How to refinish old damaged leather furniture? 10 Surprising ideas

No matter how hard someone tries to prevent their furniture, scratches do start to appear on them because of regular and daily use. People may think that their furniture is ruined once it gets scratched, they must know that there are several ways to restore it back again.

Leather couches are expensive to purchase and it takes all our heart to discard them away. However, it is worth mentioning here that leather is a versatile material that has the ability to bond itself over a period of time. This, in turn, removes the scratches that appear on furniture. All you need is a leather repair kit, some material and time to repair your own furniture and save a whole lot of money.

Handy tips on fixing the damaged furniture

Have scratches? No problem

There are different reasons that make scratches appear on furniture. Once a piece of furniture gets scratched, it becomes almost impossible to ignore them. However, there are ways to fix such furniture.

A lot of people believe in using olive oil or orange oil to fix the scratches on their leather furniture. Rubbing a little amount of either of these two oils with the help of a damp cloth in buffing motion helps condition the leather. Generally, it is a nice habit for the health of the leather.

Another way to reduce the appearance of scratched is to rub a neutral-colored shoe polish into the affected area. Follow it up with a vegetable-based oil soap. This solution works the best in case of dark-colored leather.

Remove scrach

 

Re-coloring the leather is easier than you think

Leather is  by far  one of the best and durable materials for furniture at homes, despite the allegations that it is not meant for homes with pets and children. Leather furniture that begins to get discolored or develops scratches and wrinkles after a period of time can be easily restored at home to its original color. You can purchase a dye kit and leather preparation with applicators or purchase them separately from companies that sell leather furniture.

The color dye can be matched to the original color of the sofa. You can also make a decision to get another color. Star by preparing the sofa for coloring. Lay newspapers across furniture borders, on the carpet or the floor. Clean the leather and apply prep product.

Allow the furniture to dry for 15 minutes before applying the leather dye with the help of an applicator. Apply a leather dye to the entire couch  followed by another light layer. Make sure to apply dye consistently through all cracks, piping and seams.

Those accidental cuts won’t be a bother anymore

Make sure to use a circular under patch for leather seat repair in case you are repairing a cut in the leather furniture. This makes sliding under the couch easier and it will produce even better results if the patch is coated with heat-activated glue on its one side.

In case you are using low-cure leather repair compound, smooth it over the cut and take the help of a heat gun to cure it. Hold the gun at some distance from the area of repair as it will help cure the compound without any signs of burning or shrinkage.

Match the dye of the leather and apply a small amount on the top of the affected area. Blend the dye carefully and use a hairdryer to properly dry it.

Remove accidental cut

 

Pump some life to your flat cushion

Flattened and sagged cushions look awful and aren’t very comfortable to sit. However, the cushions can be given a gift of life, rejuvenating the couch and adding years to its life.

Accurately determine the length of the cushion by filling them with batting so that they are padded up. Add 3 cms to the length and width measurements and fetch a foam of that size. Also remember to measure the height of the cushion to determine the thickness of the foam.

Unzip and remove the old padding and foam before cutting the new foam to match the size of the cushion. Make use of Alcolin spray adhesive to attach batting to the top and front of each block. As a last step, stuff new foam into the cushions. Make use of a handful of batting to fill the corners of the cushions. This will give it a smooth appearance.

Alconic spray

 

How to remove abrasions

Small abrasions can be easily managed without much effort. In fact, they can be eliminated without leaving a trace that they were there in the first place!

Start by spraying the area with water and using a small fragment of 1000-grit sandpaper. Smoothly sand the area with the abrasion until it becomes smooth. Areas with larger abrasions may be required to be re-dyed. Sand the area slowly and stop in between a multiple times to check the surface of the leather. Stop when you feel that it’s time to stop sanding the area.

Remove ambrasion

 

Pet Urine – you can remove it, but train your pet first!

Sometimes it is an accident, while sometimes they do it intentionally – pets may wet leather furniture every now and then. While it may seem difficult to do at first, it is possible to remove traces of pet urine from leather furniture completely and maintain the health of the furniture.

Soak pet urine from the leather furniture with the help of paper towels. Keep on doing until all urine is soaked. Mix 1 cup white vinegar with 2 cups of cold water. Use a piece of cloth saturated with the solution to rub and scrub the affected leather surface. Wash the area next to remove any noticeable stains. Dry the leather surface with a clean cloth.

Remove pet urine

 

How to mend Saggy cushions

You can easily repair old, saggy cushions of your furniture. Start by making a pattern of the shape of the cushion with the help of batting. Using a break knife, cut a shape of the foam that matches that of the batting. Attach the batting to one side of the foam with the help of a spray adhesive.

Apply the spray adhesive to the other side of the foam as well and allow the foam to slide into the cushion smoothly as the betting faces the back of the chair. The foam, thus, gives some support to the cushion. Put the cushion back into the cover once everything is done.

Get rid of saggy cushions

 

Cracks, no more over your leather

Leather furniture is bound to crack if it is not maintained or repaired properly. The only possible way to repair cracks is by completely replacing the affected area. However, one simple way to make it appear like new is to clean the leather thoroughly and color it again. It will not fix the cracks completely, but hide them. This is not a long-term repair, but saves the leather from immediate replacement.

Patch a leather couch

To fix small cuts with flaps, start by cleaning the affected area thoroughly. Use a leather cleaner to wipe the area surrounding the cut with flaps with the help of a sponge. Next, apply leather glue to the lower side of the flap. Make sure to apply only a small amount of glue. Put the flap back down onto the leather. Wipe any excess glue on the surface of furniture and allow the glue to set properly.

Patch leather couch

 

Removing the Ink stains

It is disheartening to see an ink stain on leather furniture, especially if it is light-colored. It is important to make sure that you remove ink stains from the leather once you see them, as it will prevent the leather from further damage and discoloration.

Blot as much ink as possible from the leather with the help of a soft rag. Next, apply a small drop of bleach-free liquid dish soap onto a toothbrush before rubbing it over an ink stain in a circular motion. Lift the toothbrush once the ink mark is completely gone or appears lightened at least. Wipe the leather again with the help of a damp rag.

Remove ink stains

 

Conclusion

People get disheartened to see their expensive and exquisite leather furniture getting damaged over a period of years. However, they must know that it is completely possible to restore their furniture with the help of simple techniques. All of the techniques described above come handy in giving a new life to the old leather furniture that might have become discolored, scratched or cracked over a period of time. The greatest benefit of using these techniques is that a majority of them can be carried out at home easily.

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