It can be frustrating when you find out your precious leather goods are now peeling and cracking. Many people would hurry up to find ways to prevent their leather goods from peeling, and this article might be the solution to your problems.
To prevent leather from peeling, take care of your leather goods regularly and properly, avoid exposing them to the sun for long periods, use the proper care kits, avoid harsh chemicals and cleaning agents, and keep sharp objects away from the leather goods to avoid damage.
This article will tell you the different factors attributed to leather peeling. This article will also talk about why leather peels. Lastly, this article will also give you different tips and tricks on preventing the leather from peeling to protect your precious leather goods.
How To Prevent Leather From Peeling
Some of the ways leather experts use and recommend include applying oils to the leather surface, such as olive, coconut, or even baby oil, to keep it from cracking and peeling. You should also avoid getting your leather goods exposed to the sunlight for a long time, as the heat can also hurt the surface, causing it to crack and peel.
Lastly, do not use harsh chemicals while trying to maintain the condition of your leather goods. Always use cleaning agents and other tools that are meant to be used for leather goods.
Why Leather Peels In The First Place
You might wonder why leather peels in the first place and might ask if they are supposed to peel like that. Others would think it is just for one type of leather and it does not apply to many others.
Well, first things first, leather is animal skin. Animal skins are very sensitive to many factors. They should always be well taken care of to avoid any cracking and peeling from happening.
Just as humans take care of their skin by applying so many creams, oils, serums, toners, and moisturizers to make the skin look moisturized, rejuvenated, and much more alive. Leather needs that same level of attention, too. I do not mean putting serums on it, as these are not meant for leather, even though they are both skins.
When leather peels, it also means that the sealant on top of it is also peeling off. When the sealant peels off, it makes the leather goods more vulnerable to mold, moisture, and other factors contributing to its eventual decay.
Also, it is important to note that leather goods made of synthetic leather are very much at risk of peeling. Bonded leather also peels, as it is with the other leather goods made artificially.
Most of the time, when natural leather peels, it is due to neglect or ignorance of the owner. However, high-quality leather rarely peels because of its sheer quality. If it is taken care of properly, it will never peel under most circumstances.
It is important to know why leather peels in the first place because when you know why you will also know how to prevent it from peeling.
Factors Contributing To Leather Peeling
Of course, as mentioned above, leather peels because of several factors. These factors contribute to the peeling and cracking of the leather, leading it to its eventual decay and destruction. These factors differ whether you have manufactured leather goods or natural leather goods.
Still, knowing these factors would help you know how to prevent the leather from peeling because you can easily avoid these things from happening, or you can put your leather goods away from them. Here are some of those factors.
Sharp Objects Can Cut Leather Apart
When you put your natural leather goods near a sharp knife, a pair of scissors, or even needles, it will be vulnerable to peeling once the sharp object gets into close contact with the leather goods.
This is the main reason why leather goods made with natural leather often peel in the first place. Remember that natural leather has low chances of peeling due to other factors because it becomes darker and richer in time.
Sealant Peeling Happens in Natural Leather
Most of the time, the peeling and cracking you see in natural leather goods are not the leather itself, but the sealant or the finish applied on top of it. This happens when you apply harsh chemicals to clean it or use the wrong cleaning agent or conditioner.
Of course, when harsh chemicals come into close contact, it irritates the surface. Therefore, it would cause peeling or cracking. You can compare it to your skin when you do harsh chemical peels, which results in the peeling and cracking of your old skin.
Neglect and Lack of Care Are The Culprits
These two go hand in hand because if you neglect to take care of your leather goods, you lack in caring for them. You cannot lack caring for your leather goods if you are not negligent to it. These two are always together, and this is also a huge reason why natural leather peels in the first place.
As mentioned earlier, natural leather hardly peels under most circumstances. Still, when you stop taking care of them for a long time or just put them in your cabinet without any proper provisions for ventilation and air, it would do your leather goods more harm than good.
That is why even though most Hermes bag collectors put their bags inside cabinets, they always polish and clean them regularly. They know that if they did not take care of their precious bags properly and regularly, their value would diminish because they would eventually crack.
You can liken this to your skin when you undergo a skincare routine. You will enjoy moisturized and rejuvenated skin when you follow your skincare routine religiously. However, once you stop doing it, you will experience your skin peeling and drying up, making you look like you are not taking care of yourself properly.
Simply Because It Is Synthetic Leather
Your leather goods peel simply because they are not made from natural leather. Most of the time, synthetic leather goods peel because they do not have the same levels of resilience and endurance compared to natural leather goods.
The materials it is made of, such as polyvinyl and polyurethane, are not enough to make your leather goods last for a long time. This is because they are not designed to last for a long time without cracking and feeling in only after a few months, sometimes within weeks after you purchased it.
Exposure to Sunlight Can Harm Your Leather Furniture
This happens most of the time to furniture made of bonded leather, made from fragments of natural leather held together by an adhesive. Bonded leather is still natural leather, but it lacks the endurance, quality, and resilience to make it last as long as its natural leather counterparts.
