Allergic to Leather
We know of no cleaning agent or treatment that we have found to correct this. It is possible that the furniture has feathers in the cushions and that the allergy may be generating from the feathers. It may be possible the allergy would be to the chemicals used in the tanning or finishing process. Best remedy is to avoid leather products.
Blood
Blood on pigmented leather can easily be cleaned off with Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner or Leather Pro! ® Deep Cleaner P. Follow the label directions. If the Blood persist on a pigmented leather repeat cleaning and then apply 3 volume peroxide like you place on cut. As soon as the blood disappears clean the leather again with then apply Leather Pro! ® Moisture PA followed by Leather Pro! ® Protection PA. Blood on aniline leather penetrates and normally causes a new color. The only thing you can do is clean it with Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner. If that doesn’t work you make get a sign disclaimer and sand the area. You will need to feather out the sanding to the entire panel. Once sanded clean with Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner , Apply then apply Leather Pro! ® Moisture PA followed by Leather Pro! ® Protection PA, Allow to dry and then buff it out with a soft white cotton cloth. This process is causing damage to the leather. You can not use peroxide on the leather as it will saturate the leather and strip the dye system. Blood on nubuck and suede leather penetrates and normally causes a new color. Take a Leather Pro! ® Nubuck Cloth and clean the area in all directions. Then clean with Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner. If that doesn’t work you make get a sign disclaimer and sand the area. You will need to feather out the sanding to the entire panel. We call this process resurfacing. Once sanded clean with Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner and then apply Leather Pro! ® Nubuck Protector. Allow to dry and then buff it out with a soft white cotton cloth. This process is causing damage to the leather. You can not use peroxide on the leather as it will saturate the leather and strip the dye system.
Blue Jean Dye Transfer
Pigmented leather and blue jean dye transfer. Clean it with Leather Pro! ® Deep Cleaner P and a white Scotchbrite pad or 0000 steel wool. Then remove the solution with a soft white cotton towel. You may boost the cleaner by adding butane or ISP but keep an eye on whether you are removing color in which case STOP !! If that doesn’t work try 3 volume peroxide and 0000 steel wool. Aniline, nubuck and suede leathers and blue jean dye transfer. Clean it with Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner and a horse hair brush. Then remove the solution with a soft white cotton towel. This is all you can do with out affecting aniline leather. On Nubuck and suede after cleaning you may resurface the areas with 600-1000 grit sand paper. The resurfacing process is damaging and then creating a new nap so you need a signed release.
Color loss on aniline or nubuck -redying.
Aniline leather, nubuck leather and suede leather are aniline dyed and have no protective coating like pigmented leathers. This lack of coating exposes the dye system in aniline, nubuck and suede to the dye destroying UV rays of the sun. Many companies that have leather repair as a service and call the products used to correct color loss water borne “dye.” In actuality we have found only two companies that qualify a product as a “dye.” Dye is defined in Webster’s as “impregnating completely”. Dyes actually add color like a lens or translucently. Most products are topical and therefore not impregnating in nature. They are finishes. A finish is defined as a coating of a surface. Leather Pro! ® Offers both rub in dye systems for light color loss on anilines and complete refinishing on Pigmented leathers. We do not supply products or provide training in these arts.
I have urine on my leather, can it be removed?
LEATHER PRO! pioneered a process to remove urine from leather. Each case is different. We consider removing urine from leather a “salvage attempt” that means we promise nothing other than an expert attempt. Urine attacks the protein bonds of the leather and if it is smelling like amonia it is most likely too late to save it.
Ink
Pigmented leather and Ink: The longer ink sets the less chance there is of getting it “OFF”. Once it penetrates the Finish you don’t get it “OUT” with out causing damage to the finish. If it is 1-2 days old on a highly finished car seat and hasn’t been worked on it may clean off with Leather Pro! ® Deep Cleaner P. The Next step is placing a small amount of Isopropyl Alcohol or butane in the cleaning solution and cleaning with it. Wet the area with normal cleaner first. This will act as a buffer. Then clean with the IPA or Butane mixture. Test for stability in an inconspicuous area as this can cause damage. If it is older than two days and it is getting heat from the sun it most commonly will need to be stripped and refinished. If the Ink is removed apply Leather Pro! ® Moisture PA and then Leather Pro Protection PA. Aniline Leather and Ink: You can follow the same guidelines as Pigmented leather but most often the ink has created a new color by penetrating the dye system of the leather and it is not removable. Nubuck or suede and Ink: Pinch the leather so the ink mark is the only thing sticking up. Scrub the ink mark aggressively in all direction with a Leather Pro! ® Nubuck Cloth. Next feather the entire panel by scrubbing with a Leather Pro! ® Nubuck Cloth. If that does remove the Ink use 600-1000 grit sand paper and lightly repeat the process as with the Leather Pro! ® Nubuck cloth. If the Ink is removed vacuum the area then clean the area with Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner and apply Leather Pro Protection PA. This is changing the texture so have a signed release.
