Chanel - fabric bag - cleaning and restoring

Hi,

I purchased a vintage Chanel tweed bag and whilst the tweed is very dirty it's the leather inside that is in really poor state. Some parts seems to have a water damage, some parts seems dried out and some parts are perfectly buttery soft. Please help me out with saving this beauty!!

Attachment 1788Attachment 1789Attachment 1790Attachment 1791Attachment 1792

Tweed:
When coming to clean the fabric component, it is recommend using leather-safe products so that it will not cause any marks on the leather. Thus for corrective or restorative cleaning products to use for the tweed is Prep-4.4 > Clean-3.8 >Rinse-3.0 (notice that the suffix numbers denotes the pH value of the product). Protector-S+ will impart a silky feel that shield the detrimental effect of sticky soiling. The tweed component should be cleaned first and let dry prior to cleaning the leather trims.

Leather:
There are two different leathers finish type use in this bag, aniline the red trim and the micro-pigmented the pink trim.

Water Damage – Aniline Leathers:
Water damages is in fact alkaline pH damages. pH solution higher than the isoelectric point (pI) or pH neutral of the leather will cause the amphoteric protein fiber shifting ionic negative (-ve) that repels the ionic negative (-ve) dyestuff, causing dyestuff to moves away from the center of alkaline overexposure. Using low pH value products will protonate the protein fiber ionic positive (+ve), thus even outs the difference in dyestuff color appearance.

Body Oil, Grease and Sweat – Aniline Leathers:
Hand contact areas will usually pick up body fluid that results in darkening effect. Most of these darkening stains are penetrated that has to be removed from the inside out. Degreasing and bleeding control is perform by using Degreaser-2.2 follows by Acidifier-2.0.

Dried Out – Aniline Leathers:
Dried out is the result of depleting of the leather original fatliquor (fat, oil and water). As the fatliquor turns to gas and vanish into thin air from heat or leach out from breaking of hydrogen bonding from alkaline overexposure the leather fibrils becomes stick together that cause shrinkage and stiffness or described as dried out. Leather rejuvenating will require Hydrator-3.3 follows with Fatliquor-5.0 to impart softness and strength.

Worn Edges – Aniline Leathers:
Worn edges by abrasion may be repaired with Adhesor-73 to restore the skin smoothness. Thereafter AnilineTop-21G is applied to bring up the beauty of the skin.

Worn Edges – Micro-Pigmented Leathers:
Worn edges will require a color matching touch-up using Micro-54 color pigment with matching luster MicroTop-54S (satin).

Recommended sequence of procedure:

A. Tweed:
Prep-4.4 > Clean-3.8 > Rinse-3.0 > Protector-S+

B. Aniline Leather:

B-1 Degreasing:
Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0

B-2 Leather Rejuvenating:
Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0

B-3 Surface Repairs:
Adhesor-73

B-4 Topcoat Refinishing:
AnilineTop-21G

B-5 Rub-Resistant Protection:
Protector-B+


C. Micro-Pigmented Leather:
Repairs would require matching Micro-54 pigments and MicroTop-54S to match. The rest is the same as aniline leather.

Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com


Products information:

Attachment 1793
Leather Doctor Kit A6.tc – Aniline Leather Topcoat Refinishing Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit A6.tc, aniline leather topcoat refinishing kit is designed for topcoat repairs from friction wear, accidental scratch, scuff and abrasion to deteriorating greasy sweat stains. These topcoat damages are identified as white, dull or darkening stain from bare body contacts. Accidental whitish damages in most cases are free of soiling and direct AnilineTop-21G application with in between dry sanding rectifies most damages. Repairs to topcoat from daily wears that dulls will require a degreasing to remove penetrated rub-in soiling prior to topcoat application in a sequence process including Degreaser-2.2 follows with Rinse-3.0; Hydrator-3.3 follows with Fatliquor-5.0 prior to topcoat application. In a greasy and sweaty topcoat damaged areas especially to the headrest and armrest, a deep degreasing is essential follows with Acidifier-2.0 to stabilize the hydrogen bonding between the protein fibers with the other leather constituent like the tanning agent, dyestuff and fatliquor. This deep degreasing process is assisted by leather Eraser-4 in both the wet and dry cleaning process to remove soiling particulates off the leather surface. Hydrator-3.3 helps in the colloidal water movement bringing suspended soiling particulates to resurface through a dwelling and wicking process. Fat and oil is replenished by Fatliquor-5.0 in an emulsion form to penetrate into the leather structure. Once the fat and oil is hydrogen bond with the protein fiber, the water content breaks free leaving a breathing space for natural transpiration. The fat plumps the leather with fullness preventing the leather structure from collapsing during compressing and flexing while the oil lubricates the fiber from sliding smoothly over one another like millions of connecting hinges. Protector-B+ impart a non-stick, rub-resistant surface with a buttery feel helps reduce friction wear to the topcoat and extended a high level of appearance for a longer period of time. When the leather is contaminated with foreign soiling, it is essential to look at topcoat refinishing in a holistic approach. Note that the cleaning and rejuvenating products suffix denotes its pH value in this leather-safe aniline leathers topcoat refinishing system.

