
You don’t have to go out and purchase a new piece of furniture if you want to change the colour of a leather or vinyl thing — dye it instead. Do not use leather shoe dye because this product just wears off. Specialty kits include numerous goods: a cleaner, dye, applicator, abrasive scrubber, conditioner and complete coat. If you intend to earn a dramatic color change from dark to light or vice-versa, be sure you have sufficient dye on hand to coat the thing multiple times. Multiple light coats operate better than a few heavy coats that may lead to the dye to crack and wrinkle.
Finish Identification
Before you buy a dye merchandise for your vinyl or leather, first identify the leather finish or vinyl type to help choose the right colour merchandise. Leather finishes include suede, Nubuck, aniline, semianiline and pigmented leather. Both suede and Nubuck leathers have a nap. Pigmented leather already has a dye along with a protective finish on it, whilst aniline does not have a coating or colored finish. Semianiline finishes range between aniline and pigmented.
Clean It Up
First, thoroughly clean your thing. You can use any household cleaning product intended for leather besides those that contain oil, since the oil can interfere with the dyeing procedure. Remove all grease, oil, food stains or other clogs on the piece. After cleaning, wipe out the vinyl or leather thing using a microfiber cloth because it does not shed.
Surface Prep
For a last cleanup, set a little bit of mineral spirits on a lint-free cloth and rub the item’s surface to eliminate any remaining residue before dyeing. Lightly rub on an abrasive pad on the surface of the leather to give the thing a bit of tooth to generate the dye stick much better. Run a vacuum with a brush attachment to pick up dust or lint.
Dyeing Leather or Vinyl
Apply a tablespoon of your chosen vinyl or leather dye merchandise to a water-dampened, wrung-out cellulose sponge. Rub the dye onto the item, wiping it evenly. Work the dye into corners, cracks and crevices such as along seams where the material may be accumulated. Apply a thin coat for the first treatment; the colour builds up using a number of coats. Do not use a thick coat, because this might cause cracking as it dries.
Repeat Coats
Dry the dye coat using a handheld hair dryer. Maintain the hair drier at least 10 inches away from the surface of the thing to prevent overheating the dye. For extreme colour changes, such as shifting from a dark to a light shade, you may have to employ up to five coats of dye. If you dye the thing the same color, it takes less dye. Allow at least 48 hours, if not more, for the colour to heal before using the merchandise.