I watched this last Saturday, and subsequently spent all day sanding my disgusting sofa. I know it was originally camel colored, but the arms and cushions were dark brown from 4 young kids’ snack-covered hands, and two parents who had no clue how to clean the sofa! My husband’s a painter, and whipped out his surf prep sanding pads and festool sander. It was fine, but going by hand was better. Now we have furniture I’m not ashamed to have family see during the holidays. You saved our butts and budgets!
A friend gave me a 10 year old Nubuck sofa made by Lazyboy. It was really dirty as it had never been cleaned. Your methods worked perfectly. It looks terrific! I wonder how many people have trashed perfectly good furniture thinking it is irreversibly damaged. How kind of you to post such a valuable video. Had no problem finding the sandpaper at local Dallas Home Depot. Thank you so much.
Thanks for your kind words Gloria, I'm glad it worked for you. You're right, most people don't know. Regardless of appearance, as long as the leather is ok, then the aesthetics can be corrected and have the piece look reasonable, or even back to like new.
Followng your video I am in the process of cleaning my Nubuck settees. This is a last ditch attempt at rejuvenating them and they are looking great. Thank you so much, you have saved me so much money as I dont have to replace them now Thanks again Best Wishes Karen
Kevin, Thank you so much for your Video. I was ready to buy new living room furniture after 19 years. The nubuck looked still o.k. besides the drooling drips and oily skin marks of our dogs. After doing the light sanding the furniture look like new....Thank you! Thank you!
Thanks Kevin for this fantastic video... We have a 20 + years Natuzzi nubuck “hay color”sofa and love seat than has picked-up body oil, animal marks and most likely some mishaps from our parts.... We were to discard those but considering we’ve paid a good price and there still in good shape, I thought we should give it a try!!
Hi Kevin, I just got my hands on a stunning Stendig navy suede chair/ottoman that needs a little cleaning. Would you use these same cleaning steps even if it s a textured suede? I love your videos! Thank you
Yes, this cleaning strategy applies to both nubuck and suede. - Stendig is a great piece. Be gentle is sanding and use a vacuum cleaner with a clean head to remove the leather "dust" the cleaning process will create.
Kevin I found your video on cleaning unbuckle very helpful. To preserve my unbuckle what do I need to do on a regular basis? Obviously the 3m superfine is needed in this video but is it needed to clean on s weekly basis What do I do for maintenance on a weekly basis. I worry about our body oil etc
Thanks for the great video, Kevin! I bought a used saddle for resale, which has some soiled nubuck pieces on it. I'm going out to work on it now. I subscribed, because you are such a good teacher, & I have a lot to learn in buying and reselling saddles. Thanks again! -Lisa
Hello Kevin. Are you still connected to your You Tube channel? I have a 3 year old cocoa brown nubuck sofa that was a victim to the soaked drywall ceiling collapsing on it from a broken fire suppression pipe above along with piles of wet insulation. It now has white drywall plaster embedded in it. I brushed with a wire suede/nubuck shoe brush and vacuumed but much of the white remained. What do you think my chances are of restoring this gorgeous custom sofa to it's original beauty?
your video is very helpful thank you. I have one question, what if you have a few animals that have lets say" tossed their cookies" once on the arm rest and once on the back of the sofa. How does one get that smell out of them? I have tried many things nothing a worked. I keep them covered since then.
Hi Kevin! I just bought two suede upholstered chairs. Any ideas about dyeing them? I'd like them to be gray and they are currently flesh toned. Thanks! Blerta
Thanks for your comment. Nubuck and Suede are serious challenges. I've done this countless times over the years so I've got some decent experience. I'm happy to share my knowledge. Let me know if you have questions.
Kevin Gillan Hi, Kevin! Thank you very much for this awesome video! How can I extract the resulting odors that follow from the stains of animal vomit or fur balls? Can I use fabreze or some other similar spray? Thank you very much for your help. Have a wonderful day. 😊
Nice! Too bad you aren't in MN! I have sanded my nubuck couch quite vigorously... it has lightened but still has a soiled look to it. Should I keep on sanding... or possibly by a liquid nubuck cleaner? Thanks!
