Leather Conditioning Tips

Upholstery grade leather has about 25% moisture content as it leaves the tannery.  This moisture content is typically natural oils like neetsfoot that is infused into the fiber structure imparting suppleness.  These oils are volatile, meaning they evaporate away overtime at a rate dependent on the humidity.  If you are in a very dry climate and the leather is exposed to direct sun or other heat source then the evaporation rate is considerably accelerated compared to a damp climate or where the leather is not exposed to a direct heat source like the warming sun.

As moisture evaporates from leather two things happen: 1. the leather shrinks due to lose of mass, and 2. the leather looses is internal lubrication.  In either case the affect is stiffening.  At some point, where the moisture content drops below 5% or so, the leather feels and behaves like a piece of cardboard.  This is its demise.

Leather conditioners contain replenishing oils.  The goal of conditioning leather then is instill lost oils to keep the moisture content elevated.  Consequently, this simple maintenance procedure prolongs the leather’s life.  It’s a pretty simple concept.  However, there is more to the story.  Here are some important considerations:

pH Issue.  pH measures acidity or alkalinity.  The range is from 1 to 14 with pure water being neutral at 7.0.  Leather is acidic.  It measures 4.5 to 5.0 on a pH scale.  Furthermore, the pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that each whole number is 10 times more or less acidic or alkaline than the next number in the scale.  When you mix two elements that have differing pH, a chemical reaction occurs.  In the case of leather, this chemical reaction accelerates the breakdown of leather fibers.  Therefore, any conditioner applied to leather should be pH balanced to leather so as not to damage the leather.

Coated (Pigmented) Leather.  Most leather has a surface color coating.  This coating is also covered with a clear coat providing protection and wear resistance.  So, if something spills on the leather, it is easily wiped up without penetrating and staining the leather.  These coatings are generally chemical engineered to have a certain degree of porosity, allowing the leather to breath.   However, the ability for a conditioning agent to penetrate through this protective barrier is a challenge.  This is particularly true with automobile grade leather.  For automobile leather, the most effective procedure is to warm the leather up a bit (leave the car in the sun for a few hours) before you apply a conditioner.  Warming the leather reduces viscosity allowing a higher absorption potential. Then, aggressively massaging the conditioner into the leather will help.

Over conditioning.  If a little is good, then a lot must be better, right?  A common mistake is to apply too much conditioner.  Think of a sponge fully laden with water.  Adding more water is not possible.  This is also true with leather.  If the moisture content is at its maximum, then adding more conditioner does nothing except to sit on the leather surface, drying over time and turning sticky and gooey.

Old, Desiccated  Leather.  If old leather has lost most of its moisture then it can be a huge mistake to attempt to revive it by adding conditioner (moisture).  Think of a piece of cardboard that gets wet.  It turns the cardboard fibers to mush.  The same is true for leather.  If your leather is old and dried out, the best strategy is to leave it alone and consult a professional.  There are specific chemistries that can be used to prolong the life of old leather.  The run-of-the-mill conditioner is not one of them.

When to Condition.  As in over conditioning, if the leather is new, then it has a full compliment of moisture.  There is no reason to condition as it hasn’t had time to loose its moisture.  As a general rule, begin conditioning leather after 6 months to a year.  And then re-apply every 3 to 6 months depending how dry the environment.  In certain cases a more frequent regimen is appropriate like in the summer months of a desert climate.

How to Apply.  Generally, a thin coating is sufficient. Apply the conditioner to a soft cloth, massaging into the cloth and then wipe over the target leather. If the leather is heavily coated, then massage the leather with the conditioner.

Leather That Should Not Be Conditioned.  Be very careful with suede or nubuck leather.  While they will loose moisture as well, conditioning them in a standard procedure runs to risk of staining the leather.  It can leave the leather looking blotchy, thus destroying the aesthetic appeal.  Additionally, delicate leather like calf or lamb skin should be treated cautiously. 

The most important consideration is to be sure that you are doing the right thing with whatever maintenance products you use on leather.  In the end it's always wise to consult with a professional.

