Restoring leather furniture

The white veins sound like the leather is cracking...needing reconditioning.

I looked up leather restoration using search engine Google:

http://www.advleather.com

Having personally some years of experience with leather furniture, my thought is (if you want to try to restore it yourself) first clean the leather. There are some very good leather cleaners on the market. Then deep condition the leather..and do over several sessions.

Here are some techniques from professionals:

"For best results, the cleaner should have both cleaning and degreasing properties. The cleaner should be able to work on the topical soiling as well as resolve topical body oils from hands, head (skin that comes in contact with leather) or pets. It should not be so harsh as to disrupt the top coat (protective clear coating) on the leather."

[snip out of a commercial product plug]

"Once the correct cleaning product is selected, application technique is important to maximize the cleaner's effectiveness. We recommend using an exfoliating glove, micro-fiber cloth or terrycloth towel. Apply the cleaner to the glove, or cloth. Use about two table spoons. Massage it into the cleaning tool and gently scrub the leather, cleaning about a 12 square inch area at a time. Rub the cleaner in the target area for 30 - 45 seconds. Let the cleaning solution sit for a minute or two while you repeat the application of cleaner and gentle scrubbing process on the next section of leather. This allows the chemistry of the cleaner to work on releasing the ground-in dirt particles from the leather. Using a terry cloth towel, (slightly damp is good) wipe the soapy soil residue away. Make sure to turn the towel to clean areas so that you can see the soiling coming up from the leather. If there is deep ground in soiling, repeat the process as necessary.

In many cases, with regular dusting, the only real maintenance procedure the leather requires is conditioning. The goal of conditioning is to re-instill lost moisture (leather will dry out over time without conditioning) and return a degree of luster back to the leather. The same general chemistry rules apply. Make sure it's a conditioner that is pH-balanced to leather. Non-greasy, creme- or gel-consistency formulas work best as they don't leave an oily or sticky residue, and are easy to apply.

Leather should be conditioned periodically with a frequency that depends on the dryness of the environment. Hot, dry climates require conditioning every 4 - 6 weeks while humid, cool climates perhaps once or twice a year.

Apply a dollop (few table spoons) of conditioner to a soft white cotton cloth. Then simply wipe the conditioner onto the leather. It does not require a lot of effort or material to accomplish the goal. It's a simple wipe down procedure. If you feel you've put too much conditioner on the leather, then wipe off the excess with a dry cloth. Let the conditioner dry (absorb into the leather) for an hour or two before use. That's all there is to it.

Finally, keep in mind that cleaning your leather may not solve your problem. To resolve issues such as sun-fading, deep dye transfer (from fabrics or printed materials), heavy body oil accumulation, damage to the leather such as cuts, scrapes, etc., or color coating wear may require leather restoration and color application, which is the next step beyond a simple cleaning."

If this method fails to restore, seek out a furniture refinisher with a decent reputation for leather restoration.

Bookmarking just because I'm interested in this myself.


Thanks for the info, Ragman. Now I'll know my stuff whenever I want to restore leather, which will probebly be at least once in my lifetime ;-)

Hiya, Montana! always good to cya

Leather lasts a long time (the longest) if treated well.

Just keep it way from kids, pets and sunlight

Kids grown, it's kept out of the sun, but I do have cat issues


We love her anyway ;-)


((((((((Ragman))))))) Just because :-D

As do (did) I. I got the furniture when they were kittens. Back then they sprung off of the sofa when they chased one another, scratching the cushions with their hind claws.

Unfortunately, that was 17 yrs ago. Within this last year, they've both passed on (at age 20 and 17). Being catless, I now will be restoring the leather on these cushions.

My cat is still young, so I suppose my restoring can wait.

I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your cats

Thanks dear montana. they were a very important part of my life.


More general leather info:

Assess whether what you own is real leather. Sometimes it's a leather match, sometimes it's actually vinyl.

Here's good-to-know info about cleaning leather, material properties, the processing of leather, and leather grades:

"Using saddle soap on upholstery leather"

"How should I clean my leather furniture?" It's a common question from our clients.

Often, we hear that they have been using saddle soap. After all, it seems like the right thing to use, as certainly saddles are made from leather.

Despite what it seems like, it's a mistake! You see, leather intended for saddles and leather intended for furniture are processed very differently.