Great video! Found the sanding pads but before I start, wonder if our chair and ottoman are too damaged. The prior owner used leather cleaner and conditioner on the back and seat of the chair and top of the ottoman making it darker and shiny. Is there something we apply do remove the conditioner in conjunction with sanding? Thanks so much Kevin!
Sanding the leather will raise the nape for you. So you don't have to do anything prior to the sanding. I also would expect the leather to lighten in color tone a bit as a by-product of the sanding process.
What is the best way to clean our nubuck couch that my daughter puked on? We cleaned it with a nubuck cleaning kit that came with the couch but it still smells terrible. Would the sanding help?
I'm sorry to say you have a trade-off. Odor vs stain. To resolve the odor, you have to neutralize the stomach acid, bile and partically digested food. The problem is any chemistry that will have a deodorizing effect will undoubtedly alter the color of the leather. So the combination of the vomit and the cleaning solution will leave a residual stain. There are lots of commercially available products to deodorize. Stay away from highly alkaline cleaners like (409, windex, Mr. Clean) as they can cause damage to the leather fibers.
Kevin, thanks for the video. I recently acquired a Bradington & Young nubuck recliner that needs some cleaning and I'm encouraged by this sanding technique. My question: on the much darker areas that I suspect have body oil accumulation, should I try attempt to extract the oil prior to sanding? If so, how?
The probability is that what you are seeing is body oil accumulation in the leather from skin contact. If you have access to the inside of the leather, look to see if the darkening has penetrated all the way to the other side. If so, no amount of sanding will help. If its body oils, then they have to be extracted from the leather before any further sanding.
No!!! It is a serious mistake to use steam to clean suede (leather of any kind). You will do more damage than good. The steam will cause your leather (suede) to shrink. the pH differential between water (steam) and leather will cause a reaction in side the leather fibers that will stiffen the leather, shortening its live. NEVER USE STEAM TO CLEAN LEATHER.
Hello, I have a Roche Bobois sofa which I believe has the exact same nubuck leather. A guest dog peed on it today. How can I clean the leather? I tried to wipe it off with warm water for now but I want to clean it and make it as much urine free as possible. I had a blanket over it (when the dog peed) so it didn't get completely soaked but the urine did go through the blanket and made the leather wet. Any advice and product recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you.
If you have removable cushions, then remove the internal core material separating the casing. Examine the inside. Did the urine soak through? If not, then you don't have much accumulation. Is it now dry? If so, can you detect order? If yes, then with a wet towel dampen the offended area pressing the wet towel against the leather. This will reconstitute (liquify) the residue. then with a dry towel, blot aggressively, transfering the residue into the dry towel. You may need to repeat this step. Finally, gently mist an antibacterial like lysol and then aggressively sand the leather with a light girt and let it air dry.
@@centraliawashingtonsimmanu8026 Thank you so much! I tried to smell several times last night and it didn't smell anything. Later last night, I took some baby wipes and wiped the top layer again. I also tried to take the foam out to see but it wasn't easy to do so I didn't pursue it but I did place a towel in between to let it not soak through the foam just in case. I am guessing it didn't completely soak through the leather (hoping!) but as you recommended, using the least amount of chemical would be the safest option. It was a small, young pug so that was helpful! :) Thank you!
+Daniel Harris Adding oil will not protect nubuck from staining or fading. It will protect it from descitating. But, two considerations... 1. It must be the correct type of oil and 2. It must be applied via spraying - best with an HVLP spray gun. If not sprayed, you run the risk of a splotchy end result. So be careful in application.
Great video Kevin, thank you. Do you have any alternate methods on tackling a suede couch which is NOT Nubuck? Our couch is a plush type of suede (i am unsure what it would be classified). For example, if I were to run sanding pad over it, I would not hear that abrasive sound. Sorry that I am unsure on how to describe! Our home is comprised of teen boys and cats! Thank you!
