Despite the popularity of this product, many still do not know what liquid skin is. But it is with its help that you can save leather items that are quite suitable for use, but have lost their appearance - for example, a sofa scratched by a cat, a worn-out steering wheel in a car, shoes with “knocked down” toes.
What is liquid skin
The substance that repairs damage to the leather covering is paint. It has a very high adhesive ability and easily penetrates the surface. After drying, a single integral coating is formed with the original material, so it returns to its previous appearance: it is elastic, durable to the touch. If we are talking about the restoration of a natural coating, then delamination with the surface is completely excluded. This guarantee does not apply to leatherette, leatherette and other artificial coverings.
The skin restorer is available in sets of 7 colors. One jar contains about 20 grams of paint, which is enough to repair 100 square centimeters if applied in a layer of 0.2 mm. Consumption depends on the size and depth of the damage: in some places you can limit yourself to applying one layer, in others you will have to cover it several times. On average, the entire set is enough to restore from 30 to 100 items.
Compound
The paint, which seamlessly seals holes in leather, is a heavy-duty polymer made from water and alcohol. In addition, liquid leather contains rubber resin, emulsifiers, and dyes. In appearance, the liquid resembles gouache, and after application it is completely absorbed into the surface and forms a single coating that does not peel off and is in no way inferior to natural in strength.
How to use
Repairing leather products begins with cleaning: it is necessary to remove all dirt and degrease the surface, and after that the color is selected. The color palette included in the set will help you create any desired shade. How to use liquid skin? It depends on the nature of the damage:
- Scuffs. They need to be painted over with a thin layer of paint, then leveled, lightly pressing with a dry sponge (this gives the new coating the same relief), and left to dry. Repeat if necessary.
- Cuts and cracks. To make them disappear, tightly connect the edges and apply the composition with a brush, then level. Leave it to dry a little and repeat the procedure.
- Deep cuts. If possible, it is better to turn the product inside out, then join the edges. You will have to fill the space with foam rubber on the furniture. Apply paint to the front side in small portions, using a brush and remembering to level the surface and blot it with a sponge. You can repeat the procedure several times.
It is important to remember that the substance begins to set very quickly, after 10-30 minutes, so the jars must be closed immediately. The paint can dry completely within 2-3 hours of being in an open container. After completion of the work, the composition is absolutely safe. During repairs, you must try to limit contact with the skin and especially with the eyes. If the dried coating needs to be removed from the surface, wipe the area with alcohol and everything will come off.
Features and Properties
Liquid leather is usually understood as a mixture of polymers made on the basis of alcohol and water. Of course, the composition contains an adhesive type base, rubber resins, and multi-colored dyes. All this definitely contributes to the choice of the optimal color solution. The consistency of liquid skin is a thick viscous mass, a gel. It is usually sold in a bottle or tube equipped with a special brush-shaped cap.
advantages , mainly in the following aspects:
- ease of application of the composition to the surface;
- instant drying, which does not require long waiting;
- high level of strength;
- absolute elasticity, which contributes to the full recreation of the contours of products;
- wear resistance;
- long service life;
- absolute safety due to lack of toxicity.
This material has practically no disadvantages The main nuance is that the color palette implies some restrictions, however, if you dilute the colors according to a special scheme, this problem can be easily and quickly solved. Today, purchasing this product is available in several ways. You can do this at specialized points (furniture retail outlets and household chemical stores), or you can order it on the Internet. The cost of one bottle starts from 200 rubles, depending on the brand and volume.
Liquid leather
One of the most popular products of this type is liquid leather made in Russia:
- General description: available in individual tubes of 125 ml or in sets (7 tubes of 20 ml), the range is represented by 7 main colors.
- Characteristics: the polymerization process begins in 20 minutes, complete drying is observed from 2 to 8 hours;
- Pros: easy to apply, hardens quickly; repairs through-hole damage.
- Cons: small color palette.
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Recommendations for removing stains:
Important! We kindly ask you to eliminate contaminants while they are fresh!
