate protective coating which - without altering the leather's natural characteristics - offers increased protection from stains. This varies between all the different types of Top Performance leather. These leathers exhibit all the distinctive natural markings that will show some variation in colour and texture.
Suede and Nubuck Leather Suede and Nubuck Leather
After tanning and dyeing, the surface of this leather is buffed to produce a soft velvety surface. This surface can be left natural or various embossed finishes can be applied to produce different appearances and textures. In its most natural state, Suede and Nubuck leather is prone to soiling and staining and subsequently is not recommended for an everyday family environment. Because of the uniqueness of this product we recommend specialist cleaning. For further information please contact your local store or our Customer Service Department.
High Protection and Corrected Grain Leather High Protection and Corrected Grain Leather
High Protection / Corrected Grain Leather as the name suggests offers the customer the most protected leather. During the tanning and finishing process the hide is dyed and most of the natural imperfections are removed or covered. By using a roller technique the grain pattern is then embossed on the leather and at this stage the protective coatings are applied. These coatings give the leather excellent durability to soiling and a high resistance to light. This style of hide is particularly easy to care for and is perfect for those busy everyday family rooms.
Corrected Grain – Split Leathers Corrected Grain – Split Leathers
Split leathers come from the same hides as all leathers. A standard hide is too thick to be used for upholstery and as a result during the tanning process the hide is split in two. Occasionally the lower split section is used for certain parts of upholstery such as outside backs and non contact parts of the suites. Reid would never use or recommend a suite which has been constructed solely from split leather.
Care and Advice Care and Advice
Lighter coloured leathers can be permanently stained by continuous contact with noncolourfast clothing, such as denim, dark coloured dressing gowns or dark coloured sweatpants. Ensure never to sit on the suite when wearing damp denim or similar clothing. Dye transfer is a natural characteristic of non-colourfast clothing and cannot be considered as a performance deficiency of the leather. Certain articles of clothing such as denim are very abrasive and have buckles and rivets which can scratch or tear leather. Newspaper print leaves traces of ink which can permanently discolour your suite, so we recommend that they are never left sitting on top of the suite and never place them under seat cushions.
Maintenance Maintenance
1. It is vitally important to clean lighter shades of leather more often in order to avoid the build up of harmful soiling. We recommend taking a dry lint free cloth over the suite weekly to remove any build up of dust or grime.
2. Cushion infills. In a suite of a "soft, loose, modern design" a regular dressing program must be practised daily. This involves the "plumping up" of all back, seat and arm cushions. It is especially important that all feather and fibre-filled cushions are "plumped up" again on a daily basis. This will help your cushions and infills retain their shape and appearance giving balanced wear.
Protection Protection
3. Always protect your furniture from direct sunlight or intense heat as this will accelerate the natural discolouration and drying process.
4. Never use unspecified saddle soap, varnishes, aerosol spray polishes, shoe polishes, detergents, solvents or stain removers.
Cleaning Cleaning
5. Remove spills immediately with a clean dry cloth. Do not rub.
6. Dirt, hair, grease, bodily fluids and human perspiration attack the protective top lacquer. It must be removed weekly with a damp lint free cloth. (see matrix for recommendations).
7. Cleaning your suite with diluted mild neutral soap is only recommended for certain types of leather, such as High Protection and certain Top Performance hides. This should be rinsed with clean water. Reid do not recommend using such methods on Natural leather. Additionally, Reid offers a selection of cleaning kits suitable for all the different types of leathers. Please contact customer services in the UK on 0141 303 7227 or email us at csd@reidfurniture.com to discuss which cleaning kit is recommended for your suite.

For stubborn marks please seek professional advice.

Living with Fabric Living with Fabric
You dust your tables, you wipe down your kitchen surfaces and you vacuum your carpet. Some people vacuum their curtains. But many people seem to forget that every bit as much dust and grime is settling on their lounge suites, day after day.

You wouldn’t expect to wear your clothes every day without ever cleaning or brushing them; you like to keep them looking good. So why expect your furniture fabric to look good without a little tlc?

Your new furniture has been manufactured to highly exacting standards – and modern standards are very demanding indeed. Today’s fabrics range from natural to synthetic and everything in between, and are researched, tested and developed intensively, to meet ever more sophisticated levels of durability, appearance and safety. But if you want your furniture to enjoy lasting good looks, you have to consider how you use it – and in these days of TV and dvd, we probably make five times the use of our suites that we once did.

You’ve devoted time and money to selecting your furniture. This leaflet can help you make the absolute most of your investment.
Please be seated Please be seated
Your suite is designed for you to sit on in comfort, and you’ll be most comfortable when sitting correctly. Sitting on the edge of seat cushions and arms causes premature wear and distortion of the fillings. The arms in particular take a lot of wear over the years, so try not to rub your hands over them too much. For added protection, armcaps can be purchased for selected models.
Look sharp Look sharp
Always be careful with rings, buckles, bracelets, heels, zips, children’s toys and anything with a sharp point or edge. Upholstery can be readily scratched, snagged and damaged. For the same reason, be careful about letting pets climb on your suite. If stitching or yarn is pulled, don’t pull it. Simply cutting it short will be far less noticeable.
Wear and tear Wear and tear
Some of today’s fashionable clothing can have an adverse effect on certain fabrics, causing the fabric to bobble – a natural tendency of many modern materials. For instance, denim jeans and modern flatweaves will result in higher levels of bobbling or pilling as it sometimes called.
Sunny side up Sunny side up
Upholstered furniture should not be exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise fading or even rotting of the fabric can occur. Protect it by drawing your curtains or blinds, or simply move it away from windows.
Do your cushions a good turn Do your cushions a good turn
All reversible cushions should be turned daily, constantly switching positions where possible. This will prevent excessive soiling and wear to one side.

In a suite of a soft, loose design, a regular dressing programme should be practised daily. This involves plumping up all the back, seat and arm cushions. It is especially important that all feather and fibre-filled cushions are plumped-up every day. This gives more balanced wear and will help your cushions retain their best shape and appearance.
Velvet touches Velvet touches
Acrylic (Dralon) velvets will crease and crush during normal use, creating random shading. Such marks are not wear, but simply pile displacement, and an inherent characteristic of this type of fabric.
Decorative trims Decorative trims
Furniture with decorative trims will require special care. Remember, fringing is prone to snagging by heels, vacuums, pets, handbag buckles and so on. Likewise, wood trims suffer with harsh treatment, so do take care. And it’s never a good idea to allow children to use your furniture as a climbing frame!
Zip tips Zip tips
Zips are fitted on many cushions to aid manufacture only. Do not remove your covers unless the suite has been sold as a loose cover suite and the covers are designed for ease of removing for cleaning. Unless sold as a removable loose cover, all covers should be cleaned professionally in situ.
Nothing lasts forever Nothing lasts forever
Even the finest furniture wears out eventually, but we do know that this information can help you maintain the looks and durability of your chosen model and bring you even more comfort. Follow the advice and your fabric upholstery will be a continual source of pride and satisfaction.

Did you know...

Reid is very selective when choosing suppliers; they need to share the Reid passion for excellence, with the same high standards.

DeCoro, Premier and Superb Creations are three of the prestigious suppliers Reid deal with.