@@KevinGillan Would love to hear what the condition was and your recommendation! Just got 2 Couch suede chairs and one has a lot more areas like the armrests that look flattened or shiny ...and also maybe dog slobber & dirt etc. Looks plush also (medium dark brown(. Thanks!
You can change the color of a nubuck leather. However, when completed, it will no longer be nubuck. It will convert to a fully protected (Finished) leather.
+2dogimaging --- We use 3M softback sanding pads. They are difficult to find. But, they are best for this application. If you can't find them in your local market, then us nothing more aggressive than 320 grit wet/dry. BET GENTLE until you get a feel for how much pressure to apply.
We do have a full system for converstion from nubuck to full finish we can supply along with instructions, including a DVD that shows the process. At a professional it can be resolved as well. The DIY system is a simplified version of the professional process. Here's a link to a TH-cam video: th-cam.com/video/eeNM8xJ6paQ/w-d-xo.html
I use a variety of grits based on the delicacy of the leather and depth of the stain. I prefer to us 3M soft-back sanding pads. - The three grits i commonly use are super fine, ultra fine and micro fine. This would translate roughly to 320, 400 and 600 grit on wet/dry sandpaper.
Kevin, great video! What do you think about a grease/dirt stain on a nubuck boot? I say grease/dirt because it looks as though I ran it across a really dirty tire. I've used the rubber eraser trick and rough bristled plastic brush but unfortunately I experimented with cleaners like sprays with vinegar and unfortunately Dawn. That I believe was a bad move. Can you light sand a boot?
The answer is yes, as you've used the correct wording - light sanding. Nubuck is created by sanding a hide in the first place, so a light sanding won't do any harm and may lighten the stain.
Frustratingly, I managed to mark our 6 month old nubuck leather sofa with dark chocolate. I was eating chocolate whilst sat on the sofa and managed to drop chocolate in but thought I'd picked it all up, sadly not and ended up sitting on the remaining bit. Is there any chance of getting it out please? Thanks, Abi
Apply a generous amount of corn startch (dry) over the offended area. This will draw out the oils from the chocolate. Let it sit 4 - 6 hours. Brush away and vacuum up the corn startch. Do this a few times to make sure all the oil has been extracted. Then, use the abrasion cleaning method shown in the video.
I stained my suede trousers with newspaper ink, the trousers are cream-colored, and there are some spots where they are black from the ink. Please help me, i don't know what to do, i don't want to take them to dry cleaning because they would decolor.
try a suede or nubuck brush. Gently brush the leather to raise the nap. This should help to disguise the dye (ink) transfer. If that doesn't work sufficiently, then try using a light grit sanding tool, like 400 or 600 grit sand paper. The idea is to pick off the ends of the nap (assuming the dominant portion of the discoloration are on the ends of the nap) and re-nap at the same time. This should be done carefully and with a light hand.
Kevin Gillan Sorry to bother you again, but I tried what you told me to do and it didn't work neither with the suede brush, nor the sand paper. The brush didn't help me very much, and the suede became harsh, rough after I had used the sand paper, and the black spots are still there. What is there left to do, besides the dry cleaning (and do you recommend it?) ? Thank you very much.
Nubuck is colored with a dye, not a pigment. You'll need to find a leather dye for color restoration. Finding one that matches your original color will be very rare but you might be able to find one that is close. Try Tandy Leather for a dye that might work for you. Remember, you need a dye, not a pigment.
