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 and what is it used for?
Compound
Liquid leather is a mixture of polymers based on alcohol and water. The composition also includes an adhesive base, rubber resins and dyes of different colors, in fact, allowing you to choose from the entire rich palette exactly the color that you need for a particular product.
What does liquid skin look like and how much does it cost?
This product is a rather thick, viscous mass, with a consistency reminiscent of a gel. It is usually sold in a plastic tube or bottle with a special brush cap for easy application to the surface.
Which products are updated with liquid leather?
The product is used for various products made of genuine leather and many types of leatherette and leatherette.
There are a huge number of types of products where the substance will provide indispensable assistance in repair:
- sofas, armchairs and other home furniture covered in leather;
- shoes;
- clothing (jackets, coats, raincoats, gloves, jackets) and bags;
- leather (imitation leather) surfaces inside the car and much more.
Color variety of liquid skin
The palette of paints on the market is quite diverse. These include classic black and brown colors, as well as red, yellow, green and many others. Also, if it is necessary to obtain some exotic color shade, it is possible to obtain it using combinations of primary colors, using special tables for mixing liquid leather colors.
Features of application
Refinishing leather goods is not a very complicated process, but it does require a lot of concentration and precision.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Clean the area to be treated from fibers and bring the edges of the tear as close as possible.
- Hem the crack pointwise in several places.
- If the gap is large, then glue the hole from the inside by placing a piece of material.
- Degrease the surface with alcohol or dishwashing detergent.
- Dry the product.
- Choose the color of Liquid Leather or make it yourself by mixing several paints from the set to achieve maximum compatibility. There are special color tables that can be used to determine the color scheme to obtain the desired shade.
- Apply the mixture to a previously prepared and dried area of the product with a thick paint brush or a piece of foam rubber (if possible, it is better to use foam rubber).
- Try to even out the layer of product as much as possible with a spatula, plastic credit card or ruler. But don't make the layer very thin.
- Until the mixture dries completely, prevent any objects or living organisms from coming into contact with this area. The time for complete drying depends on the thickness of the layer. Approximately two to eight hours.
- To make the surface the same texture as leather, you need to apply a piece of leather that is as similar as possible to the surface of the entire product. A porous pattern with the appropriate texture will be obtained if you press a piece of material for just a few seconds.
- If there is no fragment, then you can create a sample with your own hands. For example, using a regular paper napkin. How to do it? It’s very simple: apply a layer of the mixture to its surface and apply it to an undamaged area of the product to remove the relief imprint, then dry the template thus obtained and use it in the same way as an identical piece of product material.
There are also features of the application and subtleties of using two primary colors. These include:
- Liquid Leather in black is the least noticeable when processing the material. Therefore, the darker the product, the easier it is to restore it using such a mixture. Any dark things will be easy to process and reconstruct.
- White Liquid Leather may vary greatly from the shade of the product. Therefore, yellow or black paint is most often added to it to obtain the required shade. You just need to do this especially carefully.
Advantages and disadvantages of “liquid skin”
This product really has a lot of advantages, here are just a few of them:
- easy application to the surface;
- quick drying;
- strength and elasticity, which allows you to recreate the contours of the product;
- high wear resistance and long service life;
- safety and non-toxic for humans and animals.
If we talk about shortcomings, they are practically absent. Relative disadvantages are the limited color palette, but this can be solved, as already written above, by diluting the colors according to a special scheme. It can also be noted that the volume of damaged surface to be repaired is still limited to reasonable limits.
Which stores sell liquid leather and how much does it cost?
Today you can purchase a product in different ways. Both offline and online. It is most often found on sale in specialized household chemical stores, shoe and furniture stores. You can also buy the product in many online stores with convenient delivery.
The price range for a tube or bottle with one color, depending on the manufacturer, is between 200–600 rubles. There are also entire sets of different colors on the market; they will cost the buyer a little more, about 500–800 rubles.
Leather care
It is quite possible to increase the service life of leather products. Items cannot be washed in a machine; it is better to go to a dry cleaner or gently wipe them with a wet cloth. It is allowed to iron leather items through a layer of cotton folded several times with gauze. Drying is only possible on a hanger that does not cause deformation, away from batteries and sunlight.
Jackets should be stored on hangers, with a cover made of breathable material on top. To prevent creases, boots are filled with durable fillers that retain their shape. If you follow these recommendations, leather products will last a long time and remain attractive.
No matter how long leather items last, troubles still happen to them: cuts, abrasions, burnt places spoil the appearance and force you to purchase new ones. If you are thinking about buying another leather sofa, shoes or clothes, hold off, because they can be patched up by liquid leather. With its help, damage disappears without a trace. From now on, you, and not time, will decide how long your things will last you.
Liquid leather brands
There are many brands and manufacturers of the product, both imported and domestic. Some of the most popular brands on the Russian market are brands such as Flexstep (Russia), Liquid leather (Russia), Saphir (France).
Flexstep Liquid Leather
Russian brand, found both in the form of individual bottles with one color, and as part of a multi-color set. The set includes 7 bottles of 17 ml each with different colors. In the first case, a 50 ml bottle will cost approximately 550–600 rubles. A set of seven colors costs around 1000 rubles. The products of this brand have long proven themselves in the Russian market, production is carried out to high quality standards, and all products are covered by a one-year warranty.
