Your leather is not real leather if your “leather” sofa is peeling as real leather is created from animal hides.
You also do not have any imitation (fake) leather that is manufactured entirely of polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride (vinyl.)
Then what do you have:
You have “Bonded leather.”
- This is an inferior material that combines a thin facing made of polyurethane, polyester, or vinyl synthetic imitation leather with a backing that is made up of compressed, granulated leather scraps.
Because compressed leather backings do not breathe, they delaminate and “peel” away from the vinyl. This can happen in a year.
And within 2–5 years, it occurs frequently.
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Disadvantages of bonded leather:
- Bonded leather does not have the look or feel as synthetic imitation leather. It may not always imply a lower cost. It has a shorter lifespan and usually peels after only a few years.
Then, why do so many furniture makers and dealers insist on Bonded Leather?
Bonded leather is nothing more than a marketing gimmick.
- Its main goal is to persuade uneducated buyers that they were purchasing genuine leather furniture at a significant discount.
Does Genuine Leather Peel?
The leather is of good quality and does not peel.
- When properly cared for, high-quality leather lasts a long time and looks great for decades. Not all leathers, however, are created equal. Some leathers break or peel after a few uses, whereas others last for decades and are passed down through generations. Unfortunately, after time, your favorite leather coats, bags, shoes, or sofa dry and crack.
- Genuine leather is created from animal hide, which must be kept and moisturized to remain supple and durable. Even so, poor-quality leather is prone to drying out, cracking, and, tragically, peeling. Excellent quality leather, on the other hand, lasts a long time and peels difficulty.
Causes of leather peeling
Sometimes we are puzzled as to why our leather items begin to peel. It can be caused by many factors.
This could be due to the cleaning solutions we use or even the leather’s quality.
Each explanation is explained in the following:
Cleaning supplies
Cleaning products that contain alcohol and solvents, such as those used to clean leather, could be the reason for the problem.
Cleaning our leather bags with rubbing alcohol is the best example of this.
While rubbing alcohol is an effective technique to remove germs from our skin, it is detrimental to our leather accessories. So, the next time you want to clean your leather purse, think about what you are going to use.
Bonded leather
Some of the leather goods aren’t quite what we thought they were. Some are, in reality, of terrible quality. The leather of low quality, such as bonded leather, is prone to peeling. Bonded leather is a combination of real and synthetic leather. Manufacturers shred discarded bits into a pulp, then adhere it all together with a polyurethane (PU) overlay. Bonded leather is a low-cost option that is mostly used in upholstery. Unfortunately, it lacks the flexibility of real leather and is peeled easily.
Synthetic leather
Synthetic leather is also used as a low-cost substitute for leather items, purses, and shoes, among other things.
Despite being less expensive, it is one of the most readily peeled leather fabrics. It is constructed of synthetic materials such as PU or PVC. It cracks readily, just as bonded leather, due to its poor quality.
The leather of high quality does not easily break or peel. In fact, unlike low-quality leather, it grows wonderfully over time. To get the most value out of our leather, we need to educate ourselves about the substance and quality it is composed of.
The ideal way to clean the leather
Full Grain Leather is made of animal hide, and it must be lubricated and maintained regularly to stay supple and durable. It is also necessary to clean it regularly to avoid dirt accumulation on the material.
The following are some leather-care suggestions:
- Use a microfiber towel or a gentle brush to clean the leather.
- Allow leather to air dry regularly.
- Dry wet leather as soon as possible.
- Avoid using artificial heat. Allow it to air dry naturally whenever is wet.
- Avoid getting the leather wet if at all possible.
- Use a leather conditioner or natural leather lotion to moisturize and lubricate the leather.
- Leather should not be machine washed and clean with the above suggestions.
When properly cared for, real leather does not peel easily and matures wonderfully. It is a good thing to own a piece of leather. Full Grain Leather is expensive, but it provides you a lot of value for your expense. Check the quality of a leather accessory the next time you buy it.
How to repair a peeling couch?
Understanding what kind of leather or leather-like material a leather sofa is constructed of is the first step in learning how to repair a peeling leather couch. Use the following instructions and a leather repair kit to stop the peeling if the couch is made of real leather:
- To get rid of dust, vacuum or use a microfiber cloth. Utilize the leather cleaning solution provided in the package to clean the couch.
- Where the leather is peeling, remove the finish with a leather prep product, abrasive material, or cloth or pad.
- Apply some alcohol to the area after cleaning it. You must give it time to absorb—about 30 minutes.
- To fortify the leather, apply three to five applications of a leather binder. Before applying another layer, let the previous one dry completely.
- Fill up any peeling or cracks in the leather using a tiny spatula and leather filler. After smoothing it out, let it a few hours to dry.
- With some fine sandpaper, polish the surface, then remove the leftovers. Utilizing an airbrush, blend the colorant into the sofa one layer at a time. Before adding the next coat, make sure the previous one is dry.
- After finishing this stage and the colorant has dried, add several coats of leather finish to reinforce it.
A leather repair kit can be used at home or by a specialist to fix a leather couch.