Aniline Leather Barrier Product from Leather Solutions - NEW!

Pamela at Leather Solutions tells me of this new product that has been developed for pure aniline leathers to give it a barrier against stains and UV rays. It's quite pricey at $ 70 a bottle as you can see, so I only ordered (4) bottles, one of which I have taken home to use as a test sample, first on a swatch of high-end leather and then I will apply to my new H&M chair that I brought home three weeks ago. I grew up in Missouri, the "Show Me" state, so before I jump in and tell YOU this is the greatest thing since sliced bread I want to see for myself and report back. The UV will be the harder test, because that takes years to fade on a typical pure aniline hide, so my intent is to leave my test sample out on the deck during all daylight hours to see what full exposure direct sun will do.

Attachment 9083

One of the things that I cannot easily test for is body oil stains. Some people have chemical make-ups from their skin that stain leather (especially folks on heavy medications). I am told this will barrier against that, but have no way to test for that as no one in my house has that sort of thing.

So, onto the first test. I have coated the bottom half of this sample with the new product, and the top half is naked. This is H&M Quintessence leather, which is a class 4, naked leather. I asked my wife what are the stains she would be most concerned about and with what she and I came up with is what you see here. I did not use things from the garage like motor oil, bleach or ammonia, as that's not things you would anticipate as spills on leather.

Here's the first photo, done as soon as all was applied. As you can see, the wine (which many people seem concerned about) didn't really bother the naked leather - but the two oils sure did. All stayed on the leather for about 5 minutes. After I took this photo, I simply blotted up all the excess and set the swatch off to the side. Will photo it again in 24 hours, then 48. And then a week later so stay tuned to more entries to this thread.

Attachment 9084

Note there is some edge bleed on the OIL portions of the Protected area, this is the oil coming on from the side and bleeding into the hide, its the main strip you want to focus on, not the edge bleed.

Any updates on this test Duane? By the way, can you explain if this would be used in addition to the regular cleaning, conditioning, and protection protocol of the analine kit you sell? If so would it be the fourth "step"? By the way, I have always been confused by the fact that the pull up leather care kit doesn't include a protectant bottle. Can you explain this? My sofa's leather is Tiburon. Would I need the wax and oil bottles? Are these used as touch-ups warrant during the months between the full cleaning treatments? :S confused. I just read the sticky on taking care and cleaning protocol but I don't get why pull ups don't get a protectant bottle.

I'm thinking of ordering one these bottles along with the kit for Tiburon leather from you. But I'm honestly confused as to how I would apply it all.

My main concern is my husband who prefers to only sit at one end of the sofa and protecting it further from his long hours sitting there is something I'd like to do (if he's working from home this is where he sits with the laptop, sandwich, soda, papers, pens, etc. all day long). Body oils, sweat, food stains, etc. worry me. Not that I know if he has body oils that stain leather since we've never owned leather sofas, much less unprotected leather, but I'm just trying to be proactive....prevent vs repair.

I had my test swatch outside on the back deck to get sunlight exposure and my wife keeps moving it inside. Now I can't find where she put it! I keep telling her "It's a test - leave it outside".....lol, she has to keep the deck squared away.

Too funny! Hope it turns up! I'm really interested in how it's doing.

Can you please provide me with some input on my questions regarding when you would apply this new product and can you please explain to me why there's no protectant bottle included in the kit for oil/ wax pull ups? How do you "protect" the pull up leathers if the protectant is not included? Is the new product for that purpose? In my situation, would you recommend treating my hubby's favorite seat on the sofa with the new protectant product as soon as the sofa arrives?

Thanks Duane!

OK! Found the test sample in a kitchen drawer at home and here's what it looks like two weeks later. As you can see after the tape has been pulled the Vegetable oil did a number on the leather and permanently stained it. The other things put on it didn't seem to make much difference though I see a slight discoloration with the olive oil. The barrier product did prevent that oil from penetrating the hide, so it definitely works.

Attachment 9113

Where I see the value in this product is for people ordering naked GR 3 / 4 / 5 leathers and they either 1) tend to bring greasy foods to their furniture 2) have oily skin that can stain leather (some people do and some don't, tends to be more so with men). If you're spending $ 6K on a sofa, a $ 70 bottle of a barrier product would seem to be a good investment.