Copyright  2011, Kevin Gillan

Advanced Leather Solutions SG Series Marketing Info

The following is marketing information for those who wish to become resellers of the proven SG Series of leather performance products made by Advanced Leather Solutions, Inc.  Here at ADVLeather.com we chemically engineer the best performance  for leather care products.  Those who use the products praise the results.  Those who distribute the products to their customers report back to us that their customers are also praising the merits of SG - 5, our leather cleaner and SG - 25 our leather conditioner.  As a reader of my blog, you too can take advantage these superb products, either under your own private label or take advantage of the brand awareness Advanced Leather Solutions has already created.  Here are the details...

Advanced Leather Solutions --- The SG Series of Leather Performance products

Intensive cleaning and moisturizing for automobile, leather garments and furniture

Chemically engineered specifically for leather

Safe and easy cleaning action --- SG - 5 cleans automotive and upholstery grade leather.  The cleaning action is safe for leather, surrounding and lifting dirt away from the leather, even if deeply embedded in the grain pattern.  Because it is safe for leather, frequent repeated application will not damage the leather.  The cleaning action brightens the leather without the use of harsh bleaching agents. 

Intensive moisture replenishment ---   SG - 25 is an intensive moisturizer for automobile and upholstery.  These replenishing oils and other softening agents are absorbed deep into the leather, where they restore the leather’s vitality. 

Improves suppleness --- As leather dries, it loses its soft, supple feel.  The intensive moisturizing agents in SG – 25 bring back lost suppleness, prolonging the life of the leather even if exposed to harsh heat and intense sun.  

Restructures top layer --- SG – 25 actually restructures the protective top layer (top-coat) to your leather.  Through use and sun exposure, this top layer loses its effectiveness.  It can even feel rough or chaffed to the touch.  The SG Series restructures this protective layer improving the long term wear characteristics.  Repeated use of the SG products builds this protective layer adding durability to your leather.  It leaves even old, dried leather feeling silky smooth.

pH balance --  The SG Series  is pH balanced.  Leather is acidic at 4.5 to 5.0.  Most leather cleaners are alkaline. This means they are actually harming the leather. When Leather’s pH is out of balance, it accelerates the breakdown its internal fibrous structure. The SG Series of Leather Performance products brings the leather back to its appropriate pH, reducing the long term damage to the leather caused by inappropriate pH leather care products.

Anti-bacteria and virus Agent Added – Pets and kids are germ factories.  SG – 25 not only conditions and protects your leather, it also adds anti-bacteria and virus protection.  With the system, when we say clean, we mean hospital clean.

Easy wipe on and rub --- Easy to apply with a simple, cleaning and conditioning wipe and rub technique.  No more cleaners that dull leather.  No more conditioners that make the leather feel sticky or oily.

 Long term effectiveness --- The SG Series of Leather Performance ingredients have staying power, reducing the frequency of application required.  Even after a single application your leather will feel better, last longer and give you the overall performance expected from leather in high-end automobiles.

The warmer the better --- The warmer the environment, the better SG – 25 performs.  When leather is warm, the moisturizing agents quickly revitalize the leather.  Even old, dried, tired looking leather can be brought back to life.

Suggested Marketing Channels

SG – Series of Leather Performance Products is an after-market product targeted to automobile and furniture owners who want to protect their investment in leather.  It will also work on a wide variety of other leather goods like jackets, motorcycle leather seats, saddlebags, briefcases, shoes, etc.

Example channels should include the following:

1. Auto Dealerships (new and used)
2. Aftermarket auto supply stores (Pep boys, etc.)
3. Auto paint shops (Earl Schibb, etc.)
4. Auto detailer
5. Car washers
6. Auto clubs
7. Large chain stores
8. Furniture retailers
9. Direct sales via advertising in auto trader, etc.
10. Direct sales via internet
11. Flea market booths

Additional considerations:

It can be used for horse tack leather as well.

Targeted demographic markets include middle to high income households and auto owners who care about their leather.

Suggested Sales and General Awareness Tactics

1. Create an article for publication in a trade journal.  Focus on uniqueness.  Examples available for ADVleather.com
2. Make up 1 or 2 oz samples and distribute through above channels – try it, you’ll like it approach.
3. Create point-of-sale displays again emphasizing uniqueness of product offering.
4. Direct sales to each of the above listed sales channels.

Bottle and Label Considerations

We recommend HDPE cylinder rounds, natural. These are semi-clear plastic bottles so you can see the contents.  Use a poly-tops white closure with a flip top for ease of use.  Make sure the ink on the label is not susceptible to having the ink run when it gets wet.

