[Chris R]

Hi,
I clean quite a few leather suites, but only the "ordinary" ones .

I have been asked to clean a leather suite that the custy says is only a couple of years old, but was made to look "distressed".

I have the LTT strong cleaner and protector. Anyone know if this will be suitable ?

cheers

Chris

[Chris R]

I found these quotes on the internet, about " distressed leather "

What is distressed leather?
Distressed Leather is aniline dyed leather with an artificially worn and aged appearance in which the natural characteristics of the hide such as healed scars, scratches, and wrinkles are considered a positive characteristic[/i]

The 'distressed' leather is produced from top grain Aniline dyed hides, which undergo a tanning process to give a unique look and style. The cushion covers are sumptuously filled with a foam and fibre mix to prevent sagging, whilst giving a 'sink into' feeling. Inherent defects in the hides, such as scarring, mottling and wrinkling, are all distinctive features of the hides, and as such should be cherished as a guarantee of the items' authenticity

[LTT Leathercare]

Distressed leather is an aniline style leather.  It will be top grain or full grain (the best quality) and will be absorbent to stains and therefore cleaning products. 
There is an article on our website about cleaning aniline leather to giv eyou some pointers.

The products will be perfectly safe to use although as we know cleaning aniline leather will never produce results that look very obvious.  The degree to which it has been previously protected will dictate how much the surface can be cleaned.  Cleaning products are readily absorbed so the cleaning process is not as effective as with pigment suites.  Always clean a panel at a time and you will find the leather darkens with the addition of the foam cleaner but will dry out evenly.
If the surface is very scratched (surface only) by finger marks etc. the protector will get rid of these and it is crucial that this type of leather is left protected by as good a protector as is available (Ultra Protect would be even better than the standard one)

Any stains that are on the leather will not be cleaned away but may appear more blended and the leather protect will help to enhance the colour.

If there is any fading on the leather then aniline restoration (with aniline dyes) is a good service to offer as it is very easy and produces fantastic results.

Protecting will help inhibit fading and will also make the absorption of spillages less likely.
Natural scars will be visible on this type of leather and it will fade over time, it scratches and marks easily and although most will have some sort of finish on them they do need protecting and maintianing to keep them in good condition and correctly hydrated. 

The products crucially will not alter the feel or look of the leather.

Just give us a ring if you need any further advice.

[Joe H]

What about grease marks (ie from a head or hands) on aniline. Are these easy to treat?

[Ben Staerck]

you need to use  degreaser to remove the grease mark, which will discolour the leather, then apply the re-colouring balm afterwards to restore the colour.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Cleaning chemical companies sell a powdered cleaner that absorb the grease but can take some of the colour also, I think that is where you need full training.

I have cleaned a couple of these and have had great results with cleaning and reprotecting/conditioner (as Judy says) but also I had a pot of Grison Balm which works a bit like shoe polish and applied it to a bad area the results were excellent but I think that is classed as more restoration and needs some training.

I have a wax pull up which is not disimular and when I first conditioned it, it did look like new if I had carried on and put a protective cream on it then it would have been as good as new.

CHRIS you won't get great joy out of the clean albeit needed but it's the finishing touches which make the real difference but I would advise you to try a small area first and it WILL go darker at first.

Shaun

[Ben Staerck]

heres a guide on grease removal - www. cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=54276.0

[Roger Koh]

This picture “looks” more like a genuine Aniline Wax Pull-up.

It may be a pigmented simulated to look alike.

It’s the wax pull up effect that will determine its authenticity.

If this leather is easily scratch or scuff than it is.

Important to clean leathers especially high-end is to return back to its original characteristics or better.

Without this specialty product it may loose its original characteristic and becomes a “pariah”.

It is a worthwhile investment when we want to convert customers to clients.

Would you like to know more about these relevant system products besides waxEffect95™

d’Scuff94™.
d’Oil4.4™
d’Grease4.9™
clean3.8™
rinse3.0™
fatliquor5.0™
leatherScent’D™

waxEffect95™ is a hydrocarbon based wax emulsion for wax pull-up leathers.
    Wax pull-up leathers derive color from dyes and waxes.
   When this leather is pulled during upholstery, the waxes dissipate and become lighter in those areas.
   During heavy usage cushion becomes lighter as the wax effect diminishes.         
   Besides fingernail marks stay until rectify with d’Scuff94™.

Type:
- Wax Pull-Up Aniline

Purpose:
To revive diminishing Wax Pull-Up effect through usage, ageing or cleaning.
To restores its “Crinkle and Crackle or Wax Paper effect”.
To rectify light scratch marks and lightening of cushion seats through constant rub-off.

Preparation:
d’Grease4.9™, clean3.8™, rinse3.0™ and fatliquor5.0™ prior to oilEffect63™.

Instruction:
Warm up to room temperature and shake well.
Spray and spread with a foam brush to allow sufficient soaking evenly into the leather structure.
Allow 4 hours minimum natural drying time.
Cloudy residual wax will remain on the surface.
Apply heat with a hair dryer to activate the wax.
Sharp pull-up effect can be created by kneading, flexing or creasing.

Routine Care:
leatherScent’D™ helps maintain original characteristic and helps enhance a non-stick draggy feel with a classic leather scent.

Roger Koh
Leather Doctor® System.

[LTT Leathercare]

Most of this type of leather are now not true wax pull ups these are very rare.  Most have a polyurethane style coating as a finish rather than a wax. 

If the customer expects that cleaning will remove any grease areas from head and hands then this is something you need to talk to her about as this is more of a restoration process.  The same with any areas that show stains as these will not be cleaned away. 

