Aniline Leather

Aniline Cleaning

Introduction

An Aniline leather will have a varied hue, will be soft, will scratch readily with a fingernail, will darken when Leather Cleaner is applied, and will dry clear after Leather Protector has been applied. Stains will often not be totally removed, and the lighter the color, the more they will likely show. Be sure to look for fading as that happens easily. Evaluate the dryness of the leather, as an extra step is often needed to restore the feel of the leather after cleaning.

Procedure

1. Clean an inconspicuous panel of leather, usually the side of a cushion. Apply Leather Cleaner to a sponge and squeeze repeatedly to create foam. Rub onto panel of leather in a circular motion. Look at your sponge to see if the color of the leather came off on the sponge. If no color is seen, the proceed with the cleaning (if transfer of color occurs, then more advanced procedures may be required). Wipe off dirt with a terry cloth towel and dry panel with hair dryer.
2. Continue cleaning from panel to panel, drying each panel as you go with hair dryer. After entire sofa is cleaned, inspect for areas that may need further attention, and retreat.
3. Apply Leather Protector after furniture is cleaned. Dry each panel with a hair dryer as you protect it.
4. For dry leather found in your pre-inspection, apply Leather Revitalizer and let dry naturally overnight. Leather Revitalizer will revitalize the feel and touch of the leather by returning moisture back into the leather that has been lost over time.

Helpful Hint – 

• Restorative cleaning may be necessary, due to a collection of oil and food stains, partial fading, ink marks, and a deterioration of the original finish on the leather. Aniline leather does not have a polyurethane finish, but may have either a nitrocellulose, wax, or micro-pigmented surface, which will need to be restored
• Many pieces may have heavy oils in arm and head rests that do not come out in normal cleaning. An application of soft remover and leather degreaser may be necessary to remove these oils.

Caution- 

• Aniline leathers with no finish at all will use more product to clean/protect and are often described as naked hides.

PRODUCTS NEEDED

• Leather Kit
• Leather Cleaner

  

• Leather Protector  
• Leather Revitalizer
• Sponges
• Soft cloth
• Terry cloth towel
• Blower/Hair Dryer

Hydro-Force Procedure Guide