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

Does leather conditioner clog pores?

I've heard some strange theories about the care and maintenance of leather. Recently, it was brought to my attention that there are people who hold the belief that conditioners are bad for leather as it will "clog the pores." I have no idea how they come up with their theory. Clog the pores? What does that mean? Is the leather going to develop a "black-head" or a pimple due to clogged pores?

Here are the facts. Keep in mind that the cow is dead. The pores are non-functional. The animal isn't sweating anymore. There are no more body oils being produced by the animal. Nothing is coming up from inside the skin through the pores. What's to get clogged?

Furthermore, a pore is just one structural element found across the topography of a hide. Looked at under a microscope (even a simple magnifying glass) will demonstrate that the pore structure represents a small percentage of the overall surface area. Leather is absorbent across its entire surface, not just the pores.

If you put a massive amount of a heavy, greasy substance as some leather conditioner manufacturers propose, the real problem is that the skin can't absorb it. So it dries on the surface and leaves the leather feeling sticky, gooey (clogged pores?).

Consider the following:

1. Leather has about 25% moisture content coming out of the tannery.

2. That moisture evaporates to the atmosphere at a rate based on 3 variables: A) humidity B) temperature and C) porosity of the hide. (An unfinished leather will dry out faster than a finished leather because it loses moisture at a more rapid rate as the natural skin surface is not coated. A finished leather has a coating that will hold the moisture in longer. In both cases moisture is lost from the suede side as well.) The more heavily finished, the slower the rate of moisture loss. The corollary is that a heavily finished leather will be less absorbent of any moisturizing agent. If its slow to go out, then its also slow to go in.

3. As the leather loses moisture, the fiber bundles lose its internal lubrication, the leather stiffens. Furthermore, it loses a portion of its mass, consequently shrinks.

4. The purpose of a conditioner is to re-instill that lost moisture - improving suppleness, prolonging the life of the leather. Period.

5. Don't replenish moisture (don't apply conditioner) and it surely shortens the life of the leather as the leather desiccates.

pH Balance

What is far more important is to understand that leather is acidic (4.5 to 5.0 oh a pH scale). A lot of harm is done by applying a chemistry that is not pH balanced to leather as it will induce a chemical reaction breaking down (rotting) the fiber structure. Consider body oil accumulation - some people are very caustic (pH below 3.5), causing the demise of the leather. Advanced Leather Solutions cleaners and conditioners are pH balanced to leather, thus helping to correct any pH imbalance combating the rotting affect.

Museums use non-volatile moisturizers.

At the conservation and preservation (museum) level, it is true that a standard grade conditioner MAY do more harm than good. Once leather gets to a certain level of moisture loss (estimated at below between 5 and 10%) then adding a greasy conditioner at that point may render the leather to mush. (Think about cardboard when it gets wet). So the goal is to make sure the moisture content of leather never gets to that low a level by regularly conditioning your fine leathers.

Most conditioners are made from organics like neatsfoot oil which is also the "natural oils" infused into the leather at the tannery. Organics are volatile, meaning they evaporate, which is the fundamental reason why leather needs moisture added from time to time.

A non-volatile moisturizer is a synthetic and does not evaporate. However, they are very expensive so the tanneries generally don't use them. Advanced Leather Solutions has developed a Deep Penetrating moisturizer which is a non-volatile conditioner. It's a highly specialized chemistry that acts like countless tiny ball bearings infused within the fiber structure. In that sense its not a liquid (doesn't evaporate). Once applied, you don't have to continually moisturize as there is no loss to the atmosphere.

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

What Makes a Good Leather Conditioner?

Why should I condition leather? What does a leather conditioner do anyway?

These are common questions from consumers. Here's the deal: The primary goal of a leather conditioner is to replace lost moisture.

To understand the need for leather conditioning requires a little background. In the tanning process leather is infused with natural oils that reduce friction within the leather fiber bundles. This, in combination with milling (like massaging) the leather establishes a supple, soft leather. At the point of manufacture, these oils equal to about 25% of the total mass of leather.