Liquid leather
It is also a domestic brand, marked by positive reviews from most customers. Presented in a 125 ml bottle, there is also a set of 7 20 ml bottles, including black, brown, white, green, red, blue and yellow. The cost of one large bottle with the selected color is about 650 rubles, but a set can be purchased at a price of 600 rubles.
Liquid leather Saphir
This brand is presented in 25 ml tubes. The product is presented in a very rich color palette, including various shades of brown, pink, beige, purple, classic colors. There are 40 shades in total. The price of one tube will cost about 500 rubles. This cream has increased moisture resistance.
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.
How to use liquid skin
What will be needed for repairs
To repair a damaged surface you will need:
- in fact, the liquid leather itself, matching the color of the product;
- sandpaper for cleaning the surface;
- alcohol or other detergent to degrease it.
It is also advisable to use glue to pre-glue the surfaces of a crack or tear.
Product preparation
First you need to clean the surface of the product with sandpaper. If the cut or hole is large enough, you need to glue it so that the edges lie tightly together and let the glue dry. Afterwards, degrease the surface by wiping it with alcohol or a special cleaning liquid.
How to mix colors
If some exotic leather color is needed for repairs, which is not possible to directly buy in a store, you can get it yourself by mixing various primary colors (the most common).
You need to know that there are three primary colors from which all others can be made - red, yellow and blue. A special chart for mixing colors is usually included in the instructions with the product. The table for selecting color combinations is also presented below.
| Available colors | Colors obtained by mixing |
| Getting secondary colors | |
| Red + Yellow | Orange |
| Yellow + Blue | Green |
| Blue + Red | Violet |
| Getting transition colors | |
| Yellow + Green | Yellow-green |
| Blue + Purple | Blue-violet |
| Blue + Green | Blue-green |
| Red + Purple | Red-violet |
Where and how is liquid skin applied?
Liquid skin is applied to the damaged area using a special brush, which is often included in the kit. First, it is recommended to glue the surfaces close to each other using a piece of gauze from the inside.
As a rule, application is carried out in two layers. The first layer is applied evenly, leaving to dry for some time. A layer of liquid leather is then reapplied.
Drying liquid skin
It is advisable to make the first layer thin; it should dry within 2–3 hours. The second layer is also applied in a thin layer. It is necessary to allow the repair area to dry thoroughly for 12 hours, after which the product will be completely ready for use.
Product benefits
Many problems can be solved using such a composition. For example:
- extend the service life of the worn surface of the product;
- eliminate minor damage, scratches and frayed edges;
- needle punctures and glued pieces of skin can be disguised with liquid skin;
- radically change the color of the product;
- restore seriously damaged leather surface;
- change the surface texture by applying putty and liquid leather composition;
- save money to buy new products to replace old ones that have lost their appearance.
Important! You can do minor repairs to shoes or leather goods yourself.
It’s easy to touch up scratched heels or knocked-off toes of shoes at home. You can’t take a leather sofa scratched by a cat to the workshop, and calling a specialist to your home can be unreasonably expensive. It’s a different matter if you do the restoration yourself.
Sofa restoration
How to make “liquid skin” with your own hands
If you suddenly don’t have the opportunity or desire to buy a finished product in a store, or simply don’t have the color you need in stock, then it’s possible to make an analogue of liquid leather yourself.
For this you will need:
- a solvent based on acetone;
- pipette;
- a piece of leather suitable in color and structure can be cut from an inconspicuous place of the item being repaired;
- spatula knife.
Next, you need to apply a drop of solvent to this piece of leather using a pipette and scrape off the dissolved paint with a knife or spatula, then apply it to the damaged area and evenly level it with a spatula.
Removing abrasions
“Liquid leather” can be used not only to repair products, but also to give them a fresh, updated look. After all, quite often abrasions appear on the surface of the leather, which indicate a long service life. In such cases, you can also use this tool.
- “Liquid skin” is applied in a thin, uniform layer to the area of the surface to be restored.
- The treated area must be smoothed with a dry sponge to give the skin relief and make the restored area invisible.
- Wait until the skin dries.
- If you are not satisfied with the result, you should apply another layer and repeat the procedure in the same order.
Question answer
Storage of liquid skin
If the recommended storage conditions are observed - a temperature of about 0 degrees, the shelf life is 2 years. The natural service life of the used product for its intended purpose is about 35 years.
How to dilute liquid skin if it is dry?
If the paste thickens, it can be diluted with a small amount of alcohol or vodka.
How to wipe off loose skin?
You can carefully remove loose skin using alcohol-containing substances.
Repairing deep rips and cuts
Deep cuts are not an ordinary scratch. To eliminate them, you will have to put in a little more effort.
- The product being repaired should be turned inside out.
- Carefully join the edges of the fabric using an iron, a piece of leather and adhesive fabric.
- Glue the cut areas using Moment glue.
- Treat the front side with Liquid Leather. Reviews from knowledgeable people advise applying a small amount of the mixture with a brush to the joint and smoothing it out.
- If necessary, repeat the procedure.
