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View Full Version : Aniline (Sauvage) - How to restore this 15 years old IKEA large aniline leather sectional – of body oils, food and drool stains; dryness, fading and wrinkles.



Roger Koh
04-12-2011, 12:55 PM
We own a large aniline leather sectional that needs a tune-up (minor stains and fading). Can you please pass on to me your pricing for the above kit? Before I left for work this morning I snapped some pictures of our set for you to have a look at. I have gone over a lot of the posts in the forums here and don’t think our set is as bad as some others. I had asked specifically about the cleaning kit…

Attached are the photos; some were taken with a flash, some were not. Those photos without the flash probably give a better indication of the fading. I left two full resolution photos in the mix to let you get a good look at the leather’s surface.

This set was originally made for IKEA back in the day when they still made some half-decent furniture. The set is about 15 years old…

The armchair has more body oils (head and hands) while the sectional has a few food and water stains (baby drool). The leather is dry and needs a good moisturizer. I’m guessing that the colour will come back once it has been rehydrated. Of course the leather has stretched over the years; we don’t mind the wrinkles…

I think we want to start with the chair first (as a test case) and then tackle the sectional…

#1
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/DF1-9.jpg

#2
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/DF2-9.jpg

#3
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/DF3-9.jpg

#4
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/DF4-9.jpg

#5
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/DF5-9.jpg

#6
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/DF6-9.jpg

#7
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/DF7-9.jpg

#8
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/DF8-9.jpg

#9
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/DF9-9.jpg

Roger Koh
04-13-2011, 01:41 PM
Picture #1 & #9
These pictures show the same chair with head and hands body oil, grease and sweat.
The discoloration is a combination of the lost of topcoat caused by abrasion and sun fading.
The creases and wrinkles are signs that the leather is stretch thin with dryness.

Picture #2
This sectional show topcoat abrasion wear, sun fading, dryness with creases and wrinkles and sporadic stains.

Picture #3 & #8
1. This close-up shows the used and the un-used appearance; color difference on used area is mainly due to abraded topcoat; evidently with depressed creased on the left rather than sun fading, otherwise the appearance would be more evenly faded. The darkening crease as seen in #8 is exaggerated by shadow cast onto it.

Picture #4 & #7
This picture shows normal wear of topcoat with sun fading and forgotten ring marks on left and right.

Picture #5 & #6
These pictures show the middle seat section abrasion into the leather structure that may produce a “finger writing effect” similar to nubuck that might require additional restorative attention.


“I think we want to start with the chair first (as a test case) and then tackle the sectional…”


I agree that it is also tougher to start with the chair first as it has the extra body oil, grease and sweat stains to deal with.
The objective is not only to degrease the penetrated age old stain known and unknown; it’s also vital to shave off the existing topcoat entirely to an even appearance. As for the color, the dormant dyestuff beneath the surface can be activated with sufficient dwelling during the hydrating process to resurface thus freshened it up. Fatliquoring is another process that not only replenishes the fat, oil and water with softness and suppleness; it will contribute to the deeper tone of the leather. Thus with effective leather rejuvenation using Hydrator-3.3 and Fatliquor-5.0 the re-dying process is only an option as the mandatory topcoat will bring back the beauty of the leather structure to show through.

So this project does not ends with just cleaning; it will take you through Phase-1 of an overall Preparatory Cleaning by Prep-4.4 > Cleaner-3.8 > Rinse-3.0 and all old and deteriorated topcoat to be removed by a combination of shaving with Razor-60 and perhaps Stripper-2.3 to remove the tougher unused areas within the panel; while the damp leather is stronger and the existing topcoat becomes weaker when wet during this wet cleaning and preparation phase.

Phase-2 would be concentrating on the penetrated body oil, grease and sweat by using Degreaser-2.2 > Rinse-3.0. Towel extraction while damp and leather Eraser-4 when the leather is crispy dry to remove the suspended soiling particulates that may lodge within the surface leather pores. This process is repeated until the penetrated stains are exhausted before moving to the next Phase-3 of hydrating.

Phase-3 hydrating serves few functions simultaneously; it’s to relax and separate leather structure fibrils that becomes stick together to ease of unnatural creases and wrinkles; it’s to move foreign contamination to the surface through the wicking process; it’s to reactivate dormant dyestuff to resurface; it’s to reduce surface tension and precondition (charging the protein fibers positive for the negative fatliquor to hydrogen-bond) the leather structure for effective fatliquoring for even appearance. Hydrator-3.3 can be dwelled for up to three days in control evaporation by covering with see-through plastic sheet depending on objectives. Trapping the wick up suspended contamination through an extended absorbent tissue towel is also a technique to remove penetrated stains.

Phase-4 when hydrating wet towel extraction and dry soiling erasing is done to satisfaction in appearance the process is moved to fatliquoring. Fatliquoring is what’s been done to the leather in the tannery averaging 14% that delivers the leather with softness, suppleness and strength. However through time the fatliquor evaporates as VOC (volatile organic compound) thus the symptoms of diminished fatliquor manifest as dryness, weakness in easy abrasion and loss of color intensity. This fatliquor, the lifeblood of leathers gives the leather a renewed lease of life and when done periodically will keep the leather perpetually functional what leather is design for.

Phase-5 effective fatliquor should give the leather an even rich appearance; any strays should be further check with Hydrator-3.3 to drive them into the structure where it belongs and not on the surface. The leather at this after dry phase is further erase to remove wick up traces of soiling particulates prior to topcoat it. Topcoat with Aniline Topcoat-79G (gloss) will bring out the beauty of the leather grain to show through. At this point all rough surface should be smoothen with 1500 sanding paper in between drying coats especially to the abraded seat until satisfaction.

Phase-6 is the non-stick rub-resistant protection using Leather Scent-B.

So here’s a guide for problem areas especially protein stains like doodle, milk and creams tends to coagulates and might need specialty remover like d’Protein-11.0 to break it up.


http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/Aniline13-LPG.jpg

And here’s the Aniline Care Kit-A3 to test it out with add-on such as:

1] Razor-60
2] Stripper-2.3
3] Aniline Topcoat-79G
4] 1500 sanding paper
5] Airbrushing the topcoat for a professional appearance.
6] Others as mentioned.


http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/AnilineKit.jpg
Leather Doctor® Aniline Leather Care Kit-A3


Contents:
Degreaser-2.2 – 60ml
Prep-4.4 – 60ml
Cleaner-3.8 – 250ml
Rinse-3.0 – 250ml
Hydrator-3.3 – 250ml
Fatliquor-5.0 – 250ml
Leather Scent-B – 120ml
Leather (horsehair) Brush-1 – 1pc
3” Poly-Brush® - 1pc
Washable Rags – 5pcs

Other individual products as add on can be found in this link:
http://www.leathercleaningrestorationforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=360

Further questions are welcome!

Roger Koh
[email protected]