How to repair cat scratches on leather & vinyl
Cats often damage furniture leather with their claws, leaving visible scratches.
The following instruction is for pigmented (coloured finish on the surface) smooth leather. Start by rubbing a drop of water in a hidden area to identify if your leather is porous. If the water penetrates and darkens, the leather is porous. If the water stays on the surface, it has a protective coating (pigmentation). If in doubt, always consult us first. Send an email with photos of the problem (complete object and close up in good light).
Scratches and other signs of wear usually become visible, because the damaged areas are lighter on dark leather and darker on lighter leather. In addition, the scratches are also notable because of the damage to the surface. The surface is rough and the fibres stick up in such areas.
The loss of colour and leather dye on the surface can cause and general scuffs can be restored using Geist. Easy Colour Restorer dye for leather & vinyl in the correct colour. You can pick a colour from our standard colours but if you want an accurate colour match we also offer a colour matching service. Please contact us for more information on how to send a sample. It can be used on all contact areas. While the colour loss is fixed the scratches and damge caused might still be visible. In most cases, colour loss due to slight scuffing and scratching is the main issue andapplying Geist. easy Colour Restorer will suffice. First degrease the damaged area with Geist. Surface Prep. Smooth the area with Geist. Leather Sanding Pad. On surfaces, where a high covering power is needed, apply Geist. Easy Colour Restorer dye for in several layers and dry each layer before next with a hair dryer. Geist. Easy Colour Restorer is binder-based and has some filling pproperties, which makes damages less visible. Any remaining roughness can always be smoothed down with Geist. Leather Sanding Pad while building up layers of leather dye/colour with Easy Colour Restorer. On small and narrow damaged areas, Geist. easy Colour Restorer can also be applied with a thin paint brush.
Often with cat scratches small triangle shaped cracks and edges are visible. These can be glued down with Geist. Leather & Vinyl Glue . Use a needle. Dip the needle tip into the glue and coat the edges thinly. Let it dry on its own or with a hair dryer and press the fibres down. Excess glue can be wiped away with a moist cloth once the glue has set.
If leather fibres are completely separated with sharper edges, use nail clippers to cut the excess.
Only on deep cat scratches, where the leather might tear, Geist. Easy Leather Filler is recommended to fill and stabilize such damages. But the contour of the scratch remains visible. Cat scratches are mainly surface damages and unless there is major damage to the leather, Easy Filler won't be required. Email photos so we can advise and recommend products.
Cat scratches can usually only be improved and in most cases the damage will not be completely invisible after repair work. But you can expect to see a huge improvement.
Small amounts of fine milled white pepper powder or lemon oil mixed into the care products help keep cats away from the couch. Cats have a sensitive nose and will notice it.