Our Oil Extractor will pull out the offended oils, however there will still be a residual stain. And the liquid stains will not respond to oil extraction. The staining is IN the leather not ON the leather so trying to clean them away is like trying to clean a tattoo from your skin. There is a solution. It involves full restoration of your piece which converts your unfinished leather to a finished leather. Here is a video we published that shows the process. And, we do offer a DIY version. th-cam.com/video/eeNM8xJ6paQ/w-d-xo.html
While I'm not looking at your couch to see the significance of the cat scratches, generally speaking you should be able to minimize the scratches through the sanding strategy outlined in the video. You can't use the same repair techniques as you would on a protected leather as the repairs will be just as obvious as the scratches. The alternative strategy is to put your piece through a full refinish conversion, converting the piece to a fully finished leather with part of that process repairing the cat scratches. This dramatically changes the character of the leather from unfinished nubuck to a fully protected, pigment coated piece.
The goal of any abrasion strategy with nubuck or suede is to be gentle. You will not sand aggressively. Think about a suede brush. This is an abrasion tool as well and is used all the time on suede and nubuck. Just be gentle in your sanding technique and you will not erode away the integrity of your leather.
First gently sand the affected area. Now, be VERY careful with this... you can try a bit of rubbing alcohol on a Q-Tip and trail down the ink strip and then gently blot. The objective is for the solvent to reconstitute the ink and blotting transfers the ink to the towel. DO NOT PRESS HARD. Be gentle. It may require multiple applications. The risk you run is that the alcohol will have a bleaching effect on the dye in the leather and the concentration of ink may be such that it doesn't budge it. When you've done as much as you dare, then use the sanding technique has shown in the video to blend to the non ink stained surrounding leather.
What do you mean darken? you mean change the color? Regardless, using oil is not such a great idea. Think about the result be fairly greasy. Generally if the issue is fading, the answer is to convert the nubuck to a fully finished leather.
You made this look easy for Nubuck. I purchased a Jackson Catnapper (ultra plush suede) recliner last month model 4718-2-2307-44 Tanner www.catnapper.com/Products/Recliners/4718. I was not aware it would be so sensitive to body oils where my head rests ( I sleep and work in it). Would the light sanding method you used on the Nubuck to remove body oils work on my recliner? I now cover it since I am in it almost 24 -7.
The abrasion strategy will help resolve oils that are at the surface. However it will not address oils that have penetrated into the leather. That requires an oil extraction procedure which also involves adding color to conceal the residual stain. You piece is new. You may not have had much penetrate so the abrasion strategy may be all you need. Keep it covered when in use going forward.
I watched this last Saturday, and subsequently spent all day sanding my disgusting sofa. I know it was originally camel colored, but the arms and cushions were dark brown from 4 young kids’ snack-covered hands, and two parents who had no clue how to clean the sofa! My husband’s a painter, and whipped out his surf prep sanding pads and festool sander. It was fine, but going by hand was better. Now we have furniture I’m not ashamed to have family see during the holidays. You saved our butts and budgets!
A friend gave me a 10 year old Nubuck sofa made by Lazyboy. It was really dirty as it had never been cleaned. Your methods worked perfectly. It looks terrific! I wonder how many people have trashed perfectly good furniture thinking it is irreversibly damaged. How kind of you to post such a valuable video. Had no problem finding the sandpaper at local Dallas Home Depot. Thank you so much.
Thanks for your kind words Gloria, I'm glad it worked for you. You're right, most people don't know. Regardless of appearance, as long as the leather is ok, then the aesthetics can be corrected and have the piece look reasonable, or even back to like new.
How did you determine which one to buy? What grit? I tried to find the sand paper but I don't know what kind. There's no "Gentle" 3M sand paper.
Followng your video I am in the process of cleaning my Nubuck settees. This is a last ditch attempt at rejuvenating them and they are looking great. Thank you so much, you have saved me so much money as I dont have to replace them now
Thanks again
Best Wishes
Karen
My 3 year old son decided to go artistic on our Nubuck couch, with a ballpoint pen. Thank you for the advise.
I used aquanet hairspray and it worked perfectly!! Just need to shampoo the suede afterwards.
Very well presented, clear and concise. Also therapeutic to watch. Nice work.
Yea...great video. Very professional and superb results!
