Cowhide Rug - How to Restore Cowhide Rug from Water Damage?

[Roger Koh]

Last night we had a heavy rain. Unfortunately, we also have a skylight
which leaked onto our new red brindle and white cowhide rug. Please list the
necessary steps to treat this rug. The area which is wet is approximately
251/2" wide X 21" high. It is, of course, buckling or stretched. Please
recommend the correct process and products you sell to restore this rug. I
love this rug and am sick about the damage. Your website appears to offer
the most comprehensive advice and products, although I am definitely
confused as to how to treat.

I am anxiously looking forward to your answer.

Thank you in advance,

CF

[Roger Koh]

First is to inspect the hair side and then the suede side; and working with reference to pictures is a better way to communicate.

Red brindle and white cowhide rug suggest that the color is original rather than print; and the hair side can either be wet clean using Wool Cleaner-5.5 follows with Rinse-4.0 or waterless cleaning using Fur & Hair-S.

Since it is already wet I would use the wet cleaning instead to clean any soiling to the water stain area and continue to the entire rug; assuming there are no staining from the water.

However clean rain water may still cause rings on the white as it wick up leather chemical constituents that break bonds and leach out from the leather structure depending on the leather tannage; if rings do occur due to pH phenomena, it should disappear when neutralize with Acidifier-2.0.


Now for the Suede side the basic cleaning to the stain and to the entire leather is using Cleaner-3.8 > Rinse-3.0; for structure rejuvenating requires Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 (refer to the guide for other tips)

Leather rejuvenating is to returns the leather back to its original suppleness.
As when leather is wet and dry again; it will stiff up; due to the fibers being stick together as water evaporates. Hydrating is to separates the stick together fibers and fatliquoring is to replenish the fatliquors (fat, oil and water) that leach out.


http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/E-LeatherProblemGuide.jpg



You may want to add the Wool Cleaner-5.5 and Rinse-4.0 for the hair side; and perhaps Acidifier-2.0 to neutralize the pH to the pH neutral of the leather to rid of stain marks (sometimes leather behaves like a litmus paper and will show marks due to pH differences.


#3. Suede Leather Care Kit E250
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/E250-Original.jpg


Roger Koh
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