Louis Vuitton - with Vachetta leather trim, how to clean it and protect it well?

Leather Type:
Vachetta leathers are similar to the horse saddle leather, which is tanned with vegetable tannin that derives its color.
There are no dyes or finishing used on these leathers, so they are naked.

Appearance:
Unlike most dyes that will fade, these tannin derives coloring from plants and vegetation will darkens just like out skin and will mellow to a darker color through sunlight exposure.
When comes to skin contact that is usually oil, grease and sweat, the leather appearance turns ugly as these greasy sweat contamination penetrates the leather.

Preventive Maintenance:
It is recommended that the leather is saturated with fatliquor and takes on a slight mellow appearance, as too pale a color suggest insufficient fatliquor.
The advantage of sufficient fatliquor will prevent the leather from easily stain, as the leather is full of fat and oil within to resist any penetrating liquid.
Moreover, it will maintain the suppleness of the leather and prevents it from cracking with constant flexing.

Water Spotting:
This leather has a lower pH value than normal chrome-tanned leathers averaging 3 and behaves like litmus paper.
Water has a pH close to 7 and have ionic difference of up to 10’000 (ten thousands) times when it comes in contact with the pH 3 of the vachetta leather.
To correct the difference of the pH by using an Acidifier-2.0 (pH 2.0) will eliminate the watermarks.
Again, it’s the working phenomenon of pH value at play to revert the darkening appearance.

Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
When using a cleaner/conditioner, the pH value has to be check before using, as said if water at pH 7 will darkens the leather, any cleaning/conditioning solution that have a higher pH will make a spot darker than the water stain marks. Any oil or grease conditioner will also darken the leather, which should be avoided. Oils need to be degreased with Degreaser-2.2 a pH 2.2 waterbased degreaser follows with Rinse-3.0 (pH 3.0).

Light Scratches:
Scuff and surfaces scratches will heal by using Protector-D+. Again all conditioners or protectors will season the leather as well.

Compromise:
It is impractical to use the leather at this raw appearance, if leave it as it is for normal usage. The body contact areas will take a greater contrast to areas seldom touch.

Here’s the vachetta leather problem solving guide for your maintenance schedule.

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Leather-Safe Problem Solving Guide (V) – Unfinished Vegetable-Tanned Leathers

Recommended Kit V3

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Leather Doctor® Kit V3 : Vachetta Leather Care Kit

Roger Koh
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