Here's the rub: The oils are volatile. This means they evaporate. The rate of evaporation depends on variables like heat and humidity. In warm, dry regions like the desert southwest of the United States, leather will lose its moisture content much more rapidly than in the cooler and more humid coastal regions. So with regular conditioning you prolong the life of the leather by maintaining the appropriate moisture content. This all presumes the conditioner has the correct chemical engineering.

As professional leather repair and restoration specialists, clients contract with us to clean and condition their leather. There are a zillion leather conditioners on the market. We tested dozens of conditioners seeking the one that would perform the best. They range from watered down versions of neatsfoot oil, to greasy gloppy Vaseline like products, to stinky, sticky, gooey pastes. We found products where the pH was completely out of whack actually shortening the life of leather. We discovered a lot of nonsense claims like - made from secret formulas handed down from Norwegian antiquity, or, has UVX-15 added, whatever that is. This was not working for us. In the end, we needed to be in control of quality and performance not overwhelmed by hype. Like an earlier post for leather cleaners, we knew the attributes of what we wanted in a leather conditioner so we developed a wish list and turned it over to our chemists. For Professional grade performance a leather conditioner must include:

--- Quality ingredients
--- Cream like consistency
--- pH balanced for leather
--- Good tactile presentation
--- Non-darkening
--- Protective resin
--- Pleasant "new leather" scent
--- Non-greasy formulation

Our chemists were on a mission to visit tanneries, talk with the folks at the tanners council, even dialogue with the leather preservation and conservation specialists at the Smithsonian. We learned who are the best chemical supply companies that support the leather tanning industry in the USA and secured lots of sample ingredients from them. Then the testing began.

Through this effort SG - 25, our leading leather care product was created. Besides the finest ingredients, what makes this product different than anything else on the market are two unique twists. They are the addition of a protection element and the addition of an anti-bacterial/anti-virus agent.

We understand usage patterns of leather in cars and furniture as we see how people use their leather products in our leather repair and restoration business. There is a lot of abrasion wear, especially in automobiles as the driver slides across the seat when he/she enters or exists. For long term wear resistance, we wanted a protective coating to be part of the conditioning process. So SG - 25 not only conditions leather with added moisture content, but also builds a protective clear coat.

Furthermore, in active household environments with children and pets, we wanted a product that dis-allowed the development of bacteria on the leather. So we added the anti-bacterial component.

We also wanted a product that would be easy to apply, not feel greasy or sticky, be pH balanced with leather and do what it supposed to in adding the appropriate replenishing oils back into the hide. SG - 25 has all of these attributes. It is available through our Hayward, CA leather restoration studio as well as both of our web-sites (advleather and DIYLeatherSolutions) without a lot of fanfare or marketing hype. Both consumers and professional technicians that use it have reported to us a steady stream of glowing commentary.

Perhaps it is time to pump up the marketing engine and let the world know about the best-of-the-best leather conditioner available - It is our own Advanced Leather Solutions' SG - 25.


Copyright 2009, Kevin Gillan

Leather Care for Automobile Grade Leather

I'm often asked: "What can I do to prolong the life of my automobile leather?"

To understand the effectiveness of leather care products, you should first get a solid grounding on the properties of automobile grade leather.

Here are the issues that must be considered.

1. Automobile grade leather is typically low to mid grade. (I use the word 'grade' here to define the long term durability characteristics.) This is true across the board regardless of brand name. The few exceptions are custom installs, and very high end like Rolls, Ferrari or Lamborghini.

2. The leather is generally a 'corrected' top grain where the word corrected means sanded. At a tannery hides are sorted based on a variety of characteristics. Commonly, hides that are heavily marked with range marks (barb wire scars, bug bites, brand scars, urine burns - a cow will lay in its own urine, etc.), are not fit for high end application due to the unsightly nature of these anomalies. These hides have the epidermis sanded down to eliminate or significantly minimize the scaring.

3. As a skin grows from the flesh side to the out side, it develops layers, gradually building very tight and tough fiber bundles that end up as the epidermis. The epidermis is what classically provides leather's durability and ranges in thickness and toughness based on where on the animal you measure. For example across the top shoulders and down the backbone ridge you'll find the thickest and most durable epidermal tissue. (Natures way of protecting the animal from predators). So the epidermis ranges from 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm in thickness.

4. When you 'correct' the hide by sanding the epidermis you are removing the unsightly characteristics but you are also compromising durability to the degree that you sand away epidermal toughness.

