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View Full Version : Aniline (Mono-Tone) - Help, cleaning unfinished aniline couch



holycowelsie
01-25-2015, 03:59 PM
Hello Everyone,

I am going crazy, I have been trying to clean my couch with anything and everything, in an inconspicuous area of course. Nothing works. Everything soaks in to this couch. I bought some leather cleaner at a local furniture store today and it says you can clean aniline couches with it, but it doesn't work. Of course the lady at the furniture store was convinced it would work. I have been conversing with a leather restoration company in California and they said my couch is pure aniline or unfinished aniline. Anyone with experience with this kind of couch? Got this couch in an auction for 8.00!!! Hopefully I can restore it to it's original beauty.

Roger Koh
01-26-2015, 10:58 AM
>>> I have been conversing with a leather restoration company in California and they said my couch is pure aniline or unfinished aniline. Anyone with experience with this kind of couch?

Leather identification is the first step towards routine, periodic, corrective or restoration cleaning; leather structure rejuvenating or refinishing or redyeing.
From your last picture the gloss luster is typical of Aniline leather with a gloss finish like AnilineTop-21G or 76G.
Once the leather finishes is positively identified we will need to follow a relevant leather problem solving guide such as Aniline (A) – Stndard Gloss-Satin Aniline:

4402



>>> I have been trying to clean my couch with anything and everything, in an inconspicuous area of course.
Nothing works.

The soiling or stain need first be identified and appropriate products is then used systematically to removes them as reference to the guide.


>>> Everything soaks in to this couch.

When leather finishes ages the topcoat develops micro crazing and becomes more absorbent is the reason. Pure Aniline is aniline with a topcoat or fixes that forms a “discontinuous” film thus is highly absorbent evenly when new. Unfinished aniline is aniline without a fix or topcoat and rarely is produce for any practical purpose. Unfinished aniline is mostly likely mistaken for vegetable-tanned unfinished leathers also know commonly as Vachetta and is only of one range of color from light biscuit brown to a range of brown. So this description does not fit the pictures shown.


>>> I bought some leather cleaner at a local furniture store today and it says you can clean aniline couches with it, but it doesn't work.
What exactly are you trying to remove or clean?

Most of the stains are penetrated; so cleaning has to go below surface.
Products that are not leather-safe (pH 3 – 5) should not be used otherwise it denatures the leather. Once side effect is tackiness, the leather stiffens and cracks develop. Leather is an amphoteric material and is pH sensitive, so knowing the pH value of the products used will either denatures the leather and reverting them to rawhide or strengthen it pH chemistry integrity between the leather protein fiber and its leather constituents like the dyestuff and fatliquor.


>>> Of course the lady at the furniture store was convinced it would work.

Used the guide as reference, you will note that stains are classified by types or category and stain identification is vital to match specialty products designs for it in sequence of steps.


>>> Hopefully I can restore it

Beauty is just skin-deep from the finishes to the leather crust and can be restored by redyeing.
The thickness of the leather from the crust to the suede sides is what makes leather different from other upholstery material with all the characteristic of leather that makes leather a much sought after material. And the lifeblood of leather is in the remaining percentage of original fatliquor. It is recommended that a reading using a leather moisture meter or economical wood moisture meter to take a reading. Optimum fatliquor moisture level should be around 14%. Otherwise Fatliquor-5.0 is used to top it up. Unnatural coarse breaks or creases or winkles is reduced or eliminated to even out the uneven stress with Hydrator-3.3 prior to fatliquor replenishing it.


>>> To it's original beauty.

The original beauty of leather starts from the skin itself.
A beautiful skin is one that is without unnatural creases and wrinkles and optimum fatliquor moisture up to 14%.
Finishes like new dyestuff and topcoats magnifies or amplifies the beauty of the skin.


Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
[email protected]


Recommended kit for a holistic restoration.

4403

Leather Doctor® Kit-A7.cl, aniline leather dye refinishing kit is designed for dyestuff and topcoat refinishing from the simple sunlight fading to the severely sweat damages from body oil and grease. Most severely penetrated, prolonged and neglected stains show a darkening effect with a sticky feel have its topcoat and dyestuff probably deteriorated by the sweat. When the stain feels sticky, it is a sign of leather denaturing and reverting to rawhide from breaking of bonds with the tanning agent. When sign of color is transfer to a white towel, it indicates that the dyestuff has also break bonds with the protein fiber. When leather is stiff or shows signs of whitish residue migrating, it shows that the fatliquor is breaking bonds as well with the protein fiber. The main component of the leather protein fiber is amphoteric while the other constituents are not; shifting of the pH mainly caused from sweat to alkalinity affects the pH imbalance. To revert from denaturing into rawhide prior to topcoat refinishing, contaminated alkaline soiling is removed with Degreaser-2.2, a waterbased (pH 2.2) multifunctional degreaser that emulsifies greasy contamination besides controlling dye bleeding and charging the protein fiber ionic positive for strengthening the attraction between the ionic negative tanning agent, dyestuff and fatliquor. Deflocculated and suspended soiling is towel extracted, thereafter rinse and pH balanced with Acidifier-2.0 to prevent the leather from reverting to rawhide. When leather feels sticky or slimy it is a sign of leather denaturing, a squeaky feel when wet is a sign of a healthy leather. Hydrator-3.3 relaxes stiff leathers and removes surface tension free from surface blotchiness prior to fat and oil replenishing. Fat and oil is replenished with Fatliquor-5.0 to rejuvenate the leather for the desired suppleness when dry. Custom redyeing commences prior to topcoat refinishing. Protector-B+ imparts a non-stick rub-resistant protection with a buttery-feel that shield against sticky soiling and reduce friction noises. Note that the mentioned product suffix number denotes its pH value in this holistic leather-safe aniline leathers dyestuff and topcoat refinishing system.
Please email [email protected] for custom matching services or choice of color: Antique-Brown, Black, Yellow, Orange, Red, Red-Brown, Rubine, Blue or Dark-Brown.
And choice of topcoat luster:
Gloss or Satin