Louis Vuitton (LV) Manhattan Bag - thought the apple cleaner or magic eraser would help.

I am interested in purchasing the Leather Doctor Kit. Can you give me the information as to where it is available? I am trying to clean the vachetta on my LV Manhattan bag as cleaning it with apple guard has actually darkened it and left it uneven. Not sure what the stain was - splotchy - thought the apple cleaner or magic eraser would help.

#1
Attachment 2804


#2
Attachment 2805

>>> Can you give me the information as to where it is available?

Vachetta care kits are found in this link:
http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet...ers/Categories



Picture #1
Stain marks from handle is solved with this simple Kit V3 in a holistic 3 steps approach. Step 1 is to use Vachetta-2.8 cleaning it with horsehair Brush-1 and leave it until complete dry to see the effect of the chemical reaction lightening, vanishing or evening-out the stain marks.
Step 2 is the rejuvenating to soften and strengthen with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 seasoning it as well from stiffness and cracking.
Step 3 is the Protector-D that heals and seals micro scratches and imparts a rub-resistant non-stick draggy feel.

Picture #2
The reddish coloring is due to the high alkalinity or pH above 7 over-exposures that need first to be neutralizes with a low pH or acidic solution like Acidifier-2.0 found in Kit prior to above holistic system of treatment.


Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com




Attachment 2806
Leather Doctor Kit V3 – Vachetta Leather Browning Removal Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V3, unfinished leather care system is design for corrective appearance of vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers from browning liquid stains. These alkaline pH sensitive leathers when neglected often suffer unsightly browning stain marks from a variety of liquid sources. Even apparent clean rain and tap water often leave a lightening spot with an outer ring. The pH 7 alone of water will often cause a rippling effect on the tannin that destabilize and causes it to moves. Browning correction is performed by using Vachetta-2.8, a pH 2.8 specialty leather cleaner that is particularly effective in emulsifying oily soiling, lightening suntan and water staining effect. A holistic system includes rejuvenating the leather structure for softness with Hydrator-3.3 to relax, follows with Fatliquor-5.0 to soften when dry and protecting with the healing properties of Protector-D thereafter. The lightening effect takes place when the leather dries. When leather is wet and dry again, it will often stiff up, as the fibers becomes stick closer together. Hydrator-3.3 helps separate and open up the inter-fibrillary spaces preconditioning for effective Fatliquor-5.0 replenishing to lubricate for leather flexing smoothness from cracking. Replenishing the leather structure with fat and oil after browning corrective cleaning besides the softening effect also prevents the ingress of liquid stains as a preventive measure. When leather is full of fat and oil, it makes the leather less absorbent. Fat and oil conditioning or rejuvenating with Fatliquor-5.0 mellows and enrich the appearance of the leather while most oil conditioners will simply darkens and dulls the appearance poorly. Protector-D enhances a rub resistant draggy-feel against friction rubs and is use routinely to conceal and fill scuffmarks. Body contact areas should be clean routinely with Clean-3.8 follows with Rinse-3.0, thereafter applied with non-stick protection and commence for another cycle of use. Darken and prolong body grease and sweat contacts will require a degreasing process with Degreaser-2.2 follows with Acidifier-2.0 in most cases. Preventive cleaning and protection to shield against sticky soiling, with the abilities to heal and conceal lightening scuff and abrasion marks keeps the leather appearance level high at all times rather than relying on corrective or salvage cleaning where the cleaning appearance deteriorates and diminishes with each cycle. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach to removing vegetable, plant and water stains from vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers.


Attachment 2807
Leather Doctor Kit V6 – Vachetta Leather Grease/Ink/Dye/Browning Removal Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V6 is a combination problem solving kit that includes products from Kit V5.dr, Kit V5.ds and Kit V3. Common stains encounter in the course of vachetta leathers lifetime includes the darkening effect from neglected body oil, grease and sweat contact, the occasion ink and dye transfer, and the browning from liquid and sun tanning seasoning effect just like our skin. The protein leather fiber is an ionic positive (+ve) “amphoteric” material thus pH sensitive to influence by alkaline solution shifting ionic negative (-ve), even water with a pH of 7 often discolors or browns it. Its other non-amphoteric leather constituents like the tanning agent and the fatliquor remains ionic negative (-ve), hence just like a magnet – “like poles repel”, breaking of the hydrogen bond between them, the leather denatures and in extreme cases revert to rawhide. This adverse contamination is rectify by Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 system, both to simultaneously degrease and protonate the protein fiber ionic positive (+ve) to its pH chemistry integrity. Ballpoint, printing ink, dye transfer, gum, sticky substance and accumulated soiling will require the penetrating, lubricating and suspending power of Prep-4.4 follows with Clean-3.8 to remove the sticky residue and Rinse-3.0 to a healthy squeaky feel. Browning from liquid stain or sun tanning is eliminated or reduced by chemical reaction from Vachetta-2.8 when dry. The above describe the three common class of stain removal. Leather rejuvenating mandatory sequence follows to soften and strength the leather from stiffness that may leads to cracking when flexed. Among leather finishes type, vachetta leathers is the most fatliquor (fat, oil and water) thirsty and will require more fatliquor to soften it then chrome-tanned leathers. In order to lubricate each fibril within the leather structure behaving like millions of interconnecting hinges the fat and oil has to be hydrogen bonded to the fibrils. This is accomplished by preconditioning the leather structure with Hydrator-3.3 effectively prior to faliquor replenishing it with Fatliquor-5.0 in between drying cycle until fully saturated. Natural slow drying in between application produces softer leather. Protecting the leather with Protector-D reduces wear to the grain of the leather, conceal scuff with its healing properties that also allows transpiration to take place or breaths naturally. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach to removing the common problems associated with vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers.

