Louis Vuitton - Vachetta handbag cleaning water spot and brown grease stain leaving uneven patchy color!

Let’s examine your pictures . . .

#1
This picture shows abrasion with fraying at the edges.
Physical abrasion removes the smooth tight surface grain and further it goes the leather becomes rougher.
The only recommended product is using Eraser-4 to removes surface soiling without abrasion.
Appearance may be improve with Protector-D to seal or conceal the roughness.

#2
Picture show similar problem as above to the “slot”.

#3
Picture show possible metal stain to the leather.
Possible solution is with Vachetta-2.8 treatment using a cotton swab to apply neatly to the stain. Otherwise specialty product may be used accordingly such as d’Tarnish-1.3 > Bassifier-8.8 system.

#4
This picture shows bad abrasion as shown from the obvious stitching thread.
Recommend the piles of abraded thread be shaved with an electric shaver for better appearance.
The darker groove line of the smooth leather is also abraded as shown.

>>> I recently bought the collonil lineger cleaner to clean the water spot and brown grease at the handle of the bag.
It dried up and leaving patch uneven colour. What can I do about that?

Instruction:

A. Stain Removal:
A.1] Apply Vachetta-2.8 and gently work with the detailing horsehair Brush-2 for an even appearance; any soiling is blot off with a white terry towel.
A.2] Leave natural drying for inspection.
A.3] Any darkening grease may have to re-work with Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system. Degreaser-2.2 is for emulsifying the presence of grease and Acidifier-2.0 for stabilizing the leather pH chemistry integrity and simultaneous rinsing of suspended soiling. Hydrator-3.3 is to move suspended soiling from below surface to resurface and this works more efficiently with the help of reverse transferring technique using the stretchable paper towel to trap the soiling particulate to be peel off rather than still remaining of the leather surface when crispy dry. Remaining surface soiling particulates is then gently erased with Eraser-4.
A.4] The above combination soiling removal system processes may be repeated until visual satisfaction when dry, otherwise specialty products may be needed accordingly (see Leather Problem Solving Guide).

B. Leather Rejuvenation:
B.1] Apply Hydrator-3.3 to achieve an even appearance.
B.2] Apply Fatliquor-5.0 while the surface is still damp and repeats each time when the fatliquor is absorbed until the leather is fully saturated.
B.3] Leave natural drying for extra softness.

C. Leather Protection:
C.1] Apply Protector-D for an even appearance, concentrating on the abraded areas to help conceal some scuffs. Any further repairs may distort appearance of this naked unfinished leather. Protector-D+ with the leather-scent ingredient may have one or two shade deeper than the scentless Protector-D, test prior to actual application. Both can be mixed to produce an ideal appearance with scent or one after another.

Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com
[email protected]

Attachment 3331
Leather Doctor Kit V7 – LV Vachetta Leather Care Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V7 design for the care of Louis Vuitton (LV) bags is a combination problem solving kit that is an upgrade from Kit V6 with an addition of Protector-B+ for the simulated leather to impart a non-stick rub-resistant buttery-feel with a classic leather scent. 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 (emulsified 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 leathers. This kit comes with reduced weight option to save on shipping thus the 250ml concentrate ratio such as Acidifier-2.0, Clean-3.8, Rinse-3.0, Hydrator-3.3 and Fatliquor-5.0 has to be cut or filled up with distilled water prior to use.