Awesome job Kevin. Thank you for the video. God bless
Kevin that's great love your demo.
What grit numbers did you use ? I want to buy them and try it on my Natuzzi chair
Kevin, Thank you so much for your Video. I was ready to buy new living room furniture after 19 years. The nubuck looked still o.k. besides the drooling drips and oily skin marks of our dogs. After doing the light sanding the furniture look like new....Thank you! Thank you!
+Sabine Speckmaier You're welcome. Glad it worked for you.
Truly an amazing job! I was very impressed by the outcome. Thanks for the tut!
Thanks Kevin for this fantastic video... We have a 20 + years Natuzzi nubuck “hay color”sofa and love seat than has picked-up body oil, animal marks and most likely some mishaps from our parts.... We were to discard those but considering we’ve paid a good price and there still in good shape, I thought we should give it a try!!
Thank you so much for this video! It has all the information I was looking for and very well explained.
Hi Kevin, I just got my hands on a stunning Stendig navy suede chair/ottoman that needs a little cleaning. Would you use these same cleaning steps even if it s a textured suede? I love your videos! Thank you
Yes, this cleaning strategy applies to both nubuck and suede. - Stendig is a great piece. Be gentle is sanding and use a vacuum cleaner with a clean head to remove the leather "dust" the cleaning process will create.
Very good method. Cheap and easy.
Kevin I found your video on cleaning unbuckle very helpful. To preserve my unbuckle what do I need to do on a regular basis? Obviously the 3m superfine is needed in this video but is it needed to clean on s weekly basis What do I do for maintenance on a weekly basis. I worry about our body oil etc
Thanks for the great video, Kevin! I bought a used saddle for resale, which has some soiled nubuck pieces on it. I'm going out to work on it now. I subscribed, because you are such a good teacher, & I have a lot to learn in buying and reselling saddles. Thanks again! -Lisa
I found this very, very helpful Sir thank you!
Hello Kevin. Are you still connected to your You Tube channel? I have a 3 year old cocoa brown nubuck sofa that was a victim to the soaked drywall ceiling collapsing on it from a broken fire suppression pipe above along with piles of wet insulation. It now has white drywall plaster embedded in it. I brushed with a wire suede/nubuck shoe brush and vacuumed but much of the white remained. What do you think my chances are of restoring this gorgeous custom sofa to it's original beauty?
your video is very helpful thank you. I have one question, what if you have a few animals that have lets say" tossed their cookies" once on the arm rest and once on the back of the sofa. How does one get that smell out of them? I have tried many things nothing a worked. I keep them covered since then.
Hi Kevin! I just bought two suede upholstered chairs. Any ideas about dyeing them? I'd like them to be gray and they are currently flesh toned. Thanks! Blerta
Thanks so much for your video. A question: after cleaning, do you recommend using any kind of nubuck leather conditioner?
Fantastic work! Thank you!
Thank you so much ! and Marry Christmas
Thanks for your comment. Nubuck and Suede are serious challenges. I've done this countless times over the years so I've got some decent experience. I'm happy to share my knowledge. Let me know if you have questions.
Kevin Gillan Hi, Kevin! Thank you very much for this awesome video! How can I extract the resulting odors that follow from the stains of animal vomit or fur balls? Can I use fabreze or some other similar spray? Thank you very much for your help. Have a wonderful day. 😊
How to get water stains of a WHEAT NUBUCK 6" PREMIUM waterproof timberland boots. your opinion would be greatly appreciated kevin
We're located in Hayward, CA. This is in the San Francisco bay area.
Great video!
Nice! Too bad you aren't in MN!
I have sanded my nubuck couch quite vigorously... it has lightened but still has a soiled look to it. Should I keep on sanding... or possibly by a liquid nubuck cleaner?
Thanks!
Great video! Found the sanding pads but before I start, wonder if our chair and ottoman are too damaged. The prior owner used leather cleaner and conditioner on the back and seat of the chair and top of the ottoman making it darker and shiny. Is there something we apply do remove the conditioner in conjunction with sanding?
