All About Liquid Leather Repair

Leather repair can be a time consuming and expensive process, and there are plenty of liquid leather repair kits out there that promise your leather will look like new. Some are more effective than others. There are a few things to look for if you decide to try this option to repair minor damage to your leather car seat, furniture or clothing.

Assess the Damage

Do-it-yourself liquid leather repair is meant to be effective on minor to moderate scratches in car leather. Most retail liquid leather kits available do not work as well on more serious tears that go all the way through to the lining. This is especially true on leather seat where the kits instructs you to apply a coat of adhesive and then press a grain paper over it.

Grain paper comes in different textures that are meant to mimic the surface of leather. You then use a small heat applicator that comes in the kit to bond the adhesive and existing leather. The problem that occurs with holes in leather seats is that sitting on it will reheat the adhesive and cause it to separate over time. Then you have a re-separated hole with adhesive residue that is quite difficult to remove. The rule of thumb is that liquid leather works on shallow scratches much better than  actual holes in leather.

Match Colors

This is a common mistake when it comes to liquid leather. Many standard kits come with a set of common colors for the adhesive, such as black, tan, red, etc. The trick is to find one that matches the color of your leather as close as possible. Some more inclusive liquid leather repair kits include colors that can be mixed together; it is important to proceed with caution and follow all measurement instructions if you choose to try one of these. Adhesives in the wrong color can quickly become more noticeable than the original damage. If you have a leather repair that calls for a color that is less common, you may need to seek the advice of a leather repair professional.

Mending Garments

There is a bit more flexibility in repairing leather garments versus leather seats or furniture. It is advised to select a repair kit designated for finer leather and not one that can be used on both leather and vinyl, unless you happen to have a 100 percent vinyl garment. Keep a clothes iron and/or heating pad on hand for these types of repairs as well. Another important step is to apply the liquid adhesive evenly with a good quality spatula. Some instructions suggest using a toothpick to apply it, but this has been found to easily create lumps and uneven patches.

When heating the grain paper on a leather garment, it will not hurt the leather to add more heat. Use just the tip of a clothes iron on a low to medium heat setting. A heating pad is also effective as another option. If you have a more serious hole in a leather garment, you can alternately apply a leather patch with liquid adhesive, though this process requires a few more steps. As with liquid leather adhesive, you will need to find and heat-bond a leather patch that very closely matches the color of the clothing.