Aniline Wax Pull-up - Natuzzi – 15 yrs old aniline leather suite – pet leave scratches and dark greasy marks – more concern on how it has gone very dry, rough and lighter – can it be conditioned or some form of nourishment?

I would very much appreciate some advise. I live in the UK, and today I have been advised that the Natuzzi suite, which I believe in aniline leather cannot be conditioned as it will have not effect and remain the same as it is.

The suite is about 15 years old and unfortunately, Natuzzi are not particularly helpful with advice on care. When it was purchased I was told to sponge it down occasionally with a mild solution of soap flakes. However, this has not proved to be sufficient to keep it clean. It had also gone very dry, rough and lighter the seat edges, and these are the areas I believe need some form of nourishment.

Also, my pet Westie has also left her mark where she lies, leaving a dark greasy type mark. Some of this has lifted with the soap solution, but not completely.

I am more concerned on how dry certain areas are becoming, and would be obliged if you could confirm or discount the advice I have been given.

Thanks in anticipation

Sally

Aniline Leather Conditioning:
Most home furnishing aniline leather is absorbent and sure it can be conditioned.
Below surface conditioning is usually refers to leather rejuvenating and comprises of hydrating and fatliquoring.
The above surface conditioning comes in many forms; but appropriately it’s to protect the surface from sticky soiling, reduce wet and dry rubs, enhance the tactile feel of the leather and a choice of buttery-feel, waxy-feel or silky feel to match the aniline leather types.

Gone Very Dry:
After 15 years the moisture content may have diminishes from the 14% originally and need to be replenished, the same idea as we have to top-up our car engine oil periodically.
To rectify this dryness; the leather is first hydrated then fatliquored to be rejuvenated. Products recommendation Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0.

Rough:
Roughness may be the result of abrasion.

Lighter:
Lightening of the color maybe due to UV light fading – hydrating may reactivate the dormant dyestuff within to resurface – follows with fatliquoring that will saturate the color to a deeper tone.

Dark Greasy Type Mark:
This suggests that the body oil and grease has penetrated – and to degrease it requires a pH 2.2 Degreaser follows with a pH 3.0 Rinse.


It would be good if you can show us some pictures…so that help will be more precise.


Just email some pictures to me and I will help to post it, or if you find difficulties to upload pictures see this link: http://www.leathercleaningrestoratio...read.php?t=148


By the way this kit takes care of aniline leathers:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...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


Roger Koh
[email protected]

Hello Roger,

Thanks very much for the advice so far, and the quick response.

I will do my very best to get some photo's taken today and then send them onto you.

Will be back asap

Regards

Sally

Thank you for sending me these picture - by sight they are identified as Aniline leathers; not so sure if these are also the Wax Pull-up types.

Leather identification is the first assessment before we go into identifying the problems.

Take a close-up shot of any unused areas to see if it's Wax Pull-up; try stretching on an unsued areas and see if it turns lighter in color; use a hair dryer to heat up and see if the lighter color turns dark again; this stretch and heat test can tell us the aniline types.

Waiting for your test in pictures...


Roger Koh
[email protected]

#1
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0540.jpg

#2
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0541.jpg

#3
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0542.jpg

#4
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0543.jpg

#5
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0544.jpg

#6
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0545.jpg

#7
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0546.jpg

Thanks Roger,

Will get back to you as soon as possible

Sally

Hello Roger,

The three photos attached are from the wing area of the settee, so obviously never used as such.

The first photo is just as it is, the second one is of the leather having been stretched as best I could, and the third is of the same patch having had hair dryer on it.

To be honest Roger there was hardly any difference at all from what I could tell, from start to finish so to speak.

Hope this helps

Sally


#1
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0571.jpg

#2
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0572.jpg

#3
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...h/IMG_0573.jpg

Thanks for uploading the photo's for me Roger. Has it helped you at all to determine what type of leather this is.

Many Thanks

Sally

Your test does not reveal that it is the Wax Pull-up leather type; although by sight it looks like wax pull-up. The difference is that this leather topcoat has actually cracks that resemble the “crinkle effect” of the wax pull-up type.

Thus here is a brief summary of what need to be done to achieve our desired result back to the original Aniline leather type:

The Kit-A3 is what you need for the following Phase-1.

1] Degreasing Penetrated Oil and Grease.
Use Degreaser-2.2 follows with Rinse-3.0 concentrating on the stain areas and follow-up to the remainder of the loveseat.

2] Hydrating:
Use Hydrator-3.3 to hydrate, relax, purging foreign contamination, reactivate the dormant dyestuff – to reduce the creases and wrinkles.

3] Fatliquor-5.0:
To replenish diminished fatliquor for suppleness – a healthy leather has an average of 14% moisture and much of these is from the fatliquor.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...neSystem12.jpg
Aniline Leather Dyeing System (12)

For phase-2 – you may need new matching dyestuff as an option and Topcoat is to repair the scratches and cracks.

1] Aniline Dye-21 (a possible matching color may derive from Dark Brown / Yellow / Orange combination).

2] Topcoat Aniline-79G (a non-yellowing soft urethane will bring back the original sheen).

When you have these products in hand, I shall walk you through the whole process.

What do you think?

Roger Koh
[email protected]

I'm scared!!!! - Am I up to the job

I believe if you can handle the physical testing of the leather by stretching and the hair dryer testing... I think handling the Kit-A3 would not be a problem; the bottle weight about 285gm; and the horse hair brush is just an oversize toothbrush.

However you maybe doing lots of stretching crosswise all those unnatural creases and wrinkles while the leather structure is completely hydrated that will be more challenging physically than the other aspect of spraying the product and extracting with towel.


Let me know your city you are in, I may able to find someone willing to do the physical part for you while you supply the products and instructions.

Roger Koh
[email protected]

Hello Roger.

Thank you so much for all your assistance. You have indeed confirmed that this leather can be 'brought back'. As I explained, I am not really fit enough to tackle to job myself, but I do have someone coming to look at it next week. At least now I feel confident that I can say it is cleanable.

I will let you know how I get on, and what the outcome is of this visit. You have to really search in the UK for people that know what they are doing - but fingers crossed, this chappy sounds like he is up to the job.

Will come back with a response.

Regards

Sally

Post his assessment, proposal and products recommendation and we shall discuss the possible outcome from there!