Subject: Odor in Fur

Q. I was recently given a mink coat that has a strong smoke odor on the bottom and on the sleeve. The coat has a very high value and I would appreciate your opinion on whether the odor can be removed.

A. We specialize in smoke odor removal. Your coat also will be cleaned using our furrier method which both cleans and glazes the fur. Also, we offer fur appraisals if you would like to know the value, condition, age and type of mink. You can order a free inbound mailing label from our website. Please print, complete and include the "Mail Order Form" available on our home page. If you would like us to give you an estimate before beginning the work, please use the "estimate" box on the mail order form.

Subject: Leather Furniture Problems

Q. I have no idea whom to ask this, so I was hoping you could help me. I have a leather sectional. Recently, the leather seat and cushions began showing images - numbers or letters - coming through to the top side of the leather. I don't know if this is caused by something below the leather finish or if it is on the reverse side of the skin. What can you tell me about this?

A. The tanner places a 'size' stamp, indicating the square footage, on each skin. Typically, this stamp is placed near the edge where it is easy for the manufacturer to cut around. What you're seeing is bleed-through because the skin was not marked correctly. Usually, the tanner's mark is affixed with a paint/foil type stamp that remains on the leather surface without soaking in. The furniture manufacturer should not have used this skin. And the tanner should have used a type of marking that would not soak into the leather. These are quality control problems. You need to go back to where the furniture was purchased.

Subject: Wrinkles

Q. How can I remove wrinkles from my leather jacket?

A. Unless the wrinkles are a design feature, you can use a low-temperature dry hand iron. Never use steam. Place brown paper between the iron and garment and constantly move the iron to avoid the overheating the leather. Too much heat will cause discoloration and damage to suede and leathers.

Subject: Leather Dry Cleaning?

Q. Can I have my suede jacket dry-cleaned?

A. No. Suede and leathers require special expertise for proper care. The best way to keep your suede jacket looking like velvet is to brush it lightly - and regularly. Suedes and leathers need to be reconditioned periodically to ensure that suedes don't fade, and that surface cracks don't develop on finished leathers due to dryness. Smooth leathers in good condition can be re-conditioned at home with Fine Leather Lotion manufactured for Arrow.

Subject: Leather Storage

Q. How can I protect or /store my leather jacket during the off-season?

A Leathers and suede are subject to mildew so be certain the leather is completely dry before putting it away for the hot season. The best storage is in a breathable garment bag. This will protect your garment against dust and the leather will be able to breathe. Arrow sells a reasonably priced garment bag in two lengths.

Subject: Shiny Patches

Q. My nubuck jacket has developed a shiny surface around the wrists and on the elbows. Is there anything I can do at home to take the shine off

A Nubuck has a nap and it would seem that your jacket needs to have the nap raised. Without having seen the jacket, it's difficult to know if home care is the correct recommendation. Your jacket may need a good professional cleaning. However, Arrow has an inexpensive kit available that you can use to raise the nap on nubuck jackets - and shoes. Also, the kit allows you to gently clean lightly soiled nubuck and the good news is that you can use it for raising the nap on suede jackets, too.

Subject: Stains in Leather

Q. My leather jacket is stained by (salad dressing, yellow mustard, blood, urine, ink, wine, wine sauce, grease, perspiration). Can it be saved?

A. Yes. In many cases, even a badly stained leather or suede garment can be saved, but each one can be different. There are many variables when you factor in the cause of the stain with the different types of leather. Most manufacturers recommend that leather garments be cleaned by professional leather cleaning methods. This ensures that the stain will be treated properly, and that the suppleness, color and finish of the garment are maintained or restored. Arrow Leather Perfect is an industry leader and trusted resource for the restoration and care of leather garments.

Subject: Rain Damage

Q. I have a new and expensive leather jacket and the manufacturer recommends Leather Perfect for cleaning it. I'm not ready to have it cleaned but I would like to know what happens if I get caught in rain or snow while wearing it.

A. We have great treatments that protect the garment from wetness created by rain or snow. Send your garment to us early in the season.

Subject: Adhesive Badge Residue

Q. I recently went to a party wearing my Ralph Lauren leather coat, and before I knew it, I was wearing an adhesive-backed name badge. When I tried to remove it, that area of my coat lost its finish and I'm really upset. Can you help?

A. This is a problem that we see frequently. We can help you! Send the garment to us and we will remove the adhesive and lightly refinish the blemished area. Worst case, if the leather was severely damaged when the label was peeled off, we could replace the entire damaged panel. Fill out the form. Be sure to pack a separate note inside your garment with your name, address and telephone number. Tell us if you want an estimate and we will (a) mail it or (b) call you. We won't do anything until you have authorized the work. The usual turnaround time, including shipping, is 2 to 3 weeks

Subject: Paint on Leather

Q. Can you remove paint spilled on my leather jacket?

A. There are many variables in removing paint from a leather garment; for example, is it grain leather, nubuck or suede? Is the paint oil based, or water based? We have had quite a bit of experience with paint on leather and we have developed many different methods for paint removal. But our success on your particular garment will depend on what type and how much or how heavy the paint is and on what type of skin. When you send in your garment, please enclose a note telling us what type of paint, if you know, and ask that we call you with an estimate of cost, and our opinion as to how successful we feel we will be with your garment before we do the work.

Subject: Mixed Leather and Fur/Mixed Textile and Fur

Q: I have a white rabbit and acrylic knit sweater jacket that I would like to send for cleaning, the care instructions say, "Do not wash. Do not dry-clean. Clean by specialist method only." Do you foresee any problems with cleaning it?

A. Your garment is a specialty item and we can clean it except, we could run into some limitations. The white rabbit and the white knit, cleaned together, means that one of the components (probably the white knit) will not be cleaned by the method that will offer the best possible results. The manufacturers cleaning instructions mean that the only safe method of cleaning this jacket would be the furrier cleaning method. That means the fur part of your jacket will be cleaned beautifully. The white acrylic knit portion, which would be best cleaned by washing, will not be cleaned very well because the furrier process does not provide for it. Dry-cleaning might be an option, but it is possible that either the rabbit or the knit would be ruined or changed to some degree because they really need different cleaning methods. Your jacket could be taken apart entirely and then reassembled, but in our opinion, the cost to you to do this, versus the cost of the jacket, could not be justified.

Subject: "Crocking" (Dye Problems)

Q. I own a local leather shop, and a few of my new jackets have a "crocking problem" that I believe was caused in the manufacturing process. What can I use to stop this?

A. There is no satisfactory product available in the consumer marketplace to stop crocking. "Crocking" can be caused by one of two different processes. One is a shedding or lint that results after the leather is processed as suede. The other results from excess dyestuffs that can become a problem with either suede or grain leather. Each of these problems requires a different solution and process, and Arrow's technical staff must evaluate the garment to determine how to stop the crocking without altering the look or feel of the garments.  In some cases Leather Perfect can fix  it.