Add-on to the kit include:

Attachment 1794
Leather Doctor Cleaner-3.8

Leather Doctor® Cleaner-3.8 is a pH 3.8 all purpose leather-safe anionic universal cleaner for all leather types including pigmented, aniline, vachetta, nubuck and suede. It is particularly effective in emulsifying oily soils and in suspending particulates. It works by penetrating, lubricating and suspending soiling safely and effectively through gentle chemical reaction working in perfect harmony with all leather constituents that include the tanning agent, preservative, dyestuff and especially the fatliquor.

Attachment 1795
Leather Doctor Adhesor-73
Leather Doctor® Adhesor-73 is an auxiliary for refinishing pigmented, aniline, bicast and simulated leathers. This is a waterbased compact resin adhesion promoter for a) smoothening abraded surfaces, b) ensure proper sealing and adhesion prior to color coating and c) used after Wax Effect-8.6 prior to topcoat application.

Attachment 1796
Leather Doctor Protector-S+
Leather Doctor® Protector-S+ is a non-film forming, non-stick, rub-resistant protector that enhances a natural silky-feel, with a classic leather scent for pure-aniline, nubuck, suede, hair-on-hide and woolskin leather types. It imparts a non-stick, breathable barrier, essentially to shield the detrimental effects of sticky soiling. Its natural silky-feel protection increases the leather resistance to wet and dry rubs, thus reduce stretch, scuff and abrasion. In addition, it reduces friction squeaks that wear the finishes when leather is rubbed during movement.
Leather Doctor Micro-54

Attachment 1797
Leather Doctor® Micro-54 is design for micro pigmented leathers also known as semi-aniline. This is a waterbased compact resin blend high performance UV fade resistant pigment color coat.

MicroTop-54 is the matching sealing topcoat in this pigment series system.

Sixteen (16) standard colors are available for direct application or mix to match to produce a secondary or tertiary color.

Hi,

Thank you so much for your reply!! This is really so helpful and I can't wait to get started. Thank you!!

So with the leather, I start by degreasing without cleaning first? And the dye comes on after all the conditioning treatments and topcoat?

I have another couple of Chanel bags that also needs touch up. One 2.55 in lambskin which is really old and quite rubbed off, and another Maxi in lambkin which is only a few years old and has corners showing slight wear. Can I use these products on those bags as well? Same procedure?

Thank you!

>>>So with the leather, I start by degreasing without cleaning first?

Degreasing is a cleaning process that clean not only the surface but also deep into the thickness of the leather, deflocculating and wicking the soiling particulates to the surface.
Besides effective on body oil and grease, its low pH of 2.2 neutralizes the sweat contamination and protonate the amphoteric protein fiber ionic positive (+ve) that controls dye bleeding simultaneously. Degreasing always follows with Acidifier-2.0 (pH 2.0) to rinse off suspended soiling and again protonate the protein fiber for chemistry integrity stability. The amphoteric protein fiber has to be charge ionic positive (+ve) so that the hydrogen bonds between the especially ionic negative (-ve) dyestuff and fatliquor increases their ionic attraction from denaturing into raw-skin. Tackiness, stickiness or sliminess when damp or wet is an indication that the leather denatures. A healthy leather “squeaks” when rub with wet fingers.


>>>And the dye comes on after all the conditioning treatments and topcoat?

The aniline leather is vat dyed or immersion dyed through, thus the thickness holds the dyes and Hydrator-3.3 (pH 3.3) when dwell with sufficient time may activate the dormant dyestuff to resurface and even out the fugitive dyestuff as well to impart an even-out appearance. The color saturation of aniline leather will further intensify from Fatliquor-5.0 (fat, oil and water @ pH 5.0) replenishing. AnilineTop-21G will amplify the natural beauty of the skin as well as blemishes (thus the skin cleanliness prior to topcoating is crucial).
Note: It is simpler to activate the existing dyestuff than try to re-dyeing with fresh color.


>>>I have another couple of Chanel bags that also needs touch up. One 2.55 in lambskin which is really old and quite rubbed off, and another Maxi in lambkin which is only a few years old and has corners showing slight wear. Can I use these products on those bags as well? Same procedure?

Products can be used of all mentioned bags, same situation and condition same procedure applies. Repairs to smoothen abraded corners are with the help of Adhesor-73. However, it is prudent to start off a new thread for each of these bags for individual advice.

Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com

Here's the reference guide for the Aniline leather combination.

Attachment 1814

Shading examples for pink.

Shading with White 95 to Red 5 parts may derive to the original colour.

Attachment 1815

Hi Roger,

I got the kit in the mail today but there might have been a leak on the way. I ordered the quart sizes, but.. please see photo.

Attachment 1909

As you can see the Acidifier is completely empty, the hydrator has maybe 20 ml and the fat liquor might be the right amount? I don't know?

Thanks again for all your help, I can't wait to get started!!

Also the Rinse was not included.