Tips for Leather Care

Years ago, I bought a leather sectional that didn't acclimate well to my house.  It dried out, and lost color, and didn't last nearly as long as it should have.  Let's prevent that from happening to your leather.

Quick Tips:

·         Minimize direct sunlight

·         Keep away from sources of heat, including heating vents.

·         Keep leather moist, using a high-quality leather conditioner.

·         Vacuum or dust frequently.

·         Clean spills quickly and lightly, and then use leather cleaner.

Leather is a terrific upholstery fabric.  This is a thumbnail sketch about the leathers, and how to take care of 

them.  There are various grades of leather, and each manufacturer tends to use their own grading system.  

Overall, where a leather comes from, how much it's corrected, how it's dyed and protected dictate the grade

and quality of the leather.  

Southern hemisphere leathers tend to be thin-skinned and require a lot of correction.  Cattle are penned in

with barbed wire, which produces scars that must be buffed out and filled in.  

North American leathers tend to be healthier, and some require moderate correction.  Those from colder

climates tend to be thicker skinned.  Free ranging cattle tend to be less scarred, and their leathers require

less correction.  Northern Europe and Scandinavian cattle tend to be the healthiest and to produce the

highest grades of hides.  

In the process of tanning and preparing a hide, lower grades are allocated for belts and other leather 

products - even for automobile upholstery, where they receive an extreme amount of treatment so they can

weather the temperature extremes of a confined vehicle.  

Better grades are prepared for furniture use, and the highest grades are prepared for more expensive, 

higher-quality pieces.  Higher grade leathers may be described as:

·         Full Aniline

·         Wax Pull-Up

·         Non-Corrected

·         Lightly Corrected

·         Full Grain

Terms like "Top Grain" do not connote quality; it is merely the top- or outer- cut of the leather.  

"Split Grain" is an inner cut that is less tough than a top grain leather.  At RC Willey, all leather seating

is Top Grain.  To reduce cost, some pieces are made with a Split Grain on the sides and back.  To reduce

cost even more, some pieces use a vinyl match on the sides and back.  It is entirely possible to get a very 

luxurious feel on a nice leather seat that has a vinyl match.  At RC Willey, we sometimes call these pieces, 

"Leather match" - that is, top grain leather seating, and vinyl match on sides and back.  

At RC Willey, we carry a range of quality, some pieces providing for the most discriminating of tastes,

while other pieces make the luxury of leather more affordable.  We carry pieces that match all the 

"luxury" descriptions bulleted above.  Nearly all of our leathers are Semi-Aniline, and most are corrected 

leathers.  Note that a higher quality leather is not necessarily the longest-lasting or most durable.  It is more about "hand" or feel.  Semi Aniline leathers are a sensible grade, very practical, and usually the most durable for home use.  

CARING FOR YOUR LEATHER

On a daily basis, leather is the easiest to maintain; merely vacuum or dust it off.  However, leather does require periodic care, especially in our dry mountain climate.  It's critical that it acclimates well to your home, so the first year or two I recommend more frequent cleaning and conditioning.  Use the leather care kit provided by RC Willey; it's excellent for our climate.  

Years One and Two:  I recommend 4 to 6 treatments/ year

From then on, I recommend 2 to 3 treatments per year. 

More treatments may be necessary, depending on how heavily it is used, and how much direct sun it gets.  Consider also whether a heat vent is blowing on it directly every day.  These are factors to minimize, where possible, and to be aware of in planning your leather care.  

SPILLS

The conditioner helps leathers resist stains.  If you spill on your leather, wipe it up lightly (don't wait), and soak it up from the outer edges of the spill toward the center.  This will keep the spill from spreading.  After lightly soaking up the spill, perhaps with a paper towel, use your leather cleaner to finish the job.  Then reapply the conditioner, and let it soak in for a few hours before sitting on that spot.  

Do all this, and you will enjoy your leather for many years.  When traditional fabrics might be wearing out, your leather will be wearing in - taking on that wrinkly lived-in patina that makes leather that much more beautiful.

Keep Smilin'!

About Sleep & Mattresses

Sleep is when our bodies and minds rest, rebuild, and rejuvenate. The need is for deep, restful sleep; for most of us, 7-8 hours each day. 