Degreasing can be done with a degreasing compound but this may not be something to tackle if you have not had any experience of it.  It may or may not remove colour from the leather (you will not know this until you do it - we have just finished one that we expected to lose a lot of colour and nothing came out at all so they all vary). If colour is removed you will need anilne dyes to rectify the problem.  (most balms are pigment based products rather than dyes).  It is not necessary to degrease anilines in order to use aniline dyes as they will penetrate through grease areas but usually would be  the grease that worries the customer. The colour will not dramatically change those areas but will help to blend  them in.

Lazy Leather is great for maintenance cleaning on these type of leathers once they have been protected (sell a bottle to your customer)

[Chris R]

Thanks for all of the info 

I was just talking to the customer ( on the phone ) and discussing the possible results.

She says that its got a label on it saying that it is a " wax pull up" .

Can you just clarify if the LTT product strong cleaner is suitable for this type ?

regards

Chris

ps  Its 7 years old, one chairs got a head grease stain

[*paul_moss]

Chris you need to get all this info at the start or go and see it our self.
You said its only a couple of years old first, now its 7 years and  defo a wax pull up.

You stock LTT products so presume they have trainned you .

Over to you Judy for the next steps so Chris can do this job 

[Roger Koh]

These four pictures show “Urine Stains Removal” from “what leather is this…”?

These pictures were sent for my consultation and review.

Take a close look at the date and time of the 3rd and 4th pictures.

How long does it take the products to work its miracle?

Training is not a prerequisite when using a leather-safe (pH 3-5) product system.

Whether it is a Vegetable-Tanned, Pure-Aniline, Oil Pull-Up or Wax Pull-up,

a leather safe system will clean them safely and effectively with no excuses.

A home owner can do it, so can you!


Chris,

Check it out; the average pH of leather is from 3 to 5.

Any products not within this pH value will not be safe for any absorbent leathers.

Besides they just smear the stains around or bleed most times making it worse.

You want a product that works for you.

Not products that may ruin your reputation.

Most non leather safe products are only design to clean the “plastic coating” of the leather.

Leather is not just protein fiber, if it is, like our skin, it is still mildly acidic.

Fatliquor alone in upholstery leathers make up between 15 -30%.

Besides you still have other constituents including tanning agent, dyes, preservatives, salt, etc.

And in his particular Wax Pull-Up leather, the emphasis is in replenishing the diminishing “wax” effect.

Without these chemistry constituents they are not leather but “Rawhide”.

It is the displacement of this chemistry that we are worried about when cleaning absorbent leathers.

Know the leather facts, and the facts will set you free of doubt!

Leather safe (pH 3-5) is not a marketing gimmick but a technical fact that works safely and effectively.

Confuse…? Or Diffuse…?
 
Roger Koh
Leather Doctor® System.

[Roger Koh]

Take a close look at the date and time of the 3rd and 4th pictures.

How long does it take the products to work its miracle?

[Chris R]

Chris you need to get all his info at the start or go an se it our self.
You said its only a couple of years old first, now its  years and a defo wax pull up.

You stock LTT products so presume thy have trainned you .

Hey up Paul,
I stock LTT and also Chemspec leather cleaning chems, but have never been on a training course of any kind.
I clean a lot of leather and have no probs, but unsure of this type.
The custy is booked in for £200 of carpets to be cleaned next tuesday and wants the suite doing same time.

Would like to clean it, but dont want to f**k it up 

cheers
Chris

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Chris you could go for a mild cleaner and then condition and protect.

I think Roger is light years infront of us with leather cleaning and restoration and the fact that 90%+ is pigmented in the UK.

Shaun

[Roger Koh]

Shaun,

Could some portion of these 90%+ pigmented leather be also semi-absorbent?

All leathers are hydrophilic by nature.

Even non-absorbent leathers somehow through time & usage becomes absorbent especially those worn areas.

So it is still wise to use a leather safe product regardless of types that sometimes make us worry.


All products now come in concentrates.

And it's free shipping to UK.

Price comparison after mixing with distilled water, the ready-to-use is much cheaper than you think!

Custom labels are provided too with your company’s name and phone number.


Sometimes, it is more profitable to sell products than to hassle with customers.

These pictures above (notice the year) are just what I have been doing, home owners are happier.
    
All are welcome!

Interested email me: info@leatherdoctor.org
 
Roger Koh
Leather Doctor® System.

[LTT Leathercare]

All LTT products are leather safe for all leathers throughtout the range if used correctly.

Chris clean with the Strong Cleaner and then use the protector but you will need to talk to your customer about the results you expect to get.  Grease stains will need degreasing as discussed and this is not a cleaning process.  See all the above information.

It is always best not to rely on descritptions of furniture by retailers/manufacturers/labels etc. as these can be very misleading.  The 5 step leather ID process should always be done yourself to verify the type of leather and the processes to use.  Remember it is not what it is called but how it reacts to your products that you are interested in.

We cover Leather ID, all the cleaning processes and Aniline Restoration on Day 1 of our 4 courses.  Day 1 costs only £45.00 + vat so may be worth the journey!!

Training for leather cleaning may not be essential but will give you more confidence and open your eyes to potential problems.  The internet is fine for gathering infomation but leather is about seeing, feeling, touching rather than just reading.  Some mistakes are very expensive to reverse.
These types of leather are a lot more common than people think these days and are certainly a growing area.

[Roger Koh]

What about grease marks (ie from a head or hands) on aniline. Are these easy to treat?

Joe,

Your question on degreasing aniline, see

www . leather Cleaning Restoration Forum . com / forum / showthread.php?t=69