The color of leather will change when the pH of the leather is affected. Leather can show discoloration, darkness, and color differences that are not pleasing. There are many causes of leather color change, some of them discussed in this post.
Table of Contents
The major causes of the color change of leather are:
- Oils.
- Dye.
- Sunlight.
- Chemicals.
- Dust.
- Temperature.
- Leather of poor quality.
Color change due to oil
Many oils come into contact with leather items, such as body oils, sweat, vegetable oils, and others. They may have enzymes, salts, and acids that can damage the color of the leather. Oils not only damage the color of the leather but also cause peeling and cracking of the leather.
Color change due to dye
Some dyes are not good for the pH balance of the leather and can damage the color of the leather. Some leather dyes can cause a gradual change in color over time.
Color change due to sunlight
Sunlight can dry out your leather and cause stiffness, fading, and cracking of it. Sunlight can cause the evaporation of natural oils of leather.
Color changes due to chemicals
Harsh chemicals are not appropriate for leather and can damage the color of the leather. Harsh leather cleaning solutions and others solutions can change the color of the leather.
Color change due to dust
The accumulation of dust, dirt, and stains can cause the color of the leather to change due to lack of care and maintenance.
Color damage due to temperature
Extreme temperatures and heat can alter the color of the leather. Heat sources such as radiators or heating vents can cause color change and drying of the leather item.
Color change due to quality
Poor quality leather items damage rapidly, so the bad quality may be a cause of color change.
How to preserve the color change of leather items?
Leather color is damaged due to multiple reasons that are discussed already in this article. If you see a mild color change, you need to treat it and adopt precautions to eliminate further damage. Fortunately, the color change of leather can be preserved with various methods. Some of the methods are given.
Keep leather away from anything that can damage it.
First, you need to know about the cause of the color change. Once you know it, then place the leather item away from it. For example, if sunlight is the cause of color change, then place your leather item away from sunlight. After keeping away from the cause of damage, clean your leather item and moisturize it.
Apply a high-quality conditioner.
A leather conditioner is a great thing to treat many types of damage and to protect the leather from damage. Do not choose a leather conditioner that has harsh chemicals in it. As you know, the color change is due to a lack of maintenance. So you should take care of your leather items before damage or color change.
Leather color balm.
If you want better results, you can apply the leather color balm on the entire surface of the leather rather than just the affected area. Leather color balms are available in various colors and shades.
Recolor your leather.
Luckily, you can recolor your leather items, but before you recolor them, you need to make sure that the products are not harmful to the leather item to prevent any damage.