Product Overview
Leather Doctor® Kit-N5.uk nubuck urine killer kit is specially formulated to decontaminate urine problems. Aged urine is detectable with its characteristic ammonic odor. The presence of ammonic odor may indicate the shifting of pH value up to 10. The leather will most likely feel sticky or slimy when wet finger testing it. This sticky feeling is a sign of leather denaturing and reverting to rawhide. Stabilizing this sticky phenomenon is done with pre cleaning with CleanUrine-1.5 follows with Acidifier-2.0. KillUrine-1.2 treatment is to neutralize the urine turning ammonic and is let to soak in contact for chemical reaction to take place and is very noticeable with a strong sour odor. This odor diminishes as it slowly evaporates. At this stage, the leather should feel squeaky after returning to its chemistry integrity of pH 3 - 5. Stiff leather is relaxed and sticks together fiber separated by Hydrator-3.3. The penetrated stain removing process continues with hydrating until complete satisfaction during a dry inspection prior to fat and oil replenishing with leather scented Fatliquor LS-5.5. In severe cases color refinishing is the last resort for a pleasing appearance. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach for perforated-leather urine decontamination process. This kit comes with reduced weight option to save on shipping thus all have to be cut and filled up with distilled water prior to use.
Tips on Urine:
Urine is a compound waste discharge, comprises of urochrome, uric acid and the ammonium salt to deal with. When deposited urine attracts the natural bacteria from the atmosphere and starts to ferments, a putrid odor will develop from the protein component of the urine and ammonic odor will develop from the ammonium salt. When ammonic odor becomes present, the pH of the contamination would have shifted to 10. Such high pH above the neutral average 3 to 5 of leather causes the amphoteric protein fiber to shift ionic negative (-ve); that causes the protein fibers to repels its other ionic negative (-ve) constituents like the tanning agent, fatliquor and dyestuff. Behaving just like the attraction of a magnet, like poles repel. When the leather constituent breaks hydrogen bond with the protein fiber, the leather starts to denature and revert to rawhide. A typical appearance of an aged or compounded contamination is a darkening effect from the fugitive tanning agents, a whitening effect from the fatliquor. Fugitive dyestuff or bleeding is only apparent from a white towel detection and yellowing from the urochrome. The denaturing or reverting to rawhide effect of the leather is further confirmed by tackiness or in worst-case sliminess in the present of moisture. The leach out fatliquor results in stiffness and fugitive dyestuff results in discoloration. A systematic sequence of decontamination approach includes surface residue removal with CleanUrine-1.5 (pH 1.5), and rinse with Acidifier-2.0 (pH 2.0) recharging the protein fiber ionic positive (+ve) and neutralizing the ammonium salt with KillUrine-2.1 (pH 2.1). Utilizing such a low pH treatment retards bacteria activities from off gassing putrid odors, a natural pH control without the need to use bactericide or fungicide for mold prevention. Therefore, urine is a type of soiling that will require a biochemistry approach to decontaminate it. Restoring the leather begins after decontamination with Hydrator-3.3, a pH 3.3 multifunctional product that has ionic positive (+ve) charging abilities, an active surfactantcy essential for foreign water movement within the inter-fibrillary spaces to redistribute the leather constituents and purging foreign contamination to resurface. This is the last of the wet cleaning process to remove suspended urochrome yellowish compound through visible white tissue paper as an extension of the leather in the wicking process as the leather dries naturally. Only then, without a trace of the urine stain that Fatliquor-5.0 (pH 5.0) replenishing commences. The emulsified fat and oil encased water molecule breaks free when hydrogen bond attraction takes place between the fat and oil with the protein fiber, leaving a breathing space essential for leather transpiration to function naturally. The fat plumps the leather with fullness from easily collapsing into creases and wrinkles during stress or flex, while the oil lubricates the fibers so that they slide over one another like millions of inter-connecting hinges with smoothness. One important unique characteristic of leather is suppleness with strength and much depends on the fatliquor, in this holistic approach to effective leather urine decontamination and restoration. For severe neglected cases with finishes damages as seen in this picture, refinishing commences after leather suppleness restoration.
Instruction
Restoration Cleaning: 1. Dry surface soiling is removed with NubuckBrush-2 and Eraser-4 vacuum off. Remaining soiling is removed with CleanUrine-1.5 (pH 1.5) in conjunction with detailing NubuckBrush-2, Eraser-4 and terry towel extraction until towel shows clean. The remaining residue is further rinse off with Acidifier-2.0 (pH 2.0) and towel extraction until towel shows clean. Leather surface is inspected for any tackiness and should return to a healthier squeaky feel after rinsing.
Urine Treatment: 1. Apply KillUrine-2.1 and let it soak until natural dry. Sour odor will dissipate once it evaporates completely.
Hydrating: 1- Hydrator-3.3 is applied to soak into the leather to relax stiff and stick together fibers and to wick out suspended foreign contamination. 2- Wrapping the leather with paper towel and wet it out with Hydrator-3.3 is an advance technique to let the leather soak up the hydrator for slow absorbent leathers. 3- The paper towel is left on the leather to dry naturally; this technique allows the wick soiling particulates to be trapped by the paper towel instead of remaining on the leather surface.
Fatliquoring: 1- Fatliquor.LS-5.5 is applied and distributed with brushing until the leather is saturated. 2- Continuous second or third application is repeated with each round and let the water content evaporates until saturation. 3- Leave the leather natural drying for extra softness.
