This is the first of a new series of Philofaxy Guides. We hope to cover a variety of other organiser related topics in the future months. We will also revisit these topics and republish updated versions over time too. We will include links to our own previous posts as well as external sites that we think are relevant to the topic.
Anita and I thought we would start off with 'Caring for your organiser' as it is such a frequent topic with questions coming up on social media every week that we both get to respond to.
Cared for, your organiser can potentially last for many decades and still provide excellent service many years after you purchased it.
Let us break down your organiser and look at the various parts that need a little TLC from time to time.
The Cover
The cover of your organiser is one of the parts that has to battle against the elements the most to protect your pages from being damaged.
The cover can be made from a variety of materials or combinations of materials.
Leather is a popular choice because of it's resistance to wear and tear, but over time it can become a little 'battle scarred if it is put in and out of a bag along with a lot of other 'stuff'.
- Leather Care Tips
- The Perfect Organiser - Part 4 [Leather] - for information about the different types of leather.
Plastic outer covers might not be the nicest to hold in your hand, but they can be a bit more carefree, only needing a little wipe with a damp cloth every once in a while to remove any dirt and grime through everyday use.
I've also used ordinary household silicon based polish on this sort of cover.
Cloth covered outer covers are nicer to hold, not related to an animal, which is important to some people, but like your clothes they can look a little tired after a few years of constant use. There have been 'Denim' Filofax organisers over the years, a potentially hard wearing outer cover.
For these I recommend the foam type 'dry' cleaning sprays used for household textiles. You don't want to get this type of cover 'wet' because it might stain as it drys and also the interior between the outer and inner layers could be damaged. A little gentle brush with a soft brush can free the dirt and restore the cover to being 'like new' again. Follow the instructions on which ever product you use.
One golden rule before you use any cleaning solution on any cover is to test it first. Either on a part of the organiser that will not be seen such as the inside of the clasp. Or if you have a leather sample for your particular organiser. Test the cleaning or stain removal on the leather sample first. The sample can be cheaply replaced, your custom organiser less so.
The Rings
In normal every day use your rings shouldn't get damaged or become misaligned or start to have gaps. But it does happen.
The first rule of course is to always use the tabs to open the rings, pushing down on the tabs at both ends together. And closing the rings by gently squeezing them together, being careful to not trap your fingers...ouch!
In the case of buying a pre-owned organiser you might inherit someone else's poor treatment of the rings or you might find a long lost organiser that hasn't been stored in dry conditions.
The rings are typically made of polished/chromed steel so they can go rusty, generally only surface rust. You can rescue them with some metal polish and a dry cloth and a lot of hard rubbing! In extreme cases you might need to use some steel wool to get rid of the worse of the rust before using metal polish.
The internal workings of the ring mechanism is also prone to rusting, but you might not be able to access them, a short squirt of WD40 using the nozzle inserted between the tabs and the cover this will help prevent any further rust, but be careful to not over do it and wipe away any excess with some paper towel or similar.
If you need to change the rings then it will depend on the type of rings fitted to your organiser. Some are 'relatively' easy to change, others not so easy if they are riveted to the cover.
We have a collection of posts and videos on 'adjusting' and replacing rings:
You guys are geniuses :)
ReplyDeleteYou're a life saver! One of my stored Filofaxes now has rusted rings and I didn't want to damage anything!
ReplyDelete