Thanks so much Kevin!
Sanding the leather will raise the nape for you. So you don't have to do anything prior to the sanding. I also would expect the leather to lighten in color tone a bit as a by-product of the sanding process.
@@KevinGillan thanks so much! I hope you and yours are safe and healthy.
@@KevinGillan where are you located? I am in SD and have a nubuck leather couch and chair that need cleaned.
@@maureenlee6541 I’m retired and live in Washington state. My son runs the business from our shop in Anderson, CA.
@@maureenlee6541 I'm retired and living in Washington State. The business remains in Anderson, CA under the direction of Jason Murray.
What is the best way to clean our nubuck couch that my daughter puked on? We cleaned it with a nubuck cleaning kit that came with the couch but it still smells terrible. Would the sanding help?
I'm sorry to say you have a trade-off. Odor vs stain. To resolve the odor, you have to neutralize the stomach acid, bile and partically digested food. The problem is any chemistry that will have a deodorizing effect will undoubtedly alter the color of the leather. So the combination of the vomit and the cleaning solution will leave a residual stain. There are lots of commercially available products to deodorize. Stay away from highly alkaline cleaners like (409, windex, Mr. Clean) as they can cause damage to the leather fibers.
Kevin Gillan thanks so much! Luckily the worst of it is between the cushions so the discoloring won't be too noticable.
Kevin well done
What is that 3m product?
Kevin, thanks for the video. I recently acquired a Bradington & Young nubuck recliner that needs some cleaning and I'm encouraged by this sanding technique.
My question: on the much darker areas that I suspect have body oil accumulation, should I try attempt to extract the oil prior to sanding? If so, how?
The probability is that what you are seeing is body oil accumulation in the leather from skin contact. If you have access to the inside of the leather, look to see if the darkening has penetrated all the way to the other side. If so, no amount of sanding will help. If its body oils, then they have to be extracted from the leather before any further sanding.
How?
Very good tutorial! Would it be okay to steam clean the suede leather couch after?
No!!! It is a serious mistake to use steam to clean suede (leather of any kind). You will do more damage than good. The steam will cause your leather (suede) to shrink. the pH differential between water (steam) and leather will cause a reaction in side the leather fibers that will stiffen the leather, shortening its live. NEVER USE STEAM TO CLEAN LEATHER.
Hello, I have a Roche Bobois sofa which I believe has the exact same nubuck leather. A guest dog peed on it today. How can I clean the leather? I tried to wipe it off with warm water for now but I want to clean it and make it as much urine free as possible. I had a blanket over it (when the dog peed) so it didn't get completely soaked but the urine did go through the blanket and made the leather wet. Any advice and product recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you.
If you have removable cushions, then remove the internal core material separating the casing. Examine the inside. Did the urine soak through? If not, then you don't have much accumulation. Is it now dry? If so, can you detect order? If yes, then with a wet towel dampen the offended area pressing the wet towel against the leather. This will reconstitute (liquify) the residue. then with a dry towel, blot aggressively, transfering the residue into the dry towel. You may need to repeat this step. Finally, gently mist an antibacterial like lysol and then aggressively sand the leather with a light girt and let it air dry.
@@centraliawashingtonsimmanu8026 Thank you so much! I tried to smell several times last night and it didn't smell anything. Later last night, I took some baby wipes and wiped the top layer again. I also tried to take the foam out to see but it wasn't easy to do so I didn't pursue it but I did place a towel in between to let it not soak through the foam just in case. I am guessing it didn't completely soak through the leather (hoping!) but as you recommended, using the least amount of chemical would be the safest option. It was a small, young pug so that was helpful! :) Thank you!
Kevin, do you not need to add some sort of oil to protect the leather once you have completed the sanding process?