If liquid is spilled on leatherette, you should immediately remove excess moisture using a dry sponge or cloth, then dry the area with a dry wool cloth.
You can get rid of dirt using a mild soap solution.
Stains left by wine, medicinal tinctures, markers are eliminated with medical alcohol and a cotton swab, after which they are treated with a stearin sponge.
All kinds of grease stains of organic origin do not pose a danger to leatherette: the stain is wiped with a dry cloth and left for a certain period.
Note!
Bradex liquid leather
Israeli liquid leather Bradex is a worthy competitor to other manufacturers, providing all the conditions for successful repairs:
- General description: available in sets of 7 pieces in different colors, the weight of the jar with the composition is 8 grams.
- Characteristics: drying time - from 8 to 12 hours.
- Pros: the repair kit includes all the necessary accessories (a spatula, embossed paper to imitate a leather surface, vinyl flap, lining fabric for holes).
- Cons: small selection of colors, takes a long time to dry.
Safety requirements when working with the product
Firstly, you must wait for the product to dry completely, otherwise it will smear and look very sloppy and unattractive.
Secondly, pay attention and be responsible when choosing colors and shades. Try to get the most similar combination.
Thirdly, don’t save money, there are places where you can order very cheap liquid leather, but it will not ensure quality and will only completely ruin the product.
And finally, take care of your health: wear gloves, open windows and doors (if the whole procedure is carried out in a garage). After repairs, the room must be ventilated.
Liquid leather price
The product for restoring leather products is sold in sets of several colors, in individual tubes of the desired color, or as a spray. Black and beige colors are very popular. The price of liquid leather will depend on the brand, country of manufacture, and number of grams. The price range for the 3 most popular brands specializing in the production of the product ranges within 100 rubles:
| Name | Qty | Price |
| Saphir (Sapphire) renovate | 25 ml | 350 - 400 rub. |
| Liquid leather | 125 ml | 650 rub. |
| Liquid leather | 7 jars of 20 ml | 650 - 750 rub. |
| Bradex | 7 jars of 20 ml | 330 - 486 rub. |
Advantages
The product has a number of positive qualities.
Below are some of them:
- Simply apply to the damaged area of the product: furniture, clothing, shoes.
- The mixture dries in a short time.
- After opening the tube, drying will occur within half an hour, this time is quite enough to select the color and shade. Also, during this time, you can wash off an inappropriate mixture or a product that was mistakenly applied to another area of the product.
- The layer of this mixture is characterized by high strength, durability and elasticity. The restored material is able to restore its shape after deformation.
- The unique composition and manufacturing formula can ensure ideal penetration into the structure of the material from which the item is made, and eliminates the chance of delamination and the appearance of ugly and untidy pieces of the dried mixture in this place.
- Quite high resistance to temperature changes allows the mixture to maintain its properties in the range from 35 to +70 degrees Celsius.
- Preparation and use of the mixture does not require additional heat treatment.
- Particularly long aging period and durability. Use in natural conditions is possible up to 35 years.
- The product does not contain harmful substances and is absolutely safe for health.
- The mixture can restore even small through tears in leather material.
How to choose liquid skin
Before purchasing a leather repair product, make sure that the damage to your item is small, as this material is only intended for minor cuts and scrapes. Otherwise, it is better to resort to gluing. Otherwise, the selection recommendations relate only to the color scheme. Most manufacturers specialize in producing the main 7 colors from the palette. With the help of the instructions you can get others. If the piece you are working with has an unusual color, you will find it in the Saphir catalog among 50 variations.
Leatherette sofa repair: it all depends on the scale of the problem
The first thing to do is assess the extent and nature of the damage. Typically, people need to order sofa upholstery for the following reasons:
- spots appeared on it;
- cracks, scratches or tears have appeared in one or two places;
- completely deteriorated - worn out, large holes formed in it.
Stains, scratches and small tears on a leather sofa, both natural and artificial, can be easily treated. But making a full carry on your own is more difficult.
