Did your favorite piece of furniture with vinyl upholstery suffer a terrible accident? Day after day you have to deal with the horrible appearance of a hole in the vinyl upholstery of your house? Whatever is your case, I can assure you something: I know what it feels like, and it’s horrible. In Decorating Visita Casas we like to solve the decorating problems ourselves. But I must admit that the first time I heard “re upholstery”, something inside me crashed; simply, and despite being a lover of DIY philosophy, I could not imagine myself re-upholstering a piece of furniture.
But I did it, and now, if necessary or if I want a radical change of look, I do it; do you want to learn to do it yourself too? If so, you’ve reached the right article! Because I’m going to talk to you step by step how to deal with vinyl. But what do you think if we first talked a little about this fabulous material?
The Advantages of Vinyl Upholstery
[one_half_first]A very important point to take into account when decorating is the economy. The budget is something that we can never allow to get out of control. Vinyl as upholstery material is very similar to leather, but much more economical. It is for this reason that people like him so much; the problem is that its useful life is not as extensive as leather. Of course, we are talking about a material that can last up to 20 years in perfect condition; for that reason it is used not only for home furniture, also in boats, restaurants and conference rooms.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]
It is one of the materials that go to the forefront in the upholstery industry. It is special for its ease to be washed and its versatility for personalization.
According to the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association, Inc.:
“A vinyl film used as part of a marine upholstery could contain a half-dozen additives to give the film the desired flexibility, color and processing stability. Other ways to customize vinyl could be by adding UV-resistant and UV-resistant materials. Fire”
In short, we are facing a strong, beautiful, versatile and more economical textile, the perfect choice! But there is something more that many do not tell us: Repairing it is simple!
Fighting Problems in Vinyl Upholstery
The most common problems that we face in upholstery are: stains, tears, materials with sticky qualities.
Many materials become unusable once they have been the victims of one of those enemies; but that is not the case with vinyl. Any of these three scenarios can be overcome with minimal treatment.
And that’s one of its great advantages, you do not have to change all the upholstery or have it repaired by an expert!
All the necessary procedures can be carried out at home and are very simple; so let’s go to the solutions for each one of them.
Remove stains caused by sticky materials
To carry out this maintenance you will need:
- 1 tablespoon of detergent
- 2 small portions of white vinegar
- Clean cloths
- 1 container
First mix 1 cup of hot water with 1 tablespoon of detergent (the same one you use for washing dishes) and 2 servings of white vinegar.
Soak one of the cloths in the solution, squeeze the excess moisture and then place that cloth on the part of the vinyl stained with glue. Leave it there for 10 to 15 minutes for the glue to soften.
Remove the cloth from the vinyl surface. If the glue is really soft, wipe it with a damp cloth. Scrap the waste with the edge of a credit card.
Using nail polish remover
Nail polish remover is also a great ally when fighting stains on vinyl.
Pour enamel remover onto a clean cloth and use it to lift any stubborn glue stain or caused by Super Glue.
Soda to clean vinyl upholstery
Another great ally is soda, not only can you clean the vinyl, it will also brighten it.
First you must dry the vinyl surface with a clean cloth. Then moisten another cloth with mineral water with gas or soda; and polish the vinyl surface with the liquid until it shines.
Remove stains caused by dyes
This maintenance is even simpler than the previous one, since you will only need:
- Clean cloths
- Hot water
- Alcohol
Nail polish remover as well as mineral spirits will be of great help in removing these stains; however, hot water will also be a great ally.
Remember that you should always rub the vinyl with a damp cloth in the solution that you decide to apply to remove the stain; the movements you make with this cloth should always draw a circular shape.
After that, use the dry cloth or, if you want to give it brightness; the cloth with a little soda.
Repairing Broken Vinyl Upholstery
And what happens when we face a rip or worse, a hole? Even in this situation it is not necessary to change all the upholstery or discard our furniture; we can fix it.
You will need the following materials:
- Vinyl patch
- Vinyl Adhesive
- Colorant
- Scissors
- Tweezers
First you must make the hole larger; No, we’re not crazy. Cut the edges of the hole to make a circle.
Buy a piece of vinyl cloth of the same color as the piece of furniture you are repairing. Being such a popular material; of sure you will find a tone equal to the one of your furniture, do not forget to take a sample.
Remember that it should be large enough to cover the entire hole. And, if you cannot find a piece of cloth that matches your furniture; Buy a white piece and paint it to match.
For this scenario you will use the dye designed to dye vinyl.
Push the new vinyl fabric under the hole, but be careful not to create an even larger opening than you already did with the scissors.
Now comes one of the steps where you must put special attention and care. Smooth the vinyl fabric under the hole so that it is completely flat.
Now, apply the vinyl adhesive around the inside edges of the hole and press the edges together to form a gapless seal around the entire perimeter of the hole.
All that is left is to let the patch dry for at least 24 hours before using the furniture. Remember not to leave it in direct sunlight.
Special Vinyl Repair Kits
There are dedicated vinyl repair kits that feature paints, fill fabrics, blades; and even heat transfer tools.
These are the vinyl repair kits that are used to repair the car, however; Are so complete that you should really consider buying one.
Especially when you have very active young children; or pets that you have not yet been able to educate to stay away from vinyl furniture.
The procedure to follow for the repair is given in these kits, we at Decorating Visit Houses; we recommend the repair kit provided by the electric heat transfer tool.
It really is very useful and the kit is very complete. So do not be discouraged if one of your furniture suffers an accident; now knows all the techniques to repair it.
Repairing Torn Vinyl Upholstery | Video
Repairing the Tricky Faded Vinyl Upholstery
First, select a vinyl color that matches the color of your upholstery before it faded. Apply a de-greasing product for cleaning. Scrub it thoroughly, getting in on all nooks and crannies so the vinyl dye could adhere properly. Allow the vinyl to dry properly by removing the de-greaser with a clean, damp cloth after cleaning. Repeat the cleaning process if necessary just to achieve that clean vinyl surface.
If you do not have a de-gr
easer, lacquer thinner may do. Disassemble any removable parts, and paint them separately. For painting, wear a mask and select a well-ventilated area. Cover any exposed surfaces that you do not wish to paint. Use coverings such as drop cloths and painter’s tape. Shake the vinyl dye properly before pouring it into the paint gun, then pour the shaken paint into the gun paint cups and spray unto the vinyl from about 12 inches away. To allow the paint to properly adhere to the surface, allow it to dry for 10 minutes, and just continue repeating the last 2 steps for you to achieve the vinyl color that you desire.
Repairing vinyl upholstery is very easy if you just have the right materials. If the original vinyl cover isn’t available anymore, you can just paint it. There are a lot of ways out there for you to repair your highly valued vinyl upholstery. It may take a lot of patience and effort but afterwards, it will be very fulfilling for you to see your vinyl furniture well fixed, and presentable once again.
References
The pros and cons of vinyl upholstery
The real difference between vinyl and leather: A test of quality
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