5. To counter this reduction in durability, the corrected top grain hide destined for an automobile application is processed with a coloring strategy that uses a tough resin as the binding agent of the pigment color coating, and an even tougher resin for the clear top-coat. Both the color and top-coat are applied heavily, covering over and concealing any remaining hide scars. The resin is typically a urethane derivative of some kind. While the resin imparts toughness, it also stiffens the feel. So you compromise tactile presentation for the benefit of wear resistance. In an automobile, the feel of the leather is not as important as in home furnishings.

6. Please note that leather is acidic on the pH scale. It runs between 4.5 and 5.0. If you expose automobile leather to harsh cleaners or conditioners that are not pH balanced, you are accelerating the demise of the leather. You may think you are helping prolong the life of the leather, but if you expose leather to inappropriate chemicals you are in fact accelerating the demise of leather.

7. When leather is processed at a tannery, it is infused with moisture (natural oils) that promote flexibility and suppleness. This moisture represents about 25% of the mass of leather. When exposed to heat, the moisture content gradually evaporates, stiffening and shrinking the leather. Examine the headrest in the backseat. This leather is exposed to intense sun through the back window. If the car has any age on it, generally you can detect a significant stiffening due to moisture loss.

8. Finally the wear patterns in a car are different than in a home. The driver slides across the seat as they enter and exit creating abrasion wear, gradually eroding the top-coat, and eventually wearing through and into the color coat. Once the top coat is compromised, the color coat will erode quickly, exposing raw leather. Additionally, look at the wear pattern of the driver's seat. Notice the crease lines in the seat bolster panel (driver's side door). These are created by the "torqueing" action on the leather of entry into the vehicle. The leather is being pulled and stretched by the weight and movement of the person entering and dragging their body weight across that panel, thus creating the creasing. These crease lines eventually develop into cracks which means the demise of the leather.

All of this is important background information to understand the characteristics of the best leather care products for an automobile application. The chemical construct of http://www.advleather.com/ products take all of this into consideration. For example, SG - 5 is an excellent cleaner that has been pH balanced for leather, thus is safe to use. It actually helps correct pH which then avoids fiber brake down. SG - 25 and SG - 50 are conditioners to which resins have been added. This is a combination of moisturizing agents (conditioner) and protection. While the conditioner component instills lost moisture, the resin re-builds lost top-coat, therefore prolonging the life of the leather by increasing its wear resistance. The combination of conditioner and resin also imparts a silky hand or feel to the leather and tends to brighten dull leather by boosting its reflective value.

With the right products and a little bit of care, you can dramatically improve the life of your automobile leather. The SG series of leather care are all chemically engineered with these facts in mind.

copyright 2009, Kevin Gillan

How to clean leather furniture

“How should I clean my leather furniture?” It’s a common question from our clients.

Often, we hear that they have been using saddle soap. After all, it seems like the right thing to use, as certainly saddles are made from leather.

Despite what it seems like, it’s a mistake! You see, leather intended for saddles and leather intended for furniture are processed very differently.

Saddles are made from heavy-duty belt leather which is vegetable tanned to withstand the harsh environment of the out doors. It’s tough, highly durable leather and can stand up to the use of chemically harsh leather cleaners, like saddle soap.

Upholstery leather is processed differently. Using chromium tanning chemistry, the end result is soft, supple leather that is much more sensitive to harsh cleaners like saddle soap.
Think about your own skin. Would you wash your face with a strong household cleaner like 409? Certainly it would clean your face, however the drying and chaffing effect it would have on your skin is not desirable, particularly with repeated use. The same is true for upholstery leather.

The fact is that upholstery leather is acidic. It has a pH of 4.5 – 5. Harsh cleaners are highly alkaline. Consequently a chemical reaction occurs in the leather that breaks down its fibrous structure and stiffens the leather. Therefore it’s important to use leather cleaners that are chemically engineered (pH balanced) specifically for upholstery leather. If you would like more information about appropriate upholstery leather cleaners and conditioners, visit our http://www.advleather.com/ under our consumer products button. Watch this video to see how a quality leather cleaner that is pH balanced to leather works: http://picasaweb.google.com/kpgillan/SG5Demonstration#5050767770458259346

Copyright 2009 Kevin Gillan