The biggest danger to your leather furniture is not from humans – it’s cats. Dogs are not as dangerous as cats are to leather because a cat’s claw is thinner and sharper than a dog’s claw. Dog damage usually is just a scratch, easily reparable if you know how to repair scratches. When a cat damages leather, it’s claw can tear right through it. If the leather is full grain, it can be even worse. A cat can rip full grain leather to shreds because of the supple quality of the leather. How do you fix a problem like this? The easiest way is to make sure your cat never damages your furniture in the first place. Let’s face it: we’re dealing with a cat. These things can be a force of nature if they want to. So how do you fix cat damage?

There are actually several ways to do so. Keep in mind that sometimes it is cheaper to hide cat scratches on leather than to fully repair the leather. The easiest scratch to repair is a small one that has only just torn the leather, so that only a small patch can be lifted. Usually there will be a white patch visible underneath the leather; this is the backside of the leather. It’s simple to handle scratches like these. First, take a non-permanent marker or shoe polish that matches the color of your leather. Next, gently dab and dot the white part of the tear until the tear vanishes. Then, wait for it to air dry. Finally, take a moist soft towel and lightly swipe it across the area in the direction of the tear flap. This should work like a charm. Don’t forget to clean the leather after you finish.

For bigger and more noticable scratches, this obviously will not work. The down-and-dirty hiding method will not do the trick. An example of serious damage is a tear where a large section of leather separated from the furniture piece. Ouch! This obviously can’t be hidden unless you are willing to sew the leather, which is a tricky business at best.

The one item you must have is a good leather cleaner. Otherwise, it will be impossible to repair the leather in the way it needs to be repaired. (Plus it will look terrible when you’re done.) It’s important to make sure the cleaner you choose is the right strength for the leather. High quality leather does not like cleaners that are too strong; some are so strong they can remove the color from the leather like bleach if you’re not careful.

Using the leather cleaner is only one step in the repair process. You’ll need to use a pin or needle to hold down the torn leather while you apply the cleaner and the protector. This will help the adhesive on the back of the leather stick to the rest of the couch. Using a hair dryer to dry the leather after you wash it with the cloth will help preserve it. After all this, don’t forget to apply the cleaner and protector again if you feel it needs it. A word of caution: don’t dry the leather immediately after you have applied the protector with the hair dryer. Let it dry overnight. This way, the leather will be unharmed from the heat. Only use a hair dryer to evaporate the water, not dry the leather itself.

Related posts:

  1. Repairing Leather Furniture
  2. How To Fix A Big Tear On Your Leather Couch
  3. Furniture Made From Mid Grade Leather
  4. Leather Tub Chairs For The Home
  5. Cleaning Leather Furniture

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Filed under: Advice • Cat Damage • Help • How-to • Info • Tips • Tricks

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