Flexsteel Aniline Wax Pull-up Sofa - 14 years old - Dirty at head area and faded at arm areas – need help!

Please send price list of your products.
We have an aniline leather couch that is in need of help!
Dirty at head area and faded at arm areas. Thanks,

Two pics from the underside.

You are spot on!!
Had to pull out receipt to see how old…14 years.
Use the Leather collection by Guardsman than came with the furniture a couple times a year, but I have up after the dirt spots at the head area and put the couch away.
Do you think this sofa can be restored??

Would like to remove stains, restore color and with some kind of protective coating so it does not stain so easily.

Coleen Cianciolo

#1 Right Sofa Side with head stain and right armrest stain
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mreststain.jpg

#2 Left side of sofa-mostly faded
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ostlyfaded.jpg

#3 Left cushion-faded
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...hion-faded.jpg

#4 Cushion and Backing-Scratches and Fading
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...sandFading.jpg

#5 Cushion reverse side
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...en-Cushion.jpg

#6
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../Coleen-81.jpg

#7
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../Coleen-77.jpg

#8
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../Coleen-74.jpg

#9
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../Coleen-34.jpg

Leather Identification:
From picture #5, the reverse of the cushion, the leather is identified as Aniline Wax Pull-up and the original color is dark brown. Pull-up leather derive its color both from dyes and specialty impregnated emulsion wax that produce the wax effect; when the leather is pull, stretch or scratch; the wax dissipate and becomes lighter in those areas.

Right Side Head Stains:
Picture #1 shows the typical stains from the head; besides oil and grease, sweat is more damaging to the leather. Sweat may have traces of urea and when ferment by the atmospheric bacteria will shift the leather protein fiber ionic negative (-ve). Leather is not 100% protein fiber but compose of up to 30% of other leather constituents like the basic tanning agent, dyestuff and fatliquor besides others; that remains constantly negative (-ve). Leather is amphoteric, so it is this shifting of poles of the protein fiber to negative that repels the other leather negative constituents; thus denaturing the leather with side effects such as bleeding when wet wipe, becomes sticky, stiffness that leads to cracking in extreme cases. To rectify and remove the contamination is to use Degreaser-2.2 (pH 2.2) to neutralize the pH of the contamination and degrease at the same time; follows with Rinse-3.0 until squeaky clean.

Right Side Armrest Stain:
It is typical for armrest to have protein-based soiling, such as cream, milk, etc. Protein stains have the tendency to coagulate and binds strongly with the leather protein fiber as well. Such stains if any will require a specialty protein stain removal such as d’Protein-10 (pH 10). This is done first follows with Degreaser-2.2 that neutralize it the high pH and degrease at the same time, it is then follows with Rinse-3.0

Faded:
Faded as shown in pictures #2, #3 & #4 is the diminishing of three main components, the fatliquor, the wax effect and the dye coloring. These are very natural for aniline leathers and would require frequent replenishing to rejuvenate it.
Color rejuvenating is first done with hydrating the leather structure to relax and opens up the fiber structure with Hydrator-3.3. Stain dyeing with Aniline Dye-21 (dark-brown) follows, and then Fatliquor-5.0 follows to return the desired suppleness to the leather.

Scratches:
Scratches are damaged topcoat, slightly below surface, may hurt the grain in most cases; otherwise scuff on the surface is easily restores without revealing marks. Topcoat repairs are done with Aniline Topcoat-79G.

Protective Coatings:
“Protective coating so it does not stain so easily.”
The collective coatings in an Aniline Wax Pull-up includes the Wax Effect-8.6 besides impregnating the leather, it also coat the leather surface with a discontinuous film of wax; the Topcoat-79G that gives a protective gloss and the Protection-D+ that impart a non-stick, rub resistant surface with a classic leather scent.


To accomplish what you desire - “Would like to remove stains, restore color and with some kind of protective coating so it does not stain so easily”; the recommended sequence of procedure is as follows:

Preparatory Cleaning:
First is to use d’Protein-10 to spot clean protein-based stain if any following the instruction accordingly.
It is then gone over with Degreaser-2.2 the entire surface, concentrating on the heavier areas and feather out.
Suspended soiling is then rinsed free with Rinse-3.0.

Hydrating:
Hydrating is done with Hydrator-3.3 to relax and plumps the leather; ionic charging the leather protein fiber more positive (+ve) for effective hydrogen-bonding with the (-ve) dyestuff and the fatliquor.

Dyeing:
Dyeing is done with Aniline Dye-21 (dark-brown) by “staining” into the leather fiber.

Fatliquor Replenishing:
Fatliquor replenishing is done with Fatliquor-5.0 to top-up moisture lost through ageing; original leather moisture content fresh from tannery is up to 14% and most of this moisture content comprises of the ionic negative charged fat and oil.

Wax Effect Replenishing:
Wax effect replenishing with Wax Effect-8.6 follows after fatliquor.

Topcoating:
Adhesor-73 is first applied to seal the wax effect and as a foundation for the Aniline Topcoat-73

Protection-D+:
This is the rub-resistant, non-stick, non-film forming protection that imparts a classic leather scent.


Here is the Problem Solving Guide for Aniline Wax Pull-up Leathers besides what I have mentioned above.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...llUp11-LPG.jpg
Aniline Wax Pull-Up Leather : Leather-Safe Problem Solving Guide-AW9

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...s/KitAw6dr.jpg
Leather Doctor® Aniline Wax Pull-up Leather – Color Refinisher & Degreaser – Kit Aw6.dr
Standard Colors:
Dark Brown

Roger Koh
[email protected]

Thank you for your time and expertise. I am ready to get started. This sofa is not doing me any good where it is!! Would like to go with your recommendations with extra 2.2 Degreaser. Let me know how to proceed. Also, do you have any pics of the finished results after people have used your products? Thanks

Here is the before and after

Before
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ill-before.jpg


After
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...Bill-after.jpg

These pictures were taken in the year 2009, by now, new techniques have developed and system improved.



Before
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...-up-before.jpg



After
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...l-up-after.jpg

Can you please give me the next step to order the kit Kit Aw6.dr?? I already emailed my address. Thanks,
Coleen