I don't think you will need this on a pull-up hide, the wax that comes on all pull-ups will be the barrier in and of itself. I would use this in H&M hides like Capri, Quintessence, Arizona, etc. Pull up leathers have their own unique care kit (see Kit # 3 under Leather Care)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by drcollie

I would use this in H&M hides like Capri, Quintessence, Arizona, etc. Pull up leathers have their own unique care kit (see Kit # 3 under Leather Care)

---

Apologies if I'm failing at reading and comprehension: does this product replace the "standard" maintenance kit for naked leathers or is it applied in addition to?

I ordered the Leather Solutions kit for naked leathers. If it replaces that kit, then it would make sense to contact Duane to adjust my order. Thanks!

This is a barrier product you apply just once, when the piece is new. Then after that, you use your standard maintenance kits. It will take a longer for the Leather Softener in the kit to penetrate through the barrier product so you have to let that sit on the hide a bit when doing the 6 month maintenance, otherwise just use the kit as normal afterwards.

Thanks for explaining!
They should consider applying this product before shipping to the client... who would not want their naked leather protected, if it doesn't change the color/texture?

I have not seen a color texture change if you use the Matte finish (only one I have in stock), there is a high sheen version that will change the look someone if used over a matte finish. The only downside to this product (other than the cost of $ 70 a bottle) is that its a bit smelly. That odor goes away after about 12 hours, and it alarmed me at first when I tried it. I confirmed with Pam today its for naked anilines only, not for Pull-Up hides. There is a sun screen in the product and she estimates it will double the resistance to UV fading, but it would take a few years in direct sunlight to really verify that.

I think this is a GREAT product for anyone who buys a 'naked' aniline leather and my only issue with it is the cost. $ 69.99 for an 8 oz bottle is a bit steep and more product than needed for say a sofa or a couple of recliners. So I spoke with Pamela at Leather Solutions International and she agreed to make up a 4 oz size @ $ 37.99, which should be more than enough for a couple pieces, it goes on fairly thin. These new sizes just arrived today.

Recommended as a stain barrier to all fine aniline leathers that do not have waxy topcoats (i.e. pull-up leather, etc).

Attachment 9177

So you didn't use a barrier product on your pure aniline leather, and you haven't kept up on the maintenance (or didn't know you were supposed to)? You now have a head oil stain on the leather - such as this one from one of my customers who bought this from my store in 2012. Some people have chemicals in their bodies that soak through into leathers, often it can be folks on a lot of medications. Not everyone experiences this happening and there is no way to tell if you might have an issue with yours ahead of time. This customer called to request a new back casing be made, however the leather had been retired so that was not possible. I sent this photo of to Pamela at Leather Solutions International to see if she would be able to fix it.

Attachment 9411

Her reply:

"Yes the bid oils can be removed as long as we can get inside the cushion. It make take a week to get it all out. We spray a degreaser on the backside which pulls the oils through as it removes it from the back. There is rarely any color work that needs to be done on the surface. We recommend cleaning and protecting every three months to remove the body oils on the surface before it has time to penetrate and absorb into the leather. Send me the casing and I will remove the oils."


Leather Solutions Int'l
PO Box 2014
Asheboro, NC. 27204

Obviously an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so I would encourage folks to use the preventive products so you don't have to go through all this. I have pure anilines in my own home that are close to 30 years in use, no staining, no marking....but I do take care of the hides with the Leather Solutions products, and that's the key to avoiding issues.

So what should you use on a three year old Quintessence grade 4 Somerset sofa and chair. Leather in very good condition still with some consistent fading. Since this wasn't applied new what is the best product to use and order from you

Thanks

You would want the Aniline Kit, which is a cleaner/conditioner. $ 49.99 and $ 14.00 shipping. It will not prevent fading, only sun control of UV rays is going to prevent that via low-E windows or a solar tint applied to your windows.

"Yes the bid oils can be removed as long as we can get inside the cushion. It make take a week to get it all out. We spray a degreaser on the backside which pulls the oils through as it removes it from the back. There is rarely any color work that needs to be done on the surface. We recommend cleaning and protecting every three months to remove the body oils on the surface before it has time to penetrate and absorb into the leather. Send me the casing and I will remove the oils."