+Daniel Harris Adding oil will not protect nubuck from staining or fading. It will protect it from descitating. But, two considerations... 1. It must be the correct type of oil and 2. It must be applied via spraying - best with an HVLP spray gun. If not sprayed, you run the risk of a splotchy end result. So be careful in application.
Great video Kevin, thank you. Do you have any alternate methods on tackling a suede couch which is NOT Nubuck? Our couch is a plush type of suede (i am unsure what it would be classified). For example, if I were to run sanding pad over it, I would not hear that abrasive sound. Sorry that I am unsure on how to describe! Our home is comprised of teen boys and cats! Thank you!
+Bella Ono Before I can offer specific advice, I'll need to see photos of your piece. You can send to my email address... Kevin@AdvLeather.com
@@KevinGillan Would love to hear what the condition was and your recommendation! Just got 2 Couch suede chairs and one has a lot more areas like the armrests that look flattened or shiny ...and also maybe dog slobber & dirt etc. Looks plush also (medium dark brown(. Thanks!
@@musicproductionvideos5019 treat the suede as you would nubuck. Sanding is a good process.
Hi, is it possible to dye nubuck leather at home for better color?
You can change the color of a nubuck leather. However, when completed, it will no longer be nubuck. It will convert to a fully protected (Finished) leather.
what sort of sand paper do you use? is it a special type?
+2dogimaging --- We use 3M softback sanding pads. They are difficult to find. But, they are best for this application. If you can't find them in your local market, then us nothing more aggressive than 320 grit wet/dry. BET GENTLE until you get a feel for how much pressure to apply.
Thank you for the advice!
Do you have instructions on changing nubuck to finished leather?
We do have a full system for converstion from nubuck to full finish we can supply along with instructions, including a DVD that shows the process. At a professional it can be resolved as well. The DIY system is a simplified version of the professional process. Here's a link to a TH-cam video: th-cam.com/video/eeNM8xJ6paQ/w-d-xo.html
Baby wipes work well on mine
What grit are you using?
I use a variety of grits based on the delicacy of the leather and depth of the stain. I prefer to us 3M soft-back sanding pads. - The three grits i commonly use are super fine, ultra fine and micro fine. This would translate roughly to 320, 400 and 600 grit on wet/dry sandpaper.
Yes, change the color from raw nubuck tan to a brown
Kevin, great video! What do you think about a grease/dirt stain on a nubuck boot? I say grease/dirt because it looks as though I ran it across a really dirty tire. I've used the rubber eraser trick and rough bristled plastic brush but unfortunately I experimented with cleaners like sprays with vinegar and unfortunately Dawn. That I believe was a bad move. Can you light sand a boot?
The answer is yes, as you've used the correct wording - light sanding. Nubuck is created by sanding a hide in the first place, so a light sanding won't do any harm and may lighten the stain.
Frustratingly, I managed to mark our 6 month old nubuck leather sofa with dark chocolate. I was eating chocolate whilst sat on the sofa and managed to drop chocolate in but thought I'd picked it all up, sadly not and ended up sitting on the remaining bit. Is there any chance of getting it out please? Thanks, Abi
Apply a generous amount of corn startch (dry) over the offended area. This will draw out the oils from the chocolate. Let it sit 4 - 6 hours. Brush away and vacuum up the corn startch. Do this a few times to make sure all the oil has been extracted. Then, use the abrasion cleaning method shown in the video.
Kevin Gillan thank you for coming back to me, we'll give it a go!
I stained my suede trousers with newspaper ink, the trousers are cream-colored, and there are some spots where they are black from the ink. Please help me, i don't know what to do, i don't want to take them to dry cleaning because they would decolor.
try a suede or nubuck brush. Gently brush the leather to raise the nap. This should help to disguise the dye (ink) transfer. If that doesn't work sufficiently, then try using a light grit sanding tool, like 400 or 600 grit sand paper. The idea is to pick off the ends of the nap (assuming the dominant portion of the discoloration are on the ends of the nap) and re-nap at the same time. This should be done carefully and with a light hand.
