>>> then rinsed with Acidifier and repeated Degrease and acidifier till it was very squeaky clean.
You have described about surface cleaning which is correct.
I believe the next step you want is to get the suspended contamination out of the leather structure, but it is still inside beyond any physical reach. Leave this work to the Hydrator-3.3 - See Tips C - Structural Cleaning and F - Reverse transfer with Towel-5. And if the Towel-5 “wasn’t sticking to the leather, then pile the diatomaceous earth on top of the towel. At least your after cleaning will be simpler.
Note:
I do not have any experience that the Towel-5 does not stick. Please show some pictures of your application technique why the Towel-5 does not stick?
Hydrator-3.3 Tips for point C & F:
C - Structural Cleaning: Structural cleaning is cleaning penetrated soiling or foreign contamination from below surface. This process includes the following steps:
Instruction:
C1 - The leather is hydrated with Hydrator-3.3, depends on severity up to 72hours dwelling is recommended to moves the soiling upwards.
C2 - To maintain a consistent moisture level, the leather in question may be seal in container or plastic wrapping with periodic inspection to top up Hydrator-3.3.
C3 - The suspended soiling is extracted by squeezing between an absorbent towel and a smooth spatula to reduce abrasion until towel shows clean.
C4 - Fatliquoring continues and is repeated with each almost drying cycle until saturation and is leave to slow natural drying.
C5 - Fatliquored dried surface residue is driven into the leather structure by brushing in conjunction with Hydrator-3.3 until milky residue if any turns crystal clear.
C6 - Surface clear moisture is extract with a cotton towel until towel shows dry.
C7 - Staking, stretching, massaging or cross flexing one more time before the leather is completely dried for the desired suppleness.
F - Removing Penetrated Stains by Reverse-Transfer with Towel-T5:
Capillary action or wicking process is deployed to move penetrated and suspended soiling to resurface by reverse-transfer technique with Towel-T5. First the leather structure needs to be hydrated to facilitate colloidal water movement within the structural inter-fibrillary spaces, it will also require saturating Hydrator-3.3 to move the suspended soiling upwards. As it wicks through the Towel-T5, soilings are trapped instead of still remaining on the leather surface to be easily peeled off. In practice the following steps are adopted . . .
Instructions:
F1 - The thickness of the leather is hydrated to an optimum level with moistures oozing out when gently pressed between thumb and fingers.
F2 - It is then cover up with plastic wrapping to control evaporation and let it dwell up to 72 hours to loosen and suspend foreign soiling particulates.
F3 - The plastic wrapping is removed and replace with Towel-T5 without airspace to trap soiling as it dries instead of remaining on the surface. For it to stick onto the leather surface, the Towel-5 is spray wet with Hydrator-3.3 and brush out the air space with horsehair Brush-1 at a 45 degrees angle without tearing the towel tight. As it dries it will shrink back and tighten further sticking tight onto the leather surface. Recommend that Fatliquor-5.0 is replenished in combination at this stage especially if the leather has already show signs of cracking. Note that dried leathers with insufficient fatliquor (less then 15% fat and oil) content, when dry again will likely accelerate any existing cracking.
F4 - Towel-T5 is peel off when crispy dry and surface residue erase with Eraser-4 or Eraser-5 for suede accordingly prior to fatliquoring.
F5 - Fatliquoring continues and is repeated with each almost drying cycle until saturation and is leave to slow natural drying.
F6 - Fatliquored dried surface residue is driven into the leather structure by brushing in conjunction with Hydrator-3.3 until milky residue if any turns crystal clear.
F7 - Surface clear moisture is extract with a cotton towel until towel shows dry.
F8 - Staking, stretching, massaging or cross flexing one more time before the leather is completely dried for the desired suppleness.
Roger Koh
Leather Care System Formulator
Consultant / Practitioner / Instructor
web: www.leatherdoctor.com
forum: www.leathercleaningrestorationforum.com
email: [email protected]
