Re colouring leather (black seats gone grey).

[dhutch]

Ive currently got a 306 with the black/leafprint half leather seats which need a bit of tlc.
- I dont want to spend mega time/money because its just a 306, but the leathers all dry and cracking (only just got the cat) so i want to do something just to help them last apart from anything else.

The 'cracks' are all grey, so i was looking for something to rub/paint into them to get them back to black, before rubbing some leather conditioner/softener into them (ive just bought some gliptone leather conditioner).

So yeah, im just wondering whats best to put some colour back in? Any recomended dyes/scuff products?


Kicking myself really because about a week before i bought it i sold the seats out of my prevous 306 (which i was breaking after a crash) and they where in much better nick. But the buyer wanted them there and then, and at a price i couldnt say no to. Heyho!


Daniel

[belleair302]

have you cleaned the leather yet using a damp towel and some Gliptone cleaner and a soft brush? Clean it first then have a closer look at the cracks. After conditioning you should see and feel a vast improvement in the leather. If not then its worth looking into kits.

[dhutch]

belleair302 said:

have you cleaned the leather yet using a damp towel and some Gliptone cleaner and a soft brush? Clean it first then have a closer look at the cracks. After conditioning you should see and feel a vast improvement in the leather. If not then its worth looking into kits.

Dam it, i new i should have got the pair cleaner/conditioner deal thing.
- I wasnt going to bother cleaning it, because its black anyway, and its looks fine as it is bar the cracks.
- The cracks just look like all the black/shiny sealer stuff has come off, or whatever is that makes it black.

I'll take a photo.


Daniel

[belleair302]

Daniel you will be amazed how much dirt can be lifted from the leather, and the cracks if treated well and deep cleaned may well close when conditioned. Buy the cleaner, follow the simpe instructions and I am sure you will be amazed by the results. Just keep conditioning the seats once clean every eight or so weeks. Clean the leather two or three times a year.

[dhutch]

Right, so the best line of action is to clean it, the condition it, and then see how it is.
- And the i can look into recolouring/coating/dying kits if it still looks a mess?

And i guess the gliptone is the best thing to clean it with, there no chance of just doing it with some domestic cleaner and water?

I tryed to take a photo last night, but it was dark by the time i got back from work and the picute came out useless. Have taken a good one now this morning but have no way of geting it to you till im home again.

But basicaly theres just lots of crack/creasing and some scuffed areas. Its shot really, considering the cars only ment to have done 31k, compaired to my prevous one that my dad had done 147k in.

Thanks for the help anyway. Cheers.

Daniel

[belleair302]

Daniel cleanig leather is not difficult, more of an art than a science. Use a damp cloth, do not soak the leather, gently using a soft toothbrush rub in the Gliptone, along the creases and leave for a minute or two.

Using a clean damp cloth (I use an old flannel or damp microfibre), remove any excess cleaner and then dry the leather with a dry cloth. You will see how much dirt has ben removed by the colour of the cloth.

Apply the conditioner with a cloth, leave for maybe 15 minutes to be absorbed and then dry off excess with another cloth.

After this have a look at the leather before deciding to spend any more money.

[TheGriffalo]

I've used Cherry Blossom in the past. If it's good enough for my kids shoes it's good enough for car seats

Just make sure you polish it off well before you sit on the seats again!

[dhutch]

belleair302 said:

Daniel cleanig leather is not difficult, more of an art than a science. Use a damp cloth, do not soak the leather, gently using a soft toothbrush rub in the Gliptone, along the creases and leave for a minute or two.

Using a clean damp cloth (I use an old flannel or damp microfibre), remove any excess cleaner and then dry the leather with a dry cloth. You will see how much dirt has ben removed by the colour of the cloth.

Right ok. But its deffonatly worth buy the gliptone cleaner rather than trying to do it with normal domestic cleaning stuffs?