Leather Floors / Tiles
Some of these tiles are sealed and others have no protective coating. General thought is waxing them with Beeswax and cleaning them with distilled water. I would contact the manufacture to see what to clean the finish with. http://www.interiorsurfaces.com/Floors.shtml
Leather Rug Embedded Hair, Oil and Urine
The big concern here is not the hair it’s the urine. If it has urine and it smells bad like ammonia throw it away as the urine has shifted and is causing the protein bonds in the leather to rot. Check to see if there is actually urine with a black light and to what extent. If it has urine and it can be salvaged, depending on how big it is, take it to a Laundromat. Put one quart of Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner to every gallon of distilled water used. Clean for 5 minutes and then spin it out. Follow by applying Leather Pro! ® Moisture PA on the back side. You may need to repeat this cleaning process. Most of the hair will come out in the wet cleaning process. The rest you will be able to wipe away wet and vacuum away when it dries as the oily bond will no longer exist. If the rug has urine that has caused an issue with the protein bonds it will turn slimy when wet in those areas. If that is the case it needs to be tossed.
Magnesium-School Chaulk and Corn Meal
May be used as an absorbent medium to absorb grease.
Mink Oil
Mink has a fatty layer under their skin and have desirable pelts. This fatty layer is processed and turned into an oil. Mink oil will leave furniture feeling greasy. Its general use is as a water proofing agent for boots. It is not recommended or designed as a protective coating for upholstery leather. Many Mink oils brands have filler ingredients such as silicone which are harmful to many leathers.
My leather is fading. Can you fix that?
Most likely you have an aniline leather or nubuck leather that has had heat or sun effect or destroy the aniline dyes. If it has not faded too much then we do have a process to restore some of the color.
Neatsfoot (Neetsfoot) Oil
A “neat” is a beef animal, and this oil originally was made from cow hooves. It is heavy oil and is commonly acknowledged to rot cotton stitching. It is not recommend for use on upholstery grade leathers.
Oil Penetration
Oil penetration can get so bad it actually rots the leather and it will tear apart. The most common areas of penetration are the headrest and the arm rests. Body oils and perspiration breakdown the finish system on pigmented leather and then penetrate into the leather. On aniline, nubuck and suede they penetrate instantly. In both cases the body oils and perspiration spread and saturate the affected area until eventually they destroys the leather’s integrity. Pigmented leather: If the leather is still in good shape: Clean with Leather Pro! ® Deep Cleaner P. If this does not correct the issue proceed to stripping and degreasing. Pigmented leather must have remaining finish stripped and then the affected areas degreased then refinish. If you don’t remove all the oil and perspiration it will migrate and cause the new finish system to fail. Aniline leather: If the leather is still in good shape: Aniline, leathers must be degreased. You should know that if it is an extensive issue the oil has displaced dye and it will look lighter. There may be a need to attempt blending the color with rub in aniline dyes. Nubuck and suede: If the leather is still in good shape: Nubuck and suede leathers must be first cleaned with a Leather Pro! ® Nubuck cloth wrapped around a Leather Pro! ® Sponge. This may result in removal of minimal matting and collection of oils and soil on the nap. If not proceed to degreasing. You should know that if it is an extensive issue the oil has displaced dye and it will look lighter. There may be a need to attempt blending the color with rub in aniline dyes. Degreasing is putting a poultice type material to draw out the grease it is not a cleaning process. While Leather Pro! ® performs these serves we do not provide degreasers, finishes or training in this art.
Rug Cleaning
Leather Strip rug: Turn the rug upside down and vacuum or beat the backside to get the dust out. Then clean the rug on a clean drop cloth. Spray or sponge Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner evenly to the surface, then wipe off. That’s about all you can do. Don’t be surprised if pieces on rugs with strips of leather come loose. That seems to be normal as the pieces seem not to be to secure. Remember they are walking on this, it will still look worn even though it is clean. Hair on hides: Hides that are small can be tumble-washed cold in Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner and Distilled water, use 1 quart of Leather Pro! ® Aniline to 2 Gallons of distilled water. Once cleaned tumble dried with no heat. Stretching and massage the leather periodically in the drying process. This will minimize the stiffness of the leather as it dries.