The goal is spinal alignment and pressure relief for shoulders & hips.  To achieve this, the straw ticking of yester-year has been replaced by various densities and qualities of:

*  Traditional Poly Foam

*  Bio-Friendly (Soy Oils) Foam

*  Latex (natural rubber) Foam

*  Memory Foam

I can almost hear you smartphone lovers: When I say that mattresses are about technology, you roll your

eyes. The speed of a mattress does not double every 18 months, and mattress technology is not high tech! But it is technology that builds the machines, and it's science that improves the qualities of various densities, qualities, and firmness of foam.

Whatever the top of mattress is made of, the bottom of the mattress features one of 3 general types:

*  Tethered Springs

*  Pocketed Springs

*  High-Density Foam

Each type has its advantages.  Pocketed springs operate independently of one another, so for side-sleepers they're great for providing pressure relief for shoulders and hips.  Pocketed coils tend to flex to match body shape.  They also minimize motion transfer.  This means that when someone moves a sleep partner usually does not feel it enough to awaken. 

"Tethered" springs are bound together, and thereby coils flex and move with adjacent coils.  This means that most pressure relief for a side-sleeper's shoulder or hip must come from the foams on top of the springs.  Motion transfer is also greater - particularly on lower-end mattresses. 

High-Density Foam is used by Tempurpedic and its imitators.  In the mattress industry, this type of mattress is known as, "Specialty Sleep".  The specialty sleep category, by the way, is growing in double-digits, while traditional spring-based mattresses suffered a modest decline in year-over-year sales from 2010 to 2011. 

Note that springs are less expensive to produce than are foams, so mattresses that are made of foam, top-to-bottom tend to be premium priced.  At RC Willey I have a great selection in all three types.  Together we can figure out what is just right for you.

Keep Smilin'!

Plan Your Room

Consider the purpose of the room you are furnishing.  What do you want to feel when you're in the room?  More energy?  More relaxed?  Do you like a lot of texture in a room, or do excess "knick knacks" create for you a sense of clutter?  How many will use the room regularly?  How many family members and guests need to be seated?

It's always a good idea to take measurements before furniture shopping.  Write down feet and inches between permanent features, such as fireplaces, doors, windows, cabinets, and hallways.  That will help you select pieces of furniture that look, feel - and fit - right.  The smaller the spaces the more important the measurements.  

For a space constrained...

• Family/Living/Great Room consider low-profile sofas and chairs.  But don't trade looks for comfort, if you will spend hours in that room watching a game or a movie.  You might prefer, in that case, a higher backed option - something that you can fully rest on, with your neck, head, and eyes in the best position for viewing. 
• Bedroom, consider lower profile headboards, & under-bed drawers.  Large items, such as an armoire, or large chest of drawers can make a small room feel smaller.  Instead, use a lower-profile dresser.  That will lower the 'center of gravity' of the bulk in the room.  Mirrors enlarge spaces.  
• Dining, consider a standard height dining table.  Get a table of the appropriate size for every day use, and no more.  If you entertain, get a table that is expandable with one or more leaves, and put those leaves away after guests leave.  You will enjoy how this enlarges your room.  Plan for everyday use and for expansion for guests.  Many tables contract/expand with leaves.

In larger spaces...

• Family/Living/Great Rooms there is nothing at all wrong with lower profile pieces, if that is your preference.  
• Bedroom spaces can be filled with some beautifully designed pieces.  Beauty is a matter of taste, remember.  Beauty is ornate and carved, for some.  For others beauty is simple, clean lines.  For some, it is color; for others beauty accents the grains inherent in various types of wood.
• Dining, you might consider a counter-height dining table.  These are increasingly popular where 24" barstools can be used and shared between a dining table and a kitchen island bar.  Some pedestal tables of this height offer space for a splash of color under the center of the table.  Some offer storage space in these pedestals.  

To recline or not to recline...

Preference is entirely individual: As a general rule, if a sitting room is used primarily for entertaining guests who might visit for 30 minutes or less, stationery furniture is preferred.  If you like the comfort of putting your feet up, and reclining back, and this sitting room doubles as your movie- and game-watching room, certainly don't let others' preferences sway you from getting the reclining furniture you want.  

