Ford King Ranch leather seat – degreasing sweat stains!

[Questions!]

Degreasing Sweat Stains out of this King Ranch leather seat!

So, I am at a loss. I spent today trying to get the sweat stain out of this King Ranch leather seat. I applied Degreaser over and over again. Each time I let it set 10 - 30 min before rinsing with your Acidifier 2.0. I tried scrubbing with the brush, with the spongy side of the Eraser and even the orange side. I can't seem to get any of the stain to come out at all. All I have seemed to do is mess up the leather even further. I am completely flummoxed. In an act of desperation I have applied Degreaser just now and plan to leave it on over night to sink in.

Can you give me some advice? I don't know what to do. I have included some photos to show you the dark sweat stain I am talking about.

Cheers
Todd


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[Roger Koh]

What is have done so far is a thorough application of Degreaser-2.2.

This application will allow Degreaser-2.2 to emulsify the greasy sweat contamination and cause a suspension.

But, this step 1 of causing the stain suspension is still stuck beneath the surface of the leather.

A step 2 with Acidifier-2.0 to flush out the suspended particulates is a logical follow through to complete the degreasing system.

A bigger volume of Acidifier-2.0 should be applied to be absorbed into the leather structure to bring out the suspended soiling particulates through a towel extraction of excess colloidal moisture.

Further removing of the suspended soiling is only possible through the wicking process that enables the foreign contamination to resurface.

Option to allows this wicking process is to leave it as it is, however it will still be on the surface of the leather until when crispy dry to be eraser with Eraser-4 on the sponge side. Alternatively is to use paper towel as an extension of the leather surface that when the soiling particulates wick through it is trapped and easily peel off and the remaining surface residue erase with Eraser-4.

You will see the darkening effect from the sweat contamination reduce in size. You may have to repeat the above procedure 2 to 3 times to get the grease all out.

Beside a visual inspection, a feel with hand to detect for stickiness when dry will determine the thoroughness of effective degreasing.

When all the grease is clear, you will see the lightening of the color due to dye lost, topcoat missing and existing leather cracking that need restoration.

The next phase after degreasing is leather rejuvenating, this will require Hydrator-3.3 follows with Fatliquor-5.0. When the leather is soften up it will strengthen up as well and cracking preventable.

The next phase is leather repairs – structure weakness if any is repair with Impregnator-26. Surface damages or abrasion is repair with Adhesor-73 to return the smooth skin prior to optional transparent dyestuff coloring. Topcoat is mandatory in this situation. Non-stick, rub-resistant protection is another consideration to impart a buttery feel.

Please to answer if you have more questions

Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant

[tditmire]

Roger;

I have scrubbed in the Acidifier 2.0 using the horse hair brush after working in the Degreaser as you suggested in your last email. I seem to have made some progress in removing the stain. However, this process has abraded the surface of the leather and left it rough and "furry". How to I use the Adhesor-73 to smooth the leather surface back to its original finish? How do I remove the furry, abraded material? Do I just apply the Adhesor with a brush? Any advice is welcome. Image of the leather after treating it today is enclosed. (The leather is still wet from the Acidifier 2.0 absorption.)

Cheers
Todd

[Roger Koh]

I would recommend that the deteriorated finishes be removed entirely to give a better appearance when comes to refinishing. So meanwhile get them out by whatever means you can – brushing, erasing even sanding with 2000grit during the rinsing process while the leather is stronger and the finishes is weaker.

As mention surface repairs with Adhesor-73 is after Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hyrator-3.3.

Follows with Aniline-76 > AnilineTop-76 > Protector-B+ in a holistic system.

We are still in the degreasing phase, and as stains are penetrated the only way is to wick them out through the rinsing process with either Acidifier-2.0 for bleeding control or Rinse-3.0 for normal rinsing. This degreasing process is repeated until satisfaction with lightening of appearance and without the tacky feel of the grease.

During the hydrating process with Hydrator-3.3 it will further bring out remaining of the suspended residue as well. When crispy dry use Eraser-4 to remove surface residue, as it is drying a dry terry towel helps remove wick-up residue as well.

Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com

[tditmire]

Roger;

I don't know, after spending yesterday scrubbing in the Degreaser and then scrubbing in the Acidifier 2.0, as of this morning, those sections of the leather are raw and just black, like water stained leather looks to me. There is almost no trace of the dye any more in those sections, just a black abraded mess. The surface of the leather which was stained has now basically been abraded off and underneath is rough, black water stained material. I fear that the seat is now ruined. How do I remove the water stained blackness...or have I just ruined the leather beyond repair? I don't even know what color the leather should look like after the Degreaser/Acidifier routine. I can sand it as you suggest to make it smooth and then the hydration steps. Assuming I can return the leather to a reasonable color, what procedure do I follow to apply the Adhesor 73? Your web site says something about using a table spoon to smooth out the leather.

todd

[Roger Koh]

Let's see some pictures,

You are on track, you are still trying to get all the stains out and what you see will continue to come out until the color lightens when dry.

You are still at the Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 / Rinse-3.0 - Eraser-4 cycle.

Just concentrate one step at a time.

Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant

[tditmire]

Ha ha....OK, I just need patience. I will post some photos and have another go at it tomorrow. My principal concern is that even in areas that were not stained, they are now black from my rubbing with the horse hair brush. I fear that i have somehow ruined even the good leather surrounding the stain.

I am about out of Degreaser so I will need to wait for the replacement bottle for the one that leaked that you sent. I guess I need to try to wick out the stain a bit more with a towel. Will the leather look light grey or something like that when the stain is removed? Now it looks dark, virtually black, even where there was no stain initially. At what point do I sand paper off the rough abraded material?

[Roger Koh]

>>>My principal concern is that even in areas that were not stained, they are now black from my rubbing with the horsehair brush. I fear that i have somehow ruined even the good leather surrounding the stain.

Rubbing on leather with a horsehair brush does not produce black stain of any kind.


>>>Now it looks dark, virtually black, even where there was no stain initially.

The degreasing has work, more than 80% of stain is below surface (just like the iceberg that sank Titanic). Imagine we are looking at an iceberg that is upside down. I will be well please. What you see are years of accumulated body soiling. All the contamination has to be removed with technique already explained.


>>>Will the leather look light grey or something like that when the stain is removed?

The original stain area should be void of dyestuff as well – that is pale and without the obvious black stain. Each process will reduce the size of the stain.


>>>At what point do I sand paper off the rough abraded material?

No sanding unless I see pictures of what you will be doing. Sanding is limited to 2000grit, preferably in conjunction with final rinsing or hydrating. Sanding is only limited to unwanted finishes. The more the leather is sand, the coarse the surface will be, damages is irreversible – and that is permanent damage (this is part of Adhesor-73 duty to do the rectification).

Darkening of resurface contamination should gives us a smile, as defeated soiling particulates surrenders and continues to march out of the leather structure - isn't this what we are working for?

This process should be repeated until satisfaction –repeat, repeat and repeat – that is the only way. Unless you want to work from the reverse suede side then that will be easier.

Remember the thickness of the leather averages 1mm to 1.5mm. It has its network of fibers, soiling particulates can only moves within the inter-fibrillary spaces and it need moisture to moves them out of the fibrous structure.

Suspension is done by Degreaser-2.2 and moving them out is by Acidifier-2.0, Rinse-3.0 and Hydrator-3.3.

Re-surface soiling particulates removal is done by towel extraction while damp and Eraser-4 while crispy dry.


Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com