Repairing significant damage
YOU WILL NEED
- liquid skin of the desired color
- tassel
- alcohol for degreasing
- sponge to remove excess
- soft cloth
APPLICATION
Now you know how to hide scratches
on leather goods. If you do everything carefully, no one will even notice that there were defects on your boots, handbag or jacket.
And now you can watch a video tutorial in which a shoemaker explains in detail all the intricacies of making “liquid leather.”
Now about the restrictions. “Liquid leather” is only suitable for the restoration of surface-coated leather. On uncoated leather (suede, nubuck, velor) it will stand out and differ sharply in structure from the rest of the surface.
“Liquid skin” is applicable only on surfaces that are not subject to fractures, mechanical stress and surface friction. “Liquid skin” does not have adhesive properties and cannot seal large through holes.
Giving things a second life is creativity! We offer you step-by-step instructions on how to give a second life to old jeans and turn them into a stylish travel bag! Give useful recommendations to your friends, they will surely be grateful.
“You haven’t used liquid skin yet!? - then we’re coming to you!” :) I bought it to try to see what “it” is...
If you suddenly don’t know what liquid leather is, it’s a liquid (something between paint and glue) for repairing leather products
Today we will conduct an experiment - what kind of crap is this, and what is it used with to repair a couple of leatherette products.
The store paints beautiful pictures of the “revival” of ruined things... is this really so?
I’ll say right away that I’ve never dealt with such crap, what it would turn out to be at the time of writing these lines I still didn’t know :))) In the process of writing the review, I will conduct experiments and be able to create some kind of opinion about the benefits of such a product!
From the store description:
For leather and vinyl repairs: car interiors, chairs, sofas, vinyl flooring, belts, clothing, wallets, shoes... kit contains several mixable colors (black, blue, green, red, white and yellow) corrugated paper, spare cloth, putty knife and a mixing container.
Well, I’ll add to the list of applications for this store;) I’ll experiment on an undescribed “group of products”, and if it turns out well, I’ll also try to restore the jacket from leatherette.
First, as expected about the arriving product, then experiments.
Package
Content…
as written on the back, the repair kit includes 7 small containers with liquid leather of different colors, a spatula, instructions and another larger container for preparing the required color (by mixing the supplied ones)
In addition, there are several flaps of “fabric”. On top is a small piece of “young Chinese dermantine” leather - for experiments.
It is needed to simulate the damage being repaired, in order to practice a little (at least that’s what I understood from the translation).
Underneath there is a small piece of fabric for repairing through holes (glued from below under the repair site)
Below are several sheets of embossed paper to create a pattern corresponding to the product being repaired. There are several options with different designs.
They have a top and a working side (signed).
Well, that's all!
I won’t be boring - let’s move on to the experiments (not a single animal was harmed as a result)
The first candidate for the role of test subject will be the case from my old smartphone. It is original, which is probably why it served “faithfully and truly” for quite a few years, but unexpectedly, all at once, pieces of the surface began to be removed from it. It's a shame, a shame... but you can't find such a case now (it's really comfortable + has a magnet - the screen unlocks when you open it). And even if I found it, it’s not a fact that I started buying it because of the unreasonably high price. The last time I saw one on Ali, it was exactly half the price of my smartphone (it is also still on sale, although it has not been a new product for many years). This is the look it acquired literally over the last month - it seems like a shame to throw it away, but it’s at least awkward to use.
In general, the idea to buy liquid leather and try to restore the case came precisely after searching for a NORMAL case for Lenovo P780 - I didn’t come across anything worthy of attention, even without looking at the price. I thought it would be “fun” for you, I don’t think I’ve come across any reviews like this, and I’ll “get rid of myself” - maybe something will happen;)
Well, let’s take out some alcohol and degrease the surface...
