Moldy Leather Restoration Possible?

Hello:
Unfortunately, several old World War II vintage leather military holsters have gotten wet. Mold has set in. What actions, if any, can I take to remove the mold and restore the leather? I have been advised to first try obtaining an ultraviolet lamp wand to try to kill off as much of the mold on the surface of the leather. These wands are in use by flood restoration companys. Another recommendation that was made to me was to just throw the holster away...that it the mold could not be removed and the leather restored. Any suggestions? I have tried to attache an image to this message...hopefully it worked.
Thanks!Attachment 1178

Mold infestation on leather is restorable.

Rawhides are often mold infested in storage prior process into leather.

Therefore, we are treating what the tannery would treat them as well.

A holistic treatment with residual non-phenol fungicidal would able to resist the leather for approximately 8 months.

In addition, when condition is not favorable for mold, it will stay good thereafter.

Leather type is identified as vegetable-tanned with a possible aniline finish.

Vegetable-tanned leathers are more fatliquor (fat, oil & water) thirsty and will need hydrating to relax stiff leathers prior to original fat and oil replenishing them for softness and strength when dry.


Recommend holistic system for leather restoration from mold infestation as follows:

1.] Treatment includes removal of surface growth with leather Eraser-4 as the first step.

2.] Restorative cleaning include a Prep-4.4 > Cleaner-3.8 > Rinse-3.0 system.

3.] Leather rejuvenating system for softness and strength when dry is by Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0.

4.] Kill and control mold growth by d’Mold-3.6

Note:
The products suffix number denotes the pH value of this leather-safe system of products.
Leather pH neutral for vegetable-tanned leather is lower than the typical chrome-tanned leathers averaging to 4.
The protein fiber of leather is amphoteric while its leather constituents like the tanning agents, dyestuff, and fatliquor and preservatives fungicide are not.
In order for the leather to retain its pH chemistry integrity, an acidic side of the cleaning including preservative fungicide is highly recommended from denaturing the leather into rawhide.

Products mentioned is found in this Kit A3.mk

Attachment 1181
Leather Doctor® Kit A3.mk – Aniline Leather Mold Killer Kit

Roger Koh
[email protected]

So you are confident that these products will be able to restore these holsters to a favorable condition? The mold is also on the inside of the holsters, which is not a smooth surface like the outside...would the inside also be treated the same way? I presume that these are your products...do you have a web site that I can view and order them?

Would anyone be able to comment on two related items? I found a product on-line called Leather Therapy Restorer...the web site is www.leathertherapy.com. They claim this product has an EPA approved mold and mildew inhibitor. Is anyone familiar with this product and its capabilities?

Also, I spoke to a fire and water restoration company. They told me that they use a commercial-grade ultraviolet light wand to kill mold and mildew on items like leather furniture. They are willing to loan me this light wand to try out on the holsters. This would obviously be a non-mechanical way of killinng the mold, which interests me as I presume that it would not entail as much risk to the leather as applying a liquid or cream to the leather surface and scrubbing. Any comments on the initial use of the ultraviolet light wand, at least before starting any mechanical form of mold removal?

Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boongie

So you are confident that these products will be able to restore these holsters to a favorable condition? The mold is also on the inside of the holsters, which is not a smooth surface like the outside...would the inside also be treated the same way?
Thanks

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The reverse side of leather is suede, products system is the same except tools use is different as you see in this kit- namely the suede brush and suede eraser-5 to return the suede to a finger writing effect with a "silky-feel" difference from the smooth side of a "buttery-feel".

Attachment 1184

Leather Doctor® Kit S3.mk – Suede Mold Killer Kit

Do you have a Leather Doctor web site? If not, do you have any product descriptions with pricing and ordering information that you could send me?
Thanks

Here are the Kit description and instruction, I will send you pricing by email and ordering is through PayPal.


Leather Doctor® Kit A3.mk – Aniline Leather Mold Killer Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit A3.mk, aniline leather mold-killer kit is design for mold preventive and decontamination care during storage or after growth. Water damaged leathers and storing in a humid condition promotes mold growth. The presence of mold infestation is detected by its characteristic musty odor and moldy appearance. Mold is a living organism and damages are progressive that timely preventive anti-fungicidal control is preferred over corrective restoration. A progressive mold infestation will result in unsightly sinking pits that may require physical removal with refinishing. When leather is store away, a d’Mold-3.6 treatment preserves the leather for a potential period of 8 months. d’Mold-3.6 is a waterbased leather-safe non-phenol fungicide designed to kill mold growth. An effective mold decontamination process would include a restorative cleaning with Prep-4.4, sticky residue removed with Cleaner-3.8 and follows by Rinse-3.0. Mold growth draws its nutrients from the leather fat and oil and will need replenishing. Rejuvenating the leather includes hydrating to relax the stick together fibers and to eliminate surface tension with Hydrator-3.3. Fat and oil follows immediately with Fatliquor LS-5.5 to rejuvenate the leather with suppleness and diffusing a classic leather scent. This follows with d’Mold-3.6 treatment when dry and proceeds with Protector-B+ for a holistic leather care. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach for both aniline leather mold preventive and corrective care.


Instruction

Restoration Cleaning
1. Remove surface contamination safely with a HEPA vacuum cleaner.
2. Applied Prep-4.4 to the surface a section at a time and agitates with horsehair Brush-1.
3. Let dwell 10 to 30 minutes and towel extract until towel shows clean.
4. Clean and rinse sticky residue with Cleaner-3.8 follows with Rinse-3.0 and towel extract until it shows clean.
5. Let dry to inspect and repeat as necessary, otherwise proceed with fungicidal treatment.

Fungicidal Treatment
Spray d’Mold-3.6 saturate evenly and let natural dry.

