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No matter how much intendance you take in using leather seats—whether they're in your car, a sofa in your home, or a leather office chair—they're spring to crack at some indicate. Fortunately, it's relatively straightforward to repair cracked leather, although you might never get it dorsum to mint condition. Before beginning repairs, make clean off the leather seat. Then, fix lightly cracked seats with enamel pigment or repair heavily torn and ripped seats with a leather repair kit.

  1. ane

    Remove debris from the leather seat and vacuum it clean. Pick upwards whatsoever nutrient scraps or other trash that has accumulated on or behind the leather seat. Depending on the corporeality and type of dirt on your seat, you may also need to use a feather squeegee to remove dust. Then, utilize a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment to remove dirt from hard-to-reach locations.[i]

    • If you try to make clean a leather seat with liquid cleaners (e.g., soapy water and leather cleaner) before removing droppings and vacuuming, you lot'll simply terminate up rubbing the dust and dirt into the leather.

  2. ii

    Clean the leather seat with soapy water and a lint-free fabric. Drop two-iii droplets of bleach-costless dish detergent into a plastic spray bottle, and fill the rest of the bottle with water to create a soapy mix.[2] Spray a light layer of soapy h2o across the surface of your leather seat. In one case the seat is damp, use a lint-free cloth (like a microfiber fabric) to wipe the seat until it's dry out. [three]

    • Every bit you clean the seat, you'll notice that its color lightens by a shade.[4]

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  3. 3

    Scrub off clay and crud with leather cleaner and a coarse scuff pad. If yous're still seeing greasy stains on the seat, y'all can remove them with a scuff pad. Pour about 1–2 tablespoons (15–xxx mL) of liquid leather cleaner onto a coarse scuff pad. Then, scrub the saturated section of the pad across the stained leather to wipe off dirt. Continue cleaning the dirty areas until you wipe off the grime.[5]

    • It'southward okay to employ business firm pressure when you're scrubbing the seats make clean. You're not probable to damage the leather whatever more it already is.

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  1. ane

    Detect a gloss enamel paint that matches the color of your leather. If your cracked leather seats are dyed, it's easy to repair the cracks using an aerosol can of gloss enamel pigment. Accept a look at the color of the cleaned leather seat. Many leather seats—especially in cars—are dyed ruddy, black, dark blue, or some other artificial color. Visit a hobby store or paint store and peruse their gloss enamel paint selection. Purchase a color of gloss enamel paint that matches your leather.[six]

    • If you were to assess the colour of the leather before cleaning information technology, you'd probably end up picking a paint or dye that's darker than the actual seat color.

  2. 2

    Spray a generous amount of droplets paint onto an old towel. Discover an old cotton wool towel that you lot don't mind getting muddied, and spray information technology with the aerosol paint to create a patch about two inches (v.1 cm) in diameter.[7] You don't desire to completely saturate the towel with paint, but do utilize the pigment heavily enough that information technology volition easily rub off onto the leather.

    • You tin can also use an old rag or other scrap of cotton cloth. Make sure it'southward one that you lot can throw away one time you've finished working on the seats.

  3. iii

    Fold the towel in half so the pigment is on the inside. If yous were to apply the paint directly to the leather seat, it would discolor the leather. To foreclose this, fold the towel in half with the paint on the inside.[eight]

    • If yous take a very sparse towel, try folding information technology over twice (i.e. fold it into quarters) so the paint doesn't bleed through too easily.

  4. four

    Cascade 1  tsp (4.9 mL) of lacquer thinner onto the towel. Aim the lacquer thinner and so you're pouring it direct onto the painted section of the towel. Do this over a garage sink or a section of concrete floor that you lot don't mind staining. Lacquer thinner will help bring up the paint that's already been practical to the leather seats, so that the new pigment you're applying blends with the old color.[9]

    • If you were to use paint to the seat without lacquer thinner, the two paint colors wouldn't blend and the cracks in the material would nevertheless be very visible.