Was Pam able to clean the casing for this customer?? Do you have an after cleaning picture of the casing? BTW, I love this recently found forum!!! Lots of great info!!

I was not directly involved in the transaction, but the customer reported back to me that it was MUCH better, with only a trace of the stain remaining. She was very pleased with the result and thought the price for the work was fair.

Hi Duane, Is the Aniline barrier product the same as the step 3 protectant in the kit? I need to order some product for our new H&M sofa and recliner in Wade Coffee and want to get everything I need. Thx.

Not the same, here's a photo.

The Cleaning Kit has a "Scotchguard" - like protectant included which is a light duty protectant but it won't stand up to hair oils very long.

The Barrier Product is a stand-alone purchase that you apply once when new and has much more of a "force-field". This is for use on pure naked leathers such as H&M Capri, Quintessence, Wade, etc. The velvety soft ones. Not for use on Pull ups or burnished / hand-antiqued leathers.

Attachment 11017

Hi Duane,
I'm now trying to apply the aniline top coat. Could you please tell me what you use to apply it ?
I've been using the small white cloth they sent in the cleaning kit and it's just so small and cumbersome. I used the cloth of a white tee shirt and it seems to absorb all of the product as appose to applying it...Do you use a microfiber ?
I hope all is well with you and you're enjoying the summer !
Thanks
D

I use small cotton cloths myself. Microfiber doesn't hold the material well. Cut the T-shirt into quarters and that should be about right.

Go light on it, not heavy!

Hi. Regarding this new barrier product..... I have a Capri sofa and chair that are 1 yr old and never cleaned with anything but damp cloth. I keep a quilt over it with a "barrier" to keep my pet off it, and I leave the quilt on when I use it (seldom--I prefer my upholstered chair in better TV viewing position). Can I still use this product as if it were a brand new sofa (since it's not been treated with anything else), or is it too late for it? I like the idea of extra protection. Thanks!

Yes, it will do the trick, it works quite well.

Duane, would it be helpful for me to use this new product on a Capri birch sofa that’s 2 years old? I’ve cleaned it with the leather products I bought from you. Thanks

As long as your sofa isn't stained, it would work fine.

Price change. Current price on a 4 oz bottle is now $ 42.99. That is all you need for most applications.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by drcollie

Price change. Current price on a 4 oz bottle is now $ 42.99. That is all you need for most applications.

---

Received this barrier product plus the pure analine kit from you recently. Thank you very much.

I have my brand new pure analine modular motion pieces coming in next week. Three questions:

1)What should I apply on day 1 from the four bottles delivered?

2) And in what order?

3) Small cotton terrycloth towel vs a microfiber cloth as an applicator device?

Thanks again.

The only product to apply now is the barrier kit for the pure aniline, the maintenance kit do every 4 to 6 months.

I personally prefer application via microfiber cloths as you can control the volume of product more. Less is better. Good luck and enjoy your new leather furniture.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by drcollie

The only product to apply now is the barrier kit for the pure aniline, the maintenance kit do every 4 to 6 months.

I personally prefer application via microfiber cloths as you can control the volume of product more. Less is better. Good luck and enjoy your new leather furniture.

---

Thanks so much for your prompt reply.

Any need to wipe down the pieces with distilled water on a damp (not wet) cloth before putting on the barrier product?

Happy Easter!

it can't hurt....not sure the water has to be distilled though. Use damp rag, not wet. Not much water.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by drcollie

it can't hurt....not sure the water has to be distilled though. Use damp rag, not wet. Not much water.

---

A few more questions:

1) Hopefully I don't over do it and need a hairdryer to dry the product, but if I do, do I dry with a towel/cloth in one hand, while using the hairdryer in the other? Or
just use a hairdryer only?

2) The bottle suggests (as an option) to use the protector from the big kit after applying the barrier top coat (once dry) if you want. I take it that it's not necessary/overkill and to ignore?

The hair-dryer is so you don't over-saturate the leather and cause a water-stain. Don't over-apply the product and its a non-issue. Sure, you can use the protector product over the top of the barrier if you like.