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Thread: 10-years old dark brown pull up leather couch - sun exposure, skin oils, drying and cracking - any suggestion?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    564

    Default 10-years old dark brown pull up leather couch - sun exposure, skin oils, drying and cracking - any suggestion?

    Hi there,
    I have a 10-years old dark brown pull up leather couch. Due to a combination of sun exposure, skin oils, and lack of cleaning or maintenance, the leather is deteriorating, with drying & cracking on the cushions, and skin oil stains and/or deterioration on the armrests and seatbacks. Any suggestions? The Kit-Aw3 looks comprehensive, but it seems very technical. Maybe I don't need the whole kit, but just specific products. Appreciate your advice with restoring this couch.
    Thanks,

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Greater Vancouver, Canada.
    Posts
    5,102

    Default

    Any suggestions?
    The Kit-Aw3 looks comprehensive, but it seems very technical. Maybe I don't need the whole kit, but just specific products. Appreciate your advice with restoring this couch.


    Kit-Aw3 perform a restorative care with Prep-4.4 > Clean-3.8 > Rinse-3.0 to a degree to the non-body contact areas. It would need Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system instead to degrease the body oil and grease and pH balance the sweat contamination. Drying of its original fatliquor is replenished with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system to rejuvenate the leather to its original suppleness. Cracking is repaired after fatliquoring with Bond-3D and Patch-4S.

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    Restorative Care:
    Restorative care is the ultimate corrective or salvage care system that removes accumulated soiling including aged conditioners to its original OEM finishes. Accumulated soiling that fills creases is often mistaken for cracks. Restorative cleaning is performed by Prep-4.4. It works by chemical reaction to emulsify soiling through its penetrating, lubricating and suspending power. Its thick as honey viscosity facilitates coating the surface for effective dwell time. Horsehair detailing Brush-1 is recommended to worked into heavily soiled areas sufficiently to avoid excessive agitation that might damage already weaken finishes especially on heavily used areas. For extreme cases, the Prep-4.4 can stay continuous for up to 72 hours to do its work safely including ‘reverse transferring’ of unwanted dye stains from new blue jeans, newsprints and ballpoint ink.

    Instruction . . .

    1st step - Restorative Cleaning:

    1- Apply Prep-4.4 and agitate with horsehair Brush-1, ensuring a uniform application over the entire surfaces a section at a time.

    2- Allow a dwell time of 10 to 30 minutes or before it dries prior to towel extraction until it shows clean.

    3- Sticky residue is removed by Clean-3.8 with gentle brush agitation and towel extraction until it shows clean.

    4- Remaining residues are spray rinse with Rinse-3.0 and towel extract to a squeaky-clean.

    5- Let dry and inspect for satisfaction, otherwise repeat Prep-4.4 with Towel-T5 for a ‘reverse transfer for dyestuff stains, application with a longer dwell time as necessary and check for reverse transfer satisfaction.

    6- Proceed with Hydrator-3.3 after Rinse-3.0 and satisfied inspection.

    2nd step – Hydrating:

    Hydrating is essential to relax unnatural creases and wrinkles. Leather shrunk and becomes stiff when the structural fibers become stick together as the fatliquor diminishes through ageing or under heat over-exposure or under influence of alkaline solution. They are stretched crosswise when the leather is plump. Plumping the stiff leathers may take up to 72hrs under evaporation control. Besides, its pH value of 3.3 helps charge the protein fiber ionic positive (+ve) to increase the hydrogen bonding attraction between the ionic negative (-ve) fatliquor at the molecular level.

    Instruction . . .

    1- Spray Hydrator-3.3 control and spread with foam brush to hydrate deep into the leather thickness.

    2- Let dwell 10 to 30 minutes to break surface tension, depending on severity of dryness, with optional plastic cling wrapping to control evaporation for a longer dwell time up to 72hrs, to plumps the leather more effectively for ease of cross stretching unnatural creases and wrinkles.

    3rd step – Fatliquoring:

    Fatliquor evaporates as VOC (volatile organic compound) when temperature rises especially from exposed micro crazing and stitching rows. Periodic fatliquor (ionic negative (-ve) charged emulsion of natural fat and oil) replenishing maintains the leather’s structure integrity and pliability thus increase leather tensile strength with softness and added intensifying color richness.

    Instruction . . .

    1- Spray Fatliquor-5.0 after shaking in like manner as Hydrator-3.3 and let dry naturally.

    2- Repeat application while still damp about 25% moisture content remaining in between drying until saturated again.

    3- Leave the leather for slow natural drying for extra softness.

    4- Wipe surface strays with Hydrator-3.3 to free of sticky residue.

    4th step – Wax Effect Rejuvenating:

    EffectWax-8.6 rejuvenates the structural wax pull-up effect and coagulates a cloudy waxy coating on the surface to be heat activated into the characteristic glossy sheen.

    Instruction . . .

    1- Shake well, spray and brush EffectWax-8.6 with sufficient penetration or saturation for an even appearance and let dry naturally.

    2- When fine wax crystalline forms within 8 hours or until it appears, is thereby activated with a heat blower or hot hair dryer to convert into a natural characteristic gloss.

    5th step – Top Coating (optional):
    AnilineTop76G is applied accordingly to achieved or match the desired gloss level.

    Instruction . . .

    1- Shake well and apply with bristle or foam brush with the lightest touch to reduce streaking.

    2- Complete dry between each coating with help of dryer and using a new brush will reduce streaking as well.

    6th step – Protection:

    Instruction . . .
    1- When dry, apply Protector-D after shaking well, towel spread and is ready for use when dry.


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    Roger Koh
    Leather, Skin & Hair Care System Formulator
    Consultant / Practitioner / Instructor / Coaching
    web: www.leatherdoctor.com
    forum: www.leathercleaningrestorationforum.com
    email: [email protected]

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