This is exactly what the instructions say, but you must understand that not every surface can be painlessly degreased with alcohol. So I got excited... the remaining coating began to peel off in pieces, also leaving salt streaks (and strangely, technical alcohol is specifically for cleaning contacts, etc., should not have additives)
I didn’t dare to use a spatula right away; I wanted to try it with a minimum layer thickness. So I wrapped cotton wool around tweezers and worked with it. I can’t say that the first result was very impressive
But, however, it became noticeably better than it was... and here I made a fatal mistake: (I, as we are supposed to do, did not read the instructions BEFORE use, but started reading AFTER!
I haven’t found any normal instructions (correctly translated) or a good video review on the Internet. In the one that came across (outwardly similar) it was suggested that for final vulcanization (and creating a relief of the skin) the final layer of leather should be heated through the relief paper from the kit... Well, he warmed it up... with an iron:( It’s a pity that there was no photo of the results of my experiment BEFORE using the iron - but it was quite acceptable Not a 5, but a 4 with some deviations. After a day, the skin remained, not to say sticky, but too soft and more glossy.
After heating with an iron, a piece of heated material remained on this embossed paper, making the cover even more unsightly than before the experiment began.
I had to sit down to read (translate) the instructions. By the way, it also contains a type of color mixing table, although it is very conditional (in my opinion).
Below is an approximate translation of the instructions (as I understood it at least)
Instructions
Leather and vinyl repair kit.
Do not freeze. Store at temperatures above 25. If the product is frozen and hardened, it is necessary to quickly warm it to room temperature, placing it near heating until it thaws and softens. Do not place near open flames or expose to extreme temperatures. Do not place the product in boiling water. Excessive heat will cause the plastic container to melt. Keep out of the reach of children.Application: Prepare the damaged area. Clean the damaged area with alcohol. Remove jagged edges from damaged leather or vinyl. The repair area should be flush with the undamaged area.
Repair Fabric: Using the fabric included in this kit, cut a piece slightly larger than the damaged area and insert it underneath the damaged area. This will provide a basis for repairs. This means repairing through holes
Mixing different colors: Using the mixing chart, select the desired color. When the color matches the repair area, apply the mixture to the area to be repaired. Each layer needs to dry for one hour. The volume of liquid leather will decrease after drying. If necessary, apply a second and third coat.
After drying, the color will be slightly darker than in the liquid state.
Textured Paper After applying the final layer, select a sample of paper whose pattern best matches the undamaged area of the leather or vinyl. Place the paper over the repaired area and apply maximum pressure. This should give the surface a relief similar to the undamaged area. Let dry overnight. When the joint is dry, remove the paper.
Practice on a separate piece of material before making the actual repair. To do this, use the vinyl included in the kit to create similar damage and try to repair it.
In general, the instructions are so-so... many details are not indicated :(
The second mistake was applying a new layer to the damaged surface! It should have been cleaned well and debris removed. Having applied several layers on top, it became obvious, but I didn’t tear it off again - I decided to drag the cover for now for a week or two, to test the durability of the surface. This is what the case looked like after the second (unsuccessful) application of liquid leather
After carrying it around in my pockets and bag (there were keys and other items in one pocket), I didn’t notice any special changes in the applied layer. The only thing is that it has become less glossy. The photo does not convey these nuances, so take my word for it :) The layer is quite durable, resistant to scratches and damage.
By the way, after roughly translating the instructions, I tried (sort of according to it) to create a drawing using this paper.
Apply a layer of liquid leather to the skin, press down and leave overnight. In the morning I could hardly tear off the paper (alive), along with the skin (no longer liquid). The question remains open - HOW to apply a pattern with this paper!? The only option left is to apply dry skin to it and leave it overnight!
Experiment number two - a leatherette jacket.
I wore it for several years, the situation was similar - I probably hung it up wet without the hangers and it stretched and became covered with cracks on the back. In addition, there are a couple of other damages. Let's see if it is possible to restore the jacket so that it can be used “outside the home” :) I decided to start with subtle damage (due to its location) on the bottom of the sleeve.
To restore something like this, mixing/matching colors is already required.