Hydrating
Spray Hydrator-3.3 to relax stiff, stick together fibers and check for surface tension for an even appearance prior to fat and oil replenishing.

Fat and Oil Replenishing
1. Spray Fatliquor-5.0 and redistribute with a foam brush until the leather is evenly saturated.
2. Repeat as water content evaporates until fully saturated.
3. Leave the leather for natural drying for extra softness.

Rub-Resistant Protection
1. Mist sprays Protector-B+, redistribute with a paper towel and ready for use when dry.


Kit Content and Product Description:

Leather Doctor® Prep-4.4 (250ml)
Leather Doctor® Prep-4.4 is the leather-safe milder version of Prep-7.7 with a pH value of 4.4 for pH sensitive leathers. This prep cleaner works by allowing sufficient dwell-time to penetrate, lubricate and suspense prior to towel extraction. It is design to strip foreign soil accumulation to its original finish. It is highly recommended that the remaining sticky residue be thereafter remove in conjunction with Cleaner-3.8 and Rinse-3.0 as a holistic leather-safe system. This universal prep cleaner is for all leather types including the common vachetta, nubuck, suede, wet-white and all aniline leather types.

Leather Doctor® Cleaner-3.8 (250ml)
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.

Leather Doctor® Rinse-3.0 (250ml)
Leather Doctor® Rinse-3.0 is a pH 3.0 waterbased leather-safe universal rinse for all leather types that include pigmented, aniline, vachetta, nubuck and suede. It is to removes suspended soiling by towel extraction while neutralizing harmful alkaline residues and charging the protein fiber ionic positive to increase the attraction between the ionic negative leather constituent like the tanning agent, dyestuff and fatliquor.

Leather Doctor® d’Mold-3.6 (250ml)
Leather Doctor® d’Mold-3.6 is a pH 3.6 waterbased leather-safe non-phenol fungicide developed to kill mold growth. It is for disinfecting and controlling musty odor from mold activities after decontamination cleaning. Note: Anti-microbial, just as anti-biotic is a course of medications that has to be administered on an 8 monthly cycle to be long term effective again re-occurrence.

Leather Doctor® Hydrator-3.3 (250ml)
Leather Doctor® Hydrator-3.3 is a waterbased pH 3.3 leather-safe hydrator. It is a fatliquor preconditioner with multi functional abilities. Surface application is primary to check for even surface tension free of blotchiness prior to fatliquor replenishing. Structural application will require saturating to an optimum level with moisture oozing out when gently pressed between thumb and fingers. The multi functional abilities include: a) to check for surface tension for an even appearance free from blotchiness prior to fatliquor replenishing. b) To plumps, relaxes and separates crushed, shrunk and stick together fibrils for manipulating away-unwanted creases and wrinkles. c) To rectify alkaline overexposure areas by facilitating colloidal water movement to redistribute the leather constituents from surrounding areas. d) To activate the dormant dyestuff within the leather structure for color refreshing. e) To facilitates colloidal water movement within the inter-fibrillary spaces for wicking foreign soiling particulates to resurface. f) To stabilize, pH balance and charge the protein fiber below its iso-electric point (pI) ionic positive to hydrogen bond with the ionic negative fatliquor more effectively. This universal Hydrator-3.3 is for all leather types including pigmented, aniline, vachetta, nubuck, suede, hair-on-hide and woolskin.

Leather Doctor® Fatliquor LS-5.5 (250ml)
Leather Doctor® Fatliquor LS-5.5 is the leather-scented version that imparts a classic leather scent to mask unpleasant odor with softness and strength. It is a pH 5.5 anionic charged emulsion fatliquor for rejuvenating leather of all types. It relaxes coarse breaks, creases and wrinkles enhance suppleness and prevent cracking. It softens the leather with stretchability, compressibility and flexibility, while enhancing its rip tensile strength greatly. It is for replenishing the original fat and oil that diminishes thru sun-bleaching, ageing, heat and alkaline overexposure or cleaning. When applied the emulsified fat and oil encased water molecule breaks free when hydrogen bond attraction takes place between the fat and oil with the protein fiber, and wicks out leaving a breathing space behind for leather transpiration to function naturally. The fat plumps the leather with fullness from easily collapsing into creases and wrinkles during stress or flex, while the oil lubricates the fibers so that they slide over one another like millions of inter-connecting hinges with smoothness. Thus helps to keep leather at its optimum physical performance and prevent premature ageing. It is for all leather types including pigmented, aniline, vachetta, nubuck, suede, hair-on-hide and woolskin.

Leather Doctor® Protector-B+ (120ml)
Leather Doctor® Protector-B+ is a leather scented, non-film forming, non-stick, rub-resistant protector that impart a natural buttery-feel. Its non-stick breathable barrier is essentially to shield the detrimental effects of sticky soiling. Its natural buttery-feel protection increases the leather resistance to wet and dry rubs, thus reduce stretch, scuff and abrasion. It reduces friction squeaks that wear the finishes during used.

Leather Brush-1 (1pc)
Leather Brush-1 horsehair detailing brush is designed ergonomically to be an extension of our hand with a sturdy grooved grip. It is design to produce effective result easily and efficiently. It is recommend for all smooth leather for a soft and scratch-free cleaning. Its length is 7 inches with a three-row bristle 1½ inches cleaning head.

3 inch Poly-Brush (1 pc)
This is a dense foam that resists tearing and shredding and carries more material. It has a solid wood handle that allows greater control for quality results. It is use for controlling and spreading fatliquor for a more even distribution.

Paper Towel Rags (5 pc)
This rag works like cloth, lint free, highly absorbent and washable. General application is for extracting suspended soiling or for spreading hydrator, fatliquor or protector. It is use for both dye and topcoat padding for smooth leathers.