  5. 5

    Rub the paint onto the leather seat in long, smooth strokes. Grasp the towel with 3 or 4 fingers just below the section that'due south saturated with pigment and lacquer. Utilise the paint and lacquer mixture to the cracked section of your leather seat by rubbing the towel dorsum and forth in strokes each about 8–nine inches (20–23 cm) long. Keep pressure on the towel so the paint and lacquer mix rubs off.[10]

    • Using this technique, rub the towel across the entire cracked expanse of the leather seat.
    • Avert rubbing the towel around in circles unless you want permanently visible swirls on your leather seat.

  6. six

    Apply a second layer of paint, then permit the seat dry for viii-10 hours. In one case you've finished applying paint and lacquer to the entire croaky seat, accept a look at the cracks. While they won't be fully filled in, they should be much less visible. If the cracks are withal visible, apply more paint and lacquer to the towel, and put on another layer over the croaky portions of the seat. After applying the second layer, allow the seats dry out for 8–10 hours overnight.[xi]

    • It's of import that you apply the second layer while the first is still wet, so that the new paint mingles fully with the old coloring in the leather.

  7. 7

    Spray a leather conditioner directly onto the seat in one case the paint is dry. In one case the repaired leather has stale, the next pace is to use a sealant to keep the seat from bang-up once again in a few days. Spray the liquid leather conditioner onto the seat surfaces that you've repaired and recolored. Use a generous amount, since there needs to be enough to soak into all the leather surfaces.[12]

    • Most leather conditioners are sold in plastic spray bottles. If you happen to take bought a leather conditioner that'due south not in a spray bottle, pour the liquid leather conditioner into an empty spray bottle.

  8. 8

    Rub the leather conditioner into the seat with a rag to seal the leather. Pick up a make clean rag and rub information technology across the conditioned leather to massage the liquid conditioner into the leather seat. Keep wiping the seat until the leather has absorbed all of the conditioner. Don't worry about rubbing in a specific pattern, but make certain that you rub all of the conditioner in.[thirteen]

    • Don't apply the paint- and lacquer-covered towel for this step, since it would likely smear more paint across the conditioned leather.

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  1. 1

    Insert a piece of bankroll pad that's 1⁄4  in (0.64 cm) larger than the rip. A bankroll pad is a standard part of any leather repair kit. Utilise a pair of pair of scissors to cut the pad into a square or rectangular shape that's approximately 1⁄iv  in (0.64 cm) longer than the rip you're repairing. Use a pair of tweezers to advisedly skid the slice of backing pad into the hole so it lays flat against the padding under the leather.[14]

    • If a rip is longer than about 1 inch (2.five cm), it'southward too big to exist repaired with a leather repair kit. You tin take information technology to an automotive repair shop and see if they can prepare the torn seat.

  2. 2

    Fill the rip with leather filler and let it cure for 1 hour. Scoop up a large dollop of leather filler using the tip of a palette pocketknife. Use the knife to smear the leather filler into the rip until the backing pad is no longer visible. Then, apply your fingers to hold the two sides of the rip close until the leather filler has cured (about 5 minutes). Let the filler set up for 1 60 minutes.[fifteen]

    • The backing pad that y'all've inserted behind the leather volition prevent the filler from soaking into the seat filling.
    • Just use your fingers or a handy rag to wipe off whatsoever filler that leaks out from the rip.

  3. three

    Rub small-scale dabs of leather filler onto other cracks with a palette pocketknife. While you lot're waiting for the large rip to set, utilize your palette pocketknife and the leather filler to patch upwards large cracks surrounding the rip. Commencement with a tiny dollop, and rub the filler into cracks until they're flush with un-cracked portions of the leather seat. When yous've finished applying the filler, give it 1 hour to gear up.[16]

    • Since the leather isn't ripped through in the croaky locations, you don't need to insert backing pad behind the leather.
    • It'due south okay if yous go filler all over the seat; y'all'll be coloring the entire seat anyway.

