Clean old adhesive from leather shoes?? (note: big pictures)

[Michaela_86]

Hi, first post.

I have this lovely pair of granny boots. They are vintage, although I'm not sure how old they are. I got them at our local St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop - not an antique store, but might as well be .

One boot, it appears, was used for decorative purposes - it was stuffed with newspaper and had lace glued to the side. I got rid of the lace, but the adhesive remained. It appears that the lace was on the boot for a while - it has dried and yellowed.



Any tips for removing the adhesive? I've tried alcohol and acetone nail polish remover (after making sure they were safe to use on the leather.) I have saddle soap, but many sources indicate that it actually harms more than it helps (Sources: Google search for "saddle soap," user experience.), and I have Goo Gone, but their site says not to use it on leather? Suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

[Roger Koh]

Thank you for the big picture, it’s better than a thousand words!

To remove the adhesive requires 3 steps in Phase 1; and the rest are optional.

Phase 1: Adhesive Removal Process.
Used Prep-7.7 and apply with soft horsehair detailing brush (Leather Brush-1) to a small test area; let it dwell 30 minutes or more.
Spray Cleaner-3.8 agitate and extract with terry towel; inspect for satisfaction; otherwise repeat Prep-7.7 application.
With removing satisfaction proceed to rinse with Rinse-3.0 and extract towel shows clean; and inspect.
When result shows satisfactory proceed to the entire shoe.

Phase 2: Hydrolyzed and Oxidized Yellow Stain Removal Process.
An option is to use a fluorescent whitening agent to modify the reflective light waves from yellowish to bluish.
This is applied according to label instruction.

Phase 3: Remove metal tarnish stain from lace eyelets.
Use d’Tarnish-1.3 as per label instruction.

Phase 4: Leather Rejuvenation
The dried crease leather may be hydrated with Hydrator-5.0 from the suede side to relax and separate the stick-together leather structure fibrils.
And it’s to be fatliquored thereafter using Fatliquor-5.0; for its suppleness with strength and softness. Reshaping the form is recommended for smartness.

Phase 5: Refinishing
If there is a desire to balance and improve the aesthetic appearance refinishing is recommended.
Use matching color Pigment Micro-54; follows with Topcoat Micro-72 Satin.

Phase 6: Non-stick, Rub-Resistance Protection.
Use Leather Scent-B (buttery feel with the unforgettable leather scent).


With your option for phase of process, we can further discuss the technique to accomplish the desired result.

This starter kit may interest you besides others:

http://www.leathercleaningrestoratio...ead.php?t=4400


Roger Koh
Leather Doctor®