When your leather sofa or couch gets exposed to the harsh rays of the sun, which usually contain ultraviolet rays that can potentially ruin your leather quality, which is a huge risk already since your bonded leather sofa has compromised quality as it is.
The Use of Harsh Cleaning Agents And Chemicals Can Hurt, Too
This usually happens to synthetic and bonded leather, but there are instances that this also happens to natural leather. Of course, since we own leather goods, we must do our best to protect them from peeling and cracking.
Using harsh chemicals can damage your leather, causing it to crack and peel. That is why you should use cleaning agents and leather kits to clean and polish your leather goods properly. You should not use cleaning materials not meant for leather, even your baby wipes, as it contains alcohol that can suck up the moisture and peel your leather.
Tips And Tricks On How To Prevent Leather From Peeling
Now that we talked about the factors why leather peels in the first place, it is time for us to learn the many different tips and tricks we can use to prevent our leather goods from peeling and therefore damaging its overall value and aesthetic. However, it is important to remember that there are different tips for each kind of leather, such as synthetic, natural, and bonded.
Never Miss Out On Regular Care And Maintenance of Your Leather
This is the most important rule in taking care of your leather in general. As mentioned before, if you fail to be consistent in caring for your leather goods, it will take its toll on the surface and quality of your leather, so you must be consistent as much as possible.
If you always care for your leather and work for its consistent and regular maintenance, it would mean so much more to your leather goods. After all, you spent a lot of money buying these, so it would make sense that you take care of your leather goods to see the investment return on your end.
Avoid Prolonged Sun Exposure of Your Leather Goods
This tip applies to the leather furniture we might have at home, such as the sofa, couches, futons, ottomans, and others. Prolonged exposure to the sun causes your leather furniture to crack and peel, making it look undesirable and unkempt.
If you plan to sell your leather furniture in the future, take this tip very seriously and move your furniture away from the windows. If you cannot help placing them in front of the window or by the window side, you can adjust by putting curtains on the windows. There are curtains made of light fabrics which will prove beneficial to you in the warmer seasons.
If you are not a fan of curtains, installing blinds will also do, as you can simply roll them off when the sun is not shining directly towards your leather furniture. It also adds a touch of style to your living room, depending on the designs you choose.
Use Proper Leather Care Kits
One of the most prescribed tips to leather goods owners is to buy a leather care kit that is perfect for your leather goods. That being said, many people buy leather care kits from anyone online or offline because they are cheaper or their friends have recommended them for them.
The problem with these leather care kits, especially the insanely cheap ones, is that these might be made from materials or ingredients with questionable origins. Since the origins are questionable, it might cause further damage to your precious leather goods.
Thus, it is important to buy the best leather care kits for your leather goods. No matter how expensive these can be, keep in mind that your leather goods might suffer from more unintentional damage because of how harsh these chemicals or cleaning tools are to the leather goods.
This is a pro tip: do not scrimp on your leather care kits because when these cheap and shady leather care kits damage your leather, it would cost you much more for repair and restoration. Keep in mind that these expensive leather care kits are worth your money because they will save you lots of money in the long run.
Apply Oils On The Surface of Your Leather
This tip is considered a great one because most leather goods owners take care of their leather goods. Applying oils such as olive oil and coconut oil would provide a layer of protection to your leather goods. This will also keep your leather surface “moisturized.”
If you do not have olive oil or coconut oil in your pantry, using your normal baby oil would do. Apply a layer and rub it all over gently using a soft cloth to spread the oils evenly and more properly. Not only will it leave the surface of your leather soft and supple to touch, but it will also give your leather goods a new layer of glow. Applying oils on the surface would also protect your leather goods from water splashes or accidental spills.
Keep Sharp Objects Away From the Leather
As mentioned earlier, natural leather is unlikely to peel or crack under most circumstances. Still, it would be totally damaged when it gets cut open. Thus, keep your knives, pens, scissors, and other sharp objects away from your leather goods. Avoid leaving sharp objects inside your bag or wallet, as they can pierce through the layers and damage the insides of your leather goods.
Prevention Is Always Better Than Cure
At the end of the day, you should always prioritize taking care and maintaining your leather goods to prevent them from peeling, cracking, and eventually damage the leather goods and affect their appearance and quality.
You do not need to spend a lot of money in the future if you take care of your leather goods properly. Even though it is only made of synthetic leather, it is still more expensive than other goods, so you should always take care of it.
It is also important to remember that what goes well for faux leather would not necessarily work on natural leather since they are made differently. However, it is safe to conclude that regardless if you have synthetic or natural leather in you, you should still take care of it as your prized possessions to prevent any damages, such as peeling.
Lastly, always see your leather goods as investments. If you take care of your leather goods, especially the expensive natural leather goods, you can sell them at much higher prices and earn more. Hermes bags are expensive for a reason, you know.
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