Leather Riding Boots Shrunk by Calcium Chloride from Portable Dehumidifier.

[Question]

Hello. I saw a post of yours on Reddit.

As above, a portable dehumidifier spilled his liquid on a pair of black leather boots.

Curious as to where you are and what your charge might be to try to salvage these boots.

I am in Houston Texas.

These are riding boots.

My portable dehumidifier dumped over on the top of these boots (and sat for 2 days).

The wrinkled areas are very dehydrated/stiff (the foot was not affected).

I rinsed them with water and then sakes the shafts overnight in water.

I would so appreciate your help trying to figure out what next?

[Roger Koh]

>>> I would so appreciate your help trying to figure out what next?

The dehydrated/stiff boots will need to be pH balanced of pH overexposure from the alkaline/base calcium chloride as the first step, follows up with hydration and fatliquor reconditioning to return to pre-damaged condition.

The first step is to pH balance the alkaline/base calcium chloride overexposure.

The second step is to hydrate and relax the leather shrinkage back to its pre-damaged condition.

The third step is to recondition or replenished the leached-out fatliquor (fat and oil) so that when dry will return to its pre-damaged leather softness with strength.

Why the need to pH balanced the damaged leather?

Leather has a pH value between 3 to 5.

Calcium chloride is a base/alkaline that has a strong pH value higher than leather, thus causing the amphoteric leather protein fiber to lose its ionic positive (+ve) hydrogen bonding attraction with its other ionic negative (-ve) constituents
and in this case, is the leaching out of the fat and oil content that causes the shrinkage.

When the tanning migrates from the center of alkaline overexposure, it may feel tacky and a good pH-balanced leather will feels squeaky, as a sign of healthy leather just like any fresh protein, be it fish or meat.

This pH balancing is performed mainly by Acidifier-2.0 after a good cleaning depending on the soiling condition of the leather.


Why the need to hydrate dehydrated/stiff leathers?

Hydration performs the relaxing of the leather structure where each fibril is plumped and separated to return the leather to its pre-damaged dimension. Hydration with Hydrator-3.3 will also open up fibril sites ready for fatliquoring.


Why the need for fatliquoring or fat and oil replenishing?

Fatliquor (fat and oil) is the lifeblood of leather! Without the fat that plumps the leather for fullness and the oil that lubricates the millions of hinge-like connections for softness and strength, stiff leather remains useless and will crack or tear when flexed.

You may need an individual product like Acidifier-2.0
https://www.leatherdoctor.com/leather-acidifier-2-0/

mentioned to be added to this Aniline Leather Care Kit A3

https://www.leatherdoctor.com/anilin...r-care-kit-a3/

Tips:

Use only distilled water to wet it.

Shape it up with a boot tree and leave it to slowly dry away from any heat source.

Inspect regularly for mold growth.
https://www.leatherdoctor.com/leather-mold-killer-3-6/


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