Faux leather is a popular material for furniture, cars, and clothing. It’s durable, looks great, and best of all is much more affordable than the real thing. The only downside to faux leather is that it creases easily when you fold or bend it and can be hard to remove its creases, unlike leather.
So in this article, I will show you a few ways to remove the creases from your faux leather.
The best way to remove creases from your faux leather items is by applying heat. This is because faux leather is made of plastic and heat causes the plastic to soften so that it can to resurfaced and the crease can be removed. You can use a hairdryer or an iron to do this, but you should set it to the lowest heat setting.
In the remaining parts of this article, we are going to learn about the details on the various methods you can use to remove wrinkles or creases from your faux leather items so they look more pleasing to you. But first, let’s take a look at how faux leather items get creases.
How Does Faux Leather Get Creases
There are many different ways that your faux leather items can get creases. Some of the most common ways this happens are;
Through Use
As you use your faux leather items, they can get creases and wrinkles through wear and tear. So the next time you sit in your chair, you might find it has a new crease or wrinkle.
Aging
Similarly, if you have a faux leather item you have owned for a while and it has just started to age and crack, you will find that it gets creased much more easily than when new.
This can be a sign for you to get a replacement, but if you do not want to get rid of your current one, there are ways that you can remove the creases.
Folding
If you’re fond of folding your items of clothing, you might find that they get creases all over them especially along the areas where you fold them. This calls for proper storage in the future so that you do not end up with more creases on your clothes.
Through Manufacturing Defects: Creases In The Molds or Forms
If your faux leather items were made in a factory, they will have been created in molds/forms. If these molds or forms the factory uses have creases of their own that can be transferred to the faux leather items they were used on.
From Improper Storage
Improper storage is another reason your faux leather items get creases. In fact, it is the major cause of creases in both real leather and faux leather goods. Such as when you throw them in a pile of clothes.
Exposure To Extreme Weather Conditions
If you leave your faux leather items outside, they will be exposed to the weather which can cause them to get creases. Extreme heat, moisture, and cold can cause your faux leather items to get creases.
There are other reasons your faux leather items get creases, but the above are some of the most common.
How To Remove Creases From Faux Leather Items
Now that you know how faux leather items get creases, let’s learn about the different ways to remove them.
1. Ironing Method
Ironing your faux leather items is a great way to remove creases or wrinkles. What this basically does is relax the synthetic material of your faux leather items and flattens them out.
You will be able to use the ironing method to remove creases and wrinkles from shoes, faux leather jackets, your sofa, belts, handbags, skirts, and so much more.
However, please note that you should not use the ironing method on faux leather items with special printing, embellishments, or designs. This is because the heat from the iron could potentially damage these faux leather items and ruin them for good.
To use this method here’s how to go about it;
Step One:
Set your iron to its lowest heat setting
Step Two:
Place a towel over the crease you want to remove. In this way, it will protect the faux leather from getting burned or have too much heat transferred to it.
Step Three:
Iron over the towel firmly in circular motions for about ten seconds or more depending on how big or deep your creases are.
Step Four:
Repeat this process until you see the crease disappear.
2. Placing Weights On The Faux Leather Item
To remove creases from faux leather items that are too stubborn to go away, you can use weights. This is where you place heavy objects on your faux leather items to flatten them out.
The method is great for faux leather items such as jackets, bags, and also couches, chairs, and sofas since they all have flat surfaces.
However, please note that you should not use weights on items with special printing or embellishments as this
The upside to this method is that it is a handoff approach to removing creases from faux leather items. You do not need to sit and iron the item, you can simply place your weights on it and leave them.
The downside, however, is that this method only works when the faux leather material is flat and can take a long time to get rid of the creases.
This is how you use weights to remove creases from your faux leather goods;
Step One:
Find a heavy object that is bigger than the size of your faux leather item. This can be heavy books, bricks, or even a piece of furniture.
Make sure the surface of your weight is clean and smooth so that it will not stain or add more creases or wrinkles of your faux leather item.
Make sure you lay the leather item out on a flat surface as well if it is a flat item.
Step Two:
Place the heavy object of your choice on top of your faux leather item and leave it alone for a couple of hours. This can be up to 48 hours depending on the severity of the crease.
Step Three:
Remove your weight and object from your faux leather item, and see if the creases are gone or have improved. You can repeat the process if needed until you get your desired effect.
3. Hairdryer Method
The hairdryer method is similar to the ironing method, but it can be used on fabrics that are not suitable for irons.
This method is a great substitute for those who do not have an iron at home or cannot afford to buy one as it can be easily replaced with a hairdryer.
However, please note that the heat from your hairdryer will damage certain faux leather items such as those with embellishments or printing on them.
This is how you use the hairdryer method to remove creases from faux leather items;
Step One:
Start by using a hairdryer to heat up the faux leather item where the crease is. Make sure to keep a good distance between the hairdryer and the faux leather.
Step Two:
Once you see that the area is warm to touch, being to rub your hand over those creases. You can also pull on them to straighten them out.
You can also place the item on an ironing board if possible and press a cold iron over the faux leather after you have warmed it with the hairdryer.
Step Three:
Repeat this process until you see that the creases are completely gone.
4. Hair Dryer/Ironing Plus Weight Method
You can use both the ironing and weight method together to remove deep creases from faux leather items.
This is because using just one of these methods will not be enough to remove the crease or wrinkles from certain faux leather items. This is how you use both methods together;
Step One:
Find a heavy object that is bigger than the size of your faux leather item. This can be heavy books, bricks, or even a piece of furniture.
As mentioned before make sure the surface of your weight is clean and smooth so that it will not stain or add more creases or wrinkles to your faux leather item.
Also, make sure you lay the leather item out on a flat surface as well if it is a flat item.
Step Two:
Lay a clean brown paper or towel over the surface of the item you want to remove the creases from.
Step Three:
With your weights ready, set your iron to the lowest heat setting and then begin to iron over the brown paper or towel firmly for about 10 to 15 seconds.
Step Four:
While the faux leather item is still warm, place the weights on them and leave it for about 2 hours.
Step Five:
Remove the weights and see if there is any difference in your faux leather item’s and repeat the process by ironing and returning the weights until you see that your crease is gone.
If the creases or wrinkles are over a large portion of the item, work on them in portions.
5. Steaming And Placing Weights Method
This method is similar to the first and third methods as you will be using heat and weight. However, unlike the previous two methods; this one involves using water. This method is used for all faux leather items, including those you can move.
Step One:
Create a steam environment. You can do this by boiling water in a pot and then placing the faux leather item near it where the steam can get to it.
Step Two:
Once this is done and you have a good amount of steam around the faux leather, place some weights on the faux leather item and leave it for a couple of hours.
This will produce steam that can help soften the faux leather while the weight does its job of removing the creases from the item.
Step Three:
After a couple of hours remove the weights and then take your faux leather item outside to cool it down.
Step Four:
Once this is done, check to see that the crease has been removed and leave the item to air dry.
Tips On How To Prevent Wrinkles And Creases From Appearing Again On Faux Leather
- Make sure your faux leather items are always stored right.
- Do not place any sharp or pointy objects on your faux leather items to prevent dents and sagging.
- Use a protective spray on all your faux leather items before you store them.
- If you really must bend or fold your faux leather items, make sure to do this as little as possible.
- Do not leave any hot liquids near your faux leather items.
- Make sure to always read the care instructions of all your faux leather items before you use them or store them away.
- Always use the right cleaning solution for your faux leather items. This will ensure that you are not using detergents or soaps with chemicals that can be harmful to your faux leather items.
- Make sure you clean all the dirt off your faux leather item before storing them away or using them.