I decided to start by adding black to the brown... I added black, and at first I was afraid that there was too much. It turned out to be not enough :)
After application, it became clear that the color OBVIOUSLY did not correspond to what was intended. The good thing about color selection is that several layers are required, and during their application you can adjust the shade as necessary. The lower layers are still not visible. I decided to add red.
In principle, I guessed right away, but I didn’t stir it well enough. However, it turned out quite acceptable both in color and quality. I decided to move on to other damaged parts so that the “paint” would not dry.
After applying the first layer
Another injury on the back, which I wrote about at the beginning.
The result is still the same after applying ONE coat! It can be assumed that several layers will give a quite decent look. Especially if you still manage to apply a design and wipe it with a leather product on top for a uniform shine.
Here is my final result of the “treatment” of the jacket. In principle, it is quite acceptable, almost imperceptible. Well, or rather, I want to continue the experiment with applying the relief, and choose the color a little better - in the bright sun there is a difference in shade. But this is no longer so interesting - I think you understand the general meaning
The strength of the hardened leather is decent (I tested it on the case in an “extreme place” - the pocket of a bag with keys and all sorts of junk). By the way, I continue to experiment with the case - but there the skin is too soft and thin (the coating) and the surface is even, it’s more difficult to make it really beautiful. I have an idea after the results to try to cover it with carbon fiber and then throw it in the trash;) Although in fact you can throw it in the trash now: (Due to experiments, I carried the smartphone without a case, and just yesterday I let the screen fall onto the asphalt. I haven’t decided yet whether it’s worth changing the screen , or upgrade to a newer model.
The restoration product is very useful when restoring damage to shoes! Almost everyone has experienced the toes of shoes (especially children's ones) being knocked down. And if with basic colors you can somehow “get out of the situation” by applying shoe polish, then in the case of “non-standard” colors (mainly children’s and women’s shoes) everything is MUCH more complicated! For such cases, such a set can be truly indispensable. You just need to choose the right color for your renovation! For best results, after repair (drying), you need to apply a layer of transparent cream - it will be completely invisible.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a “test subject” for the experiment. To show you the results of such a restoration, I copied pictures and comments from a couple of product reviews - I thought that this could be an interesting addition to my “research”.
... degreased, dried, and applied in three layers at intervals of an hour.
everything is great! then rub a little with a rough cloth so that it does not shine. Product 10 out of 10! Absolutely satisfied! I ordered it because I scratched my leatherette boot very badly on the toe. Before applying, I went over it with a rough nail file and removed the “catches”. Then I applied it to the skin, after drying it becomes darker. So that it doesn’t shine too much when it dries, I press it with my finger. The skin is easily removed from anywhere with nail polish remover. Dries quickly.
Well, it might also be interesting for animal owners - cats love to “walk with their claws” on leather sofas/chairs - you can try to restore something;)
My verdict: The product is, in principle, quite workable and you can achieve good results. The result is a fairly durable coating that is not too noticeable. It’s bad that there are no normal DETAILED instructions and pictures of the sequence of working with this material. In addition, there are several varieties of these kits - apparently with different operating algorithms. Are they better or worse, of course, an interesting question... At the moment, I threw a set of a different type into the cart - I’ll probably buy it to experiment. A smartphone case is, of course, a trifle, but sometimes it may be necessary to restore a more significant item, such as a seat in a car - for example, it is not uncommon to have burn marks from a cigarette and scuff marks.
UPD: Another photo of the result of the repair on the back - the area of liquid skin treatment on the back is outlined in red to make it clearer.
The photo is clickable, you can view it larger - if you wish, you can see the layer of liquid skin. “Good luck everywhere” to everyone, stop by for a review;)
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Almost every happy owner of a leather sofa has faced the need for periodic restoration. Over time, the leather will develop scuffs, scratches and tears, especially if there are pets in the house. Until recently, elimination of defects was possible by applying patches of identical material, and in case of serious damage, complete re-upholstery. But progress does not stand still, and a special material was invented for the repair of leather products - “liquid leather”.
Liquid leather must be selected in accordance with the shade of the furniture or item
