Small signs of wear on leather, such as holes and tears, can be repaired without much effort. The prerequisite: proper preparation and the right equipment. The following guide will show you how best to go about it, what things to consider during and after the repair, and how you can prevent this type of damage.
How to repair leather & imitation leather?
Leather is a natural product and can wear out over the years. The same applies to imitation leather. The most common cause of damaged leather is a lack of care. If you neglect it or use the wrong products, real leather and even imitation leather will dry out and become hard and cracked. Of course, the ravages of time also take their toll on leather furnishings, clothing and accessories. This can be delayed for years with perfect leather care. However, signs of wear and tear are normal at some point and sometimes even desired, as with your favorite leather jacket.
That's exactly when it's time for a refurbishment. You can use various methods for this. Liquid leather like that from Emma Grün is suitable for smaller damages. For larger tears or abrasions, the only thing that usually helps is color-matched patches, which are placed behind the cover and glued with leather glue. To sand down the joints, you need a good sanding fleece, which you can also buy from Emma Grün.
Leather repair of smooth leather with liquid leather: step-by-step instructions
First, you should find out whether the leather is smooth or aniline leather. The water drop test is useful for this. To do this, drop some water on an invisible spot and rub it in. If the liquid is absorbed into the material and the leather darkens, it is aniline leather. If the water beads up, you have smooth leather.
1. Prepare the leather
First, you have to clean the surface to be treated of all residues and grease. A sustainable product such as our premium leather cleaner is ideal for this. For light soiling, cleaning with a soft cotton cloth works well. Coarser dirt is best removed with a flexible natural bristle brush.
2. Smooth rough areas with a sanding fleece
To ensure that the liquid leather adheres well, take a sanding sponge and try to smooth the roughened area by applying light pressure. Be extremely careful during this step. However, with a high-quality sanding mat, working with pinpoint accuracy is no problem. Then remove the sanding dust with a little leather cleaner and a soft cloth or sponge.
3. Cover larger areas with a tensioning material
Longer tears must be covered with a stretch fabric. The fabric should be large enough to overlap the area to be treated by two to three centimeters. Now fix the cut piece of fabric in the middle with a needle and push it under the leather with a spatula. Now wet the areas between the fabric and the leather with glue. A slightly longer dosing tip is helpful in order to distribute the product optimally. If you don't have one to hand, you can also use a small brush. Now you should let the glue dry for about half an hour.
4. Apply liquid leather
Liquid leather could also be described as an adhesive filler that is particularly flexible when dry. The liquid leather is suitable for repairing small holes, cracks, breaks and deep scratches. It is not just small damages on smooth leather that can be wonderfully concealed with liquid leather. Artificial leather can also be repaired with the filler, which is available in different colors.
For a perfect result, you need to fill the damaged area with liquid leather. Immediately afterwards, smooth it out with a spatula. Depending on the amount of fill and the prevailing room temperature, the product needs about one to two hours to dry completely. Because liquid leather contracts slightly when it dries, you need to repeat this step until the treated area is filled and smooth. You will notice this if you gently run your finger over the repair area.
Good to know: Liquid leather is only suitable for repairing damage that needs filling. Liquid leather cannot help with abrasions or tiny scratches.
5. Level out unevenness with the sanding mat
If the surface is uneven, you can easily level it out with your sanding pad. To do this, gently rub over the repaired area.
6. Recolor the repair area with a leather color refresher
Finally, you can treat the area with a color refresher in the right color. To apply it, use a soft sponge, preferably with which you apply the color refresher in circular movements or by dabbing. Then dry the area with a hairdryer. For larger areas or an opaque color, you may have to repeat this process a few times. Just make sure that you dry the refresher between each step. By the way, the color does not rub off when dry. So you don't have to worry about color smearing on your clothes.
7. Leather care
One day after the repair, when the color refresher has completely dried, it is time to care for the leather. Only when the natural material is optimally nourished can it withstand the stresses of everyday life and external influences such as UV light and retain its beautiful appearance.
It's up to you whether you choose a wax, a lotion or a balm. It's important that you use sustainable care products that are free of questionable ingredients, silicones and resins. Conventional products have the property of settling on the surface of the leather and clogging the pores. The result: the material cannot breathe and is not nourished down to the deepest layers. The inadequate care naturally also becomes visually noticeable over time. The leather becomes hard and brittle and loses its unique attractiveness.
But don't worry: This can be prevented with the right products based on natural ingredients such as beeswax, vegetable surfactants and wool wax. Emma Grün's leather care products give your leather everything it needs for a long life. They are also economical to use and penetrate deep into the material.
To ensure that you work the product evenly into the material, it is best to use a soft sponge. Surprise: This is even included in the order of our leather care products! So that you do not have to repair your sofa in the near future, we recommend that you repeat the pampering program for your leather furniture every four weeks. The fact is: Regular cleaning and care with sustainable products extends the lifespan of your real and artificial leather. You are also doing the environment a good service.
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