Saddles are made from heavy-duty belt leather which is vegetable tanned to withstand the harsh environment of the out doors. It's tough, highly durable leather and can stand up to the use of chemically harsh leather cleaners, like saddle soap.

Upholstery leather is processed differently. Using chromium tanning chemistry, the end result is soft, supple leather that is much more sensitive to harsh cleaners like saddle soap.

Think about your own skin. Would you wash your face with a strong household cleaner like 409? Certainly it would clean your face, however the drying and chaffing effect it would have on your skin is not desirable, particularly with repeated use. The same is true for upholstery leather.

The fact is that upholstery leather is acidic. It has a pH of 4.5 - 5. Harsh cleaners are highly alkaline. Consequently a chemical reaction occurs in the leather that breaks down its fibrous structure and stiffens the leather. Therefore it's important to use leather cleaners that are chemically engineered (pH balanced) specifically for upholstery leather. If you would like more information about appropriate upholstery leather cleaners and conditioners click here.

Just remember, saddle soap will remove manure, clumps of dirt, and the grime from a saddle after a week out on the trail, while sitting on the back of a horse. Hopefully, your furniture is not subjected to the same environment. To prolong the life of your leather furniture, our advice is to use the correct (pH balanced) leather care products. "

"Leather upholstery grading"

As a consumer, can you tell that the leather upholstery furniture you are buying is made with quality upholstery leather? It's not always easy. The leather may look and feel comfortable in the showroom, but how will it hold up in your home?

The sales-person may tell you that it's a grade "A" leather. Or, a grade "2000" leather. Or some other nomenclature that sounds impressive. What does it really mean?

In a word, nothing.

In the United States, the grading system used by each leather furniture manufacturer to classify the upholstery leather installed on their furniture is not based on any industry-established standard. It's typically marketing hype. One manufacturer's "B" grade, is another's "100" grade, or "1000", and so on.

So, don't be swayed by some official-sounding label applied to leather upholstery by the furniture sales-person, or the marketing material produced by the manufacturer. Instead, ask the following questions:

Is the upholstery leather un-corrected top-grain? - This is leather with the greatest durability. Read the literature offered by the manufacturer. Even then, be wary. Recently a client brought a cushion into our shop from a "hide-a-bed" sofa that the manufacturer's documentation claimed to be top-grain leather. This manufacturer, who shall remain nameless (but whose initials are JC), is misleading consumers in its printed materials. In this client's case, the leather was a low quality split-hide, which is clearly inferior leather, and clearly not top-grain.

Is the furniture fully upholstered with leather? - Ask if any of the upholstered sections on the piece you are considering have been upholstered in vinyl. There are issues to be considered with leather upholstery when it is mated with a synthetic material like vinyl. For more information, see the article on this web-site about the potential problems of leather/vinyl combination in leather furniture upholstery.

Is the upholstery leather protected or unprotected? - Protected leather implies that the leather has a topical, pigmented coating on the outer surface. This upholstery leather is excellent for high-use environments, such as an active household with children, pets, and so on, where the leather will be exposed to spills, and other household hazards.

Unprotected leather implies upholstery leather that is unfinished. That is to say, it has no topical, pigmented coating. This is often called pure aniline-dyed leather. The color presented comes from the dye in the leather. Because there is no protection on the leather's surface, it is aesthetically vulnerable. It will stain and fade. So, this type of upholstery leather looks gorgeous and feels wonderful, but will not hold up well to the rigors of an active family room, with kids, dogs, etc. The sales-person may make the claim that their unfinished, aniline-dyed leather has been "treated" to resist staining. This may be true, however, the treatment is never permanent nor fully effective (anyone familiar with the temporary nature of a "Scotch-guard" type treatment will have a good idea what this means). Client after client has complained to us that their "treated" unfinished leather suffered staining within a month or two, or sooner."

Thank you so much for that, Ragman. I'm printing it out and passing it onto my husband so he can get to work.

Our cat died earlier this year and it still seems strange not to have him jumping on the kitchen work surface looking for food and also stepping under my feet.

{{{Tarah}}}

The cats are all chasing meece up in the great beyond.

Good luck and let me know here how the leather restoration turns out.
BTW, I used to sell leather furniture, too.

I certainly will, Ragman.

Again, many thanks.