Kevin Gillan Sorry to bother you again, but I tried what you told me to do and it didn't work neither with the suede brush, nor the sand paper. The brush didn't help me very much, and the suede became harsh, rough after I had used the sand paper, and the black spots are still there. What is there left to do, besides the dry cleaning (and do you recommend it?) ? Thank you very much.
I have nububuck shoes, and the color is fading, what to do? Its a wheat color
Nubuck is colored with a dye, not a pigment. You'll need to find a leather dye for color restoration. Finding one that matches your original color will be very rare but you might be able to find one that is close. Try Tandy Leather for a dye that might work for you. Remember, you need a dye, not a pigment.
Thank you! :)
You rock Kevin!
does this sanding method apply to unfinished leather too?
zohaf this method is only applicable to a napped leather like nubuck or suede
Thank you. Sir, I have unfinished leather on my couch. Can I remove grease/oil build up and liquid stains?
Our Oil Extractor will pull out the offended oils, however there will still be a residual stain. And the liquid stains will not respond to oil extraction. The staining is IN the leather not ON the leather so trying to clean them away is like trying to clean a tattoo from your skin. There is a solution. It involves full restoration of your piece which converts your unfinished leather to a finished leather. Here is a video we published that shows the process. And, we do offer a DIY version. th-cam.com/video/eeNM8xJ6paQ/w-d-xo.html
how can I get cat scratches off my nubuck leather couch?
While I'm not looking at your couch to see the significance of the cat scratches, generally speaking you should be able to minimize the scratches through the sanding strategy outlined in the video. You can't use the same repair techniques as you would on a protected leather as the repairs will be just as obvious as the scratches. The alternative strategy is to put your piece through a full refinish conversion, converting the piece to a fully finished leather with part of that process repairing the cat scratches. This dramatically changes the character of the leather from unfinished nubuck to a fully protected, pigment coated piece.
Wouldn't sanding wear the suede?
The goal of any abrasion strategy with nubuck or suede is to be gentle. You will not sand aggressively. Think about a suede brush. This is an abrasion tool as well and is used all the time on suede and nubuck. Just be gentle in your sanding technique and you will not erode away the integrity of your leather.
any suggestions for permanent marker on a suade couch? My gf gonna kill me!! please help
First gently sand the affected area. Now, be VERY careful with this... you can try a bit of rubbing alcohol on a Q-Tip and trail down the ink strip and then gently blot. The objective is for the solvent to reconstitute the ink and blotting transfers the ink to the towel. DO NOT PRESS HARD. Be gentle. It may require multiple applications. The risk you run is that the alcohol will have a bleaching effect on the dye in the leather and the concentration of ink may be such that it doesn't budge it. When you've done as much as you dare, then use the sanding technique has shown in the video to blend to the non ink stained surrounding leather.
How do I darken my nubuck sofa? Oil?
What do you mean darken? you mean change the color? Regardless, using oil is not such a great idea. Think about the result be fairly greasy. Generally if the issue is fading, the answer is to convert the nubuck to a fully finished leather.
What city are you based in?
Thanks
Great vid!
You made this look easy for Nubuck. I purchased a Jackson Catnapper (ultra plush suede) recliner last month model 4718-2-2307-44 Tanner www.catnapper.com/Products/Recliners/4718. I was not aware it would be so sensitive to body oils where my head rests ( I sleep and work in it). Would the light sanding method you used on the Nubuck to remove body oils work on my recliner? I now cover it since I am in it almost 24 -7.
The abrasion strategy will help resolve oils that are at the surface. However it will not address oils that have penetrated into the leather. That requires an oil extraction procedure which also involves adding color to conceal the residual stain. You piece is new. You may not have had much penetrate so the abrasion strategy may be all you need. Keep it covered when in use going forward.
Excellent. Hopefully it is not embedded to deeply. Thank You.
You say Leto it covered at the end Do I need to cover my lounge
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