Roger…is it possible that I was a little too rough with the magic eraser and this is why the apple cleaner and conditioner penetrated and darkened the vachetta? I want you to have all the facts in order to best advise me. If this is the case, have I damaged it beyond repair? Will I just have to wait for the rest of the vachetta to catch up, so to speak, and patina? Thanks so much.

>>> Roger…is it possible that I was a little too rough with the magic eraser

Magic eraser acts like super fine sandpaper that is not recommended to use on leather as once the surface grain is removed the leather becomes more porous, that does no good to the leather as the leather becomes more porous to accumulated soiling. Leather Eraser-4 is recommended instead as with its traction power reduces surface damages.


>>> and this is why the apple cleaner and conditioner penetrated and darkened the vachetta?

Magic eraser when used wet is alkaline pH around 8. Most cleaner are alkaline so compounded the pH value.
Leather behaves like litmus paper and the effect of alkaline over-exposure is shown, just like our skin turns red and eventually will shift brownish. Besides the appearance, the leather integrity is also compromised as the pH value is out of balance. Vachetta leather is more sensitive than any other finish types with pH value about a point lower than the average 4. Leather protein fiber is an amphoteric material and any pH value higher than its pH neutral of iso-electric point (pI) will shift the leather ionic negative (-ve), thus upset the ionic bonding strength between its leather constituents like the tanning agents and the fatliquor. In worst scenario the leather denatures and revert to rawhide.
Even water with a pH value of 7 will damage vachetta leather, so any solution pH value of 7 will be worst.


>>> If this is the case, have I damaged it beyond repair?

Proper leather care is all using the proper pH range and leather safe products should be between 3 and 5.
The high pH of both the magic eraser and any possible alkaline solution need be neutralized in this case with Acidifier-2.0 (pH 2.0). Thereafter clean and treat with Vachetta-2.8 to check for appearance before going into the next phase of Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Protector-D to help seal the leather that breathes.


>>> Will I just have to wait for the rest of the vachetta to catch up, so to speak, and patina?

Chemical reaction is best rectifies without a wait.
Vachetta leather behaves exactly like our skin and sunlight seasons it producing natural patina.
Patina derives from our body oil, grease and sweat especially to the handles denatures the leather when the uric contents from the sweat start to ferment.
Natural patina is correctable with Vachetta-2.8, while the grease patina from body contacts will require first degrease with Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 prior to Vachetta-2.8 follow with leather rejuvenating preventing the leather from premature ageing and cracking with Protector-D to help seal and inhibit soiling.


Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com

What an amazingly thorough answer! I so appreciate it!!! This is all so foreign to me … I'm looking at what I will need but, since you're the expert and are fluent in your products and their uses, can you tell me whether I will need one of your kits or purchase individual items. I am hoping that there will also be step by step instructions .
Looks like I will need:
Acidifier 2.0
Vachetta 2.8
Hydrator 3.3
Fatliquor 5.0
Protector D

In last paragraph, there is the addition of Degreaser 2.2

Thank you again for your guidance and I await your reply on which kit best suits my needs.

Kit V4 will have all what you need including tools and with an extra Degreaser-2.2 as standby for accidental grease or oil stains.
Ordering details from this link: http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet...-Kit-V4/Detail

Attachment 2893
Leather Doctor® Kit V4 – Vachetta Leather Body Oil, Grease and Sweat / Browning Removal Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V4 specialty problem solving kit include Vachetta-2.8 for browning removal and Degreaser-2.2 for body contact decontamination systems in a holistic approach. Kit V4 is a combination kit from Kit V3 and Kit V5.dr without duplicating of products for these common related problems. Darkening appearance from body contact and browning from liquid stain are two main inevitable common problems associated with naked unfinished vachetta leathers. Leather being absorbent absorb and accumulates body moisture from contact and when neglected resulted in a darkening appearance. Besides appearance the sweat with traces of urea may cause the protein fiber from shifting ionic negative (-ve) manifesting as tackiness and reverting to rawhide. Degreaser-2.2 solves the darkening effect by penetrating, lubricating and suspending the soiling particulates and simultaneously protonate the protein fiber ionic positive (+ve). The amphoteric protein fiber is further rinse and ionic positive (+ve) charge with Acidifier-2.0 to strengthen the ionic attraction between its other non-amphoteric ionic negative (-ve) leather constituents like the tanning agent and the fatliquor. This dual duty removes the unwanted soiling particulates and pH balance the pH chemistry integrity of the leather at the same time. Browning of vachetta leathers is associated with alkaline over-exposure, vachetta being a lower pH value than most other tanned leathers averages pH 4 is more sensitive to alkaline cleaning or stains and even water at pH 7 will cause discoloration and browning.Vachetta-2.8 with its low pH works by oxidation-reduction reaction to reduce the discoloration or browning effect to a more even appearance when the leather is left to dry naturally. Leather rejuvenating is mandatory and comes next when appearance become satisfactorily. This is accomplished with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 system. Hydrator-3.3 plays a significant role in absorbent leathers like vachetta where stains are usually penetrated. The hydrator’s surfactancy helps internal leather structure colloidal movement by moving suspended soiling particulates to the surface at each wicking process until exhausted and is often used as part of the rinsing process. Besides hydrator is used to check for surface tension and relax the leather fiber prior to ionic negative (-ve) charged Fatliquor-5.0 replenishing. Natural slow drying in between application until saturation produces a softer leather. Protecting the leather with Protector-D impart a natural draggy-feel and reduces wear to the grain of the leather, conceal scuff with its healing properties that also allows transpiration to take place or breaths naturally. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach to removing the common problems associated with vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers.

Thanks, Roger. Placing my order now!