You can get reclining and stationery furniture in chairs, loveseats, sofas, and sectionals.  Some sectionals are modular; that is each section is one seat or piece.  These offer terrific flexibility.  If you want power reclining - a terrific option - plan for a power outlet nearby.  

Bring your measurements, and let's plan your room together.  I will help you zero in on what you will love for years to come.

Keep Smilin'!

The Customer Experience Creates Ripple Effects

Your experience as my customer is my focus.  I am building a business here at RC Willey, and for good or bad, what you experience with me creates ripple effects.  Good ripple effects bring you back to me next time; a lesser-experience might drive you to another RC Willey Rep, or even away from RC Willey.  Those are the potential ripple effects of my service.  I want them always to be positive. 

Ten years ago, I helped start a successful technology company that measures the customer experience for business clients.  I helped hundreds of business owners use our technology to gather customer stories and to continually measure their customer experience.  I taught how critical it is to consider every business decision for how it will impact the customer experience.  I experimented with several types of survey questions, and studied the results using a variety of metrics.  My experience concurred with the findings of a book titled, The Ultimate Question, by Fred Reichheld.  The ultimate question is: "How likely are you to recommend me?"  Through several studies, the answer to that question has been found to have a strong correlation with business results.

Here at RC Willey, each customer experience I deliver is an opportunity to build a good long-term business, and customer loyalty is how I measure my success.  Thanks to each of my customers for giving me the chance!

Keep Smilin'!

Sleep Better - Live Better!

50 to 70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders (National Institutes of Health).  The resultant drowsiness causes 100,000 traffic accidents (National Highway Traffic and Safety Adminstration), and takes 1,500 lives each year.  People who suffer from sleep apnea are also at greater risk for diabetes, hypertension, depression, stroke, and heart disease.  Chronic sleep problems increase the risk of each. 

What is apnea?  It is a common sleep disorder that is an interruption to breathing.  Apnea is usually caused by a collapse or obstruction in the airway, and can occur from once to as many as 100 times per hour.  Obstructive sleep apnea affects millions of Americans, and often goes undetected for years. 

Sleep apnea can be treated with a machine that creates continuous positive air pressure.  Pressurized and often humidified air is fed to the nose and/or mouth through a mask that is worn while sleeping.  This helps keep airways open, reducing the number of apneas per hour. 

As an alternative to a CPAP machine and mask, a mattress installed on an adjustable (electric power) foundation can elevate the sleeper's head enough to prevent collapses and blockages in the airway.  Even without sleep apnea, power foundations offer many benefits.  But the direct benefits to a sleeper with apnea are great.  A growing number of mattress types and models are being modified so they can flex with a power foundation. 

Keep Smilin'!

PS.  Here's a healthy sleep pattern, according to the latest research:

How to Select a Mattress

Why Selecting the Right Mattress is Important

Ideally, 7 to 8 hours is invested each day in sleeping. The "sleeping third" of your life has a powerful influence on the quality of the other two thirds.  While sleeping, your body and your mind go through different stages of sleep.  Interruptions to your sleep may prevent you from getting into that 'stage four' or 'stage five' level in which your mind is rejuvenated.  

          It's hard to get out of bed in the morning.

          You don't feel fully rested.

          You may experience a foggy headache.

          You may get drowsy when you sit throughout the day.

          Your personal and work productivity may suffer.

          You experience memory lapses.

Side-Sleepers:  Pressure on your shoulder and/or hip may…

 …cut off blood flow, creating soreness and numbness.

  …prevent proper spinal alignment, straining muscles and tendons

Back- or Belly-Sleepers:  

Inner-spring mattresses usually include a concentration of springs in the center third of the mattress, where most of the body weight is.  Insufficient support may allow the middle of your mattress to sag, which allows your spine to sag as well.  Improper alignment strains muscles and tendons; particularly damaging when the position is prolonged for hours.

Sleeping on a great mattress (great for you) can help you rest more deeply, and awaken more rested.  

PS.  Did you know that sleeping on your left side can help reduce heartburn, and even acid reflux?

Keep Smilin'!