Saddle Soap
Saddle soap is designed for saddles and tack leathers. It has a very high pH and can actually harm upholstery leather. Saddles are made from Vegetable tanned leather that can take the high pH alkalinity of saddle soap. It’s was designed to remove manure and related heavy soil from saddles. Upholstery grade leather has been processed via chromium tanning which imparts supple characteristics. Saddle soap accelerates the deterioration of upholstery leather by breaking down the fibrous structure and protein bonds through a chemical reaction. Saddle soap is not recommended to use on upholstery grade leathers.
Silicone
It is commonly accepted to stay away from anything that has silicone in it. Silicone products produce nice finishes but there is nothing in them to condition leather. Silicones create an unnatural vapor barrier that inhibits the breathability of leather. The use of silicone on leather seats can make future repairs, very difficult. Some guidelines put petroleum products in the same category as silicone.
Smell: The smell of leather
If leather has a rotten smell or smell of chemical it may not be of good quality. Poor quality leather may omit a noticeable odor from the processing chemicals such as formaldehyde. In some extreme cases, leather will smell decayed or even retain the smell of manure. Other Smell issues: You have four possible issues. Mold is leathers worst enemy. We all know what clothes that have been wet in a hamper smell like after a few days. Fat Liquoring. This product gives the leather it’s moisture If the odor is in the fat liquor you can put it under extended heat and it may dissipate somewhat. But it will still smell. Insecticide. Clean it several times with Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner and then apply ozone. Be careful not to ozone more than 24 hours. Ozone will destroy the aniline dyes and start to degrade the cross linkers that stabilize the finish and top coats. Finish System. It is very possible that the smell is in the finish and topcoat. The key in all this is overseas leathers such as leather from China. The regulations in the USA minimized the use of numerous solvents. Nothing will eliminate the smell; it may minimize with time and air flow. You may be able to band-aide the smell with deodorizers. Items 2 & 4 normally can not be solved with out replacing the leather. What ever you do put it in a small room afterwards and see what it smells like. Not every problem has a viable solution. This is most likely a manufacturing issue.
Smoke and Smoke Odor
Care should be taken not to touch Leather with your hands; the oils will create another level of concern. Pigmented leather and smoke. Dry vacuuming the surface and use Leather Pro! ® Deep Cleaner P to extreme wet cleaning the leather’s surface over a drain. Carefully wet vacuum the leather’s surface making sure not to create lines with the extraction tool. Use soft white cotton towels to finishing the extraction and assist in the drying process. Repeat as needed. Allow to dry completely before ozoning to eliminate the remaining smell from the foam and frame apply ozone for 24 hours. Ozone is bleach so do not exceed 24 hours. Apply Leather Pro! Moisture PA and protect with Leather Pro! Protection PA. Aniline, Nubuck and Suede leather and smoke. Dry vacuuming the surface and use Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner to extreme wet cleaning the leather’s surface over a drain. Carefully wet vacuum the leather’s surface making sure not to create lines with the extraction tool. Use soft white cotton towels to finishing the extraction, assist in the drying process and buff out extraction tool lines Repeat as needed. Allow to dry completely before ozoning to eliminate the remaining smell from the foam and frame apply ozone for 24 hours. Ozone is bleach, do not exceed 24 hours. For Aniline leathers apply Leather Pro! Moisture PA and protect with Leather Pro! Protection PA. For Nubuck and Suede leathers apply Leather Pro! Nubuck Protection, allow it to dry and then reset the nap with a Leather Pro! ® Nubuck cloth wrapped around a Leather Pro! ® Sponge.
Urine General
Removing urine is salvage attempt and it should be recognized that it is not normal cleaning. Leather and urine don’t mix. Urine destroys the protein bonds. It will also penetrate the frame and create another level of issues. The longer this type of issue sets the worse it becomes. If the urine has gotten in the decking and penetrated the wood the cost to fix the issue verse the cost to replace the issue comes into play. Rule: If it smells bad or like ammonia toss it. If the area is less than a week old flush it from both sides with Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner distilled water one quart of Leather Pro! ® Aniline Cleaner to 1 gallon of distilled water. Air dry the leather at room temperate on the cushion if possible. Use plastic to Line the area between the cushion and the foam in the flushing and drying. If the leather turns slimy in the cleaning process the leather has started to go bad and must be tossed. Stretching and massage the leather periodically in the drying process. This will minimize the stiffness of the leather as it dries. Once dry moisturize Aniline and Pigmented leathers with Leather Pro Moisture PA. If the urine is on aniline or nubuck leather flushing may cause a loss of dye. This may be correct to some degree with rub in dyes.
Why does my leather look like it is peeling or cracking?
Most likely you have a finished leather and the finish is coming off. Finish system is commonly paint and urethanes. They will need to be stripped and reapplied.