In which case i proberbly will but there scuff kit while im at it. Its only £12 and the postage is over £4 (cleaners about £4.50, £5 for the conditioner).
- Im pritty certain the creases have all lost there black surface totaly as have the scuff areas not just dirt,

[belleair302]

Either way the leather will need to be cleaned. Once cleaned you can see the extent of the leather scuffing and decide what to do after that.

As for dying which brand are you going to use for the work?

http://www.liquidleather.com/scuffs.htm

Edited by belleair302 on Thursday 7th February 18:39

[dhutch]

belleair302 said:

Either way the leather will need to be cleaned. Once cleaned you can see the extent of the leather scuffing and decide what to do after that.

As for dying which brand are you going to use for the work?

http://www.liquidleather.com/scuffs.htm

Edited by belleair302 on Thursday 7th February 18:39

yeah, i bought the liquidleather scuff-master kit thing with the cleaner today.
- should be here in the next few days i guess.

heres the photo.




Daniel

[belleair302]

Ouch, that looks pretty bad. Too much abuse and not enough care that's obvious. The after photo will be interesting to see....good luck with the project and warm the leather with a hairdryer before beginning.

[dhutch]

belleair302 said:

Ouch, that looks pretty bad. Too much abuse and not enough care that's obvious. The after photo will be interesting to see....good luck with the project and warm the leather with a hairdryer before beginning.

Yeah, its a bit of a mess isnt it.
- As i say, ive only just bought the car, but with only 31k on the clock. I guess a fair few short jounerys, no care, and a bit of a rough lad.
- However, its unlikly to get worse if i try and make it better, so we'll have to see. 306 seats are well known for wearing badly, although they are very confortable!


Daniel

[cuneus]

Those need to be coloured

http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/c-117-leather-renova...

[dhutch]

cuneus said:

Those need to be coloured

http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/c-117-leather-renova...

Yeah, thats what i thought!

Ive bought the liquid leather scuffs pack thing while i ordered there cleaner.

http://www.elkparts.com/product_info.php/cPath/70_...

Hopfully it will come for saterday and i might get time saturday evening to clean them maybe (away all saturday watching a boat being relaunched) and maybe have a go on sunday.
- It might be the weekend after, but i'll keep in touch and post back some more before/after shots as well as some work-in-progress reports.
- The back seats are fine (near enough never been used, and the passenger seat isnt half as bad eather, just some scracking.

We'll se anyway. It cant get worse for a bit of a clean, some black gunk and something to soften it abit.


Daniel

[dhutch]

Just to let you know i did the job last weekend and it looks much better now.
- I will post some photos when i get home, but im pleased with the results really.

Not sure how much good the cleaner did, but did that all over anyway.

The recoloring stuff worked wonders on the big area of scuffed off colour. Basicailly totaly removed it it! Just painting it on neat as out of the pot.
- Then i diluited some as per the instuctions and did a 'wash' over the cracked areas.
- This didnt totatly hide/remove them. But coloured them and made them less noticable.
- I then did a full wash over both of the front two seats. Bar the backs of the seats.

Then after a day of drying in the sun (whooo) i rubbed on the condioner stuff.
- Intially that didnt seam to do much, and does smell a bit. Infact it gets right on my throat!
- However a day or so later the leather was actaully noticably softer, and not creasing/folding so much.
- And a after a week the smell had largly gone. Certainly its not geting on my throat anymore.

I plan to reapply the conditioner agian this weekend, and do the back seats in it too.

• photos tonight.

Daniel

[dhutch]

dhutch said:

• photos tonight.

Before:



The kit:


After the recolour:

[mneame]

amazing difference.

[dhutch]

mneame said:

amazing difference.

Yeah, im very happy with it.

It hasnt removed the creases, but i suppose you expect it to really.
- But the scuffed area on the side has totally an utterly gone, and the cracks are all a uniform colour.
- Even the cracks are lessening with time and conditioning, so its a great result really, for the price/time put in.


Daniel

[mneame]

yup, keep feeding the leather. i doubt you'll ever get rid of the cracks but should soften them. i can't beleive the result on the scuffed patch!