  4. iv

    Fix the filler from 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) away with a heat gun. Plug in your heat gun and set it to the on the hottest setting. Once hot air is bravado out, concord the heat gun 2–3 inches (5.i–seven.half-dozen cm) away from the portions of the leather seat that you've practical filler to. Move the heat gun back and forth higher up the leather seat for about 5-7 minutes. Lightly tap the seat with your finger to brand sure it'due south dry.[17]

    • This will dry the filler and assistance it to set chop-chop. Don't attempt to dye the leather until after the filler is completely dry.

  5. five

    Sand the dried leather filler until it'southward shine with 600-dust sandpaper. Take a sail of very fine sandpaper and motility it across the dried and filled department of leather. Utilize strokes about 6 inches (15 cm) long, and take intendance to but move the sandpaper in 1 direction.[eighteen] Never rub the sandpaper effectually in circles or back and along. After sanding, wipe the dust away with a damp rag.

    • 600-grit is an extremely fine sandpaper. This will smooth out the set and dried filler without neat information technology or leaving large abrasions backside.
    • If yous practical an excessive amount of filler previously, the sand paper volition fifty-fifty out those spots.

  6. half dozen

    Apply a second layer of leather filler in one case the leather is smooth. Seriously ripped and cracked leather seats will demand 2 layers of leather filler to smooth out the damaged material. Accept your palette knife and scoop out more than of the gooey filler material. As before, spread it beyond the cracked areas of the leather. Make certain to utilize more filler over whatever rips y'all repaired, every bit well.[19]

    • Equally before, let the leather filler set up for one hr once you've finished applying it. In one case the hour has passed, dry the second layer of filler with the heat gun for five-half-dozen minutes.

  7. 7

    Spray a coat of leather dye beyond the repaired leather seat. This will exist simplest if you've purchased a leather dye in an aerosol spray tin. Spray the dye across the seat, moving the spray canister in a back-and-forth movement. Keep applying dye until the seats have been uniformly coated and the unabridged surface of the leather is all the same colour.[20]

    • If the leather has an uncommon colour, take a photo of the seat and bring the motion-picture show to the hobby shop with you when y'all go to select a paint or leather dye.

  8. 8

    Set and dry out the paint for 5–vi minutes with the rut gun. In one case you lot've covered the full repaired section of leather seat with dye, it's time to dry the paint. As before, set the heat gun to its highest setting. Blow hot air onto the dyed leather sections from about 4 inches (x cm) away. Proceed it upward for about five minutes until the dye is dry. Lightly tap the dyed sections of the leather seat with 1 finger to make certain they're dry out.[21]

    • If y'all're spraying paint on leather car seats, hold a slice of cardboard behind

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  • You lot tin can pick upward all of the supplies you'll need at an automotive supply shop or hobby store, and repairing the seats shouldn't take more than two or 3 hours.

  • To help forbid your leather seats from corking, keep them out of direct sunlight. For machine seats, try parking in the shade or putting a window screen up to block the sun'southward rays.

  • If yous're fixing cracked leather in a car, get out the windows down overnight while the paint and lacquer mixture dries out. This will help the seats dry more apace and volition also keep the inside of your automobile from smelling like paint for weeks afterward.

  • If you're concerned that the leather dye might not exactly friction match the color of the leather, spray information technology onto a neutral-colored piece of cardboard to check the color.

Cheers for submitting a tip for review!

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Things You'll Demand

  • Feather duster
  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Soft castor attachment
  • Soapy water
  • Spray bottle
  • Lint-free fabric
  • Scuff pad
  • Leather cleaner
  • Gloss enamel paint
  • Lacquer thinner
  • Towel
  • Leather conditioner
  • Rag
  • Spray bottle (optional)
  • Backing pad fabric
  • Pair of scissors
  • Tweezers
  • Leather filler
  • Palette pocketknife
  • Heat gun
  • 600-grit sandpaper
  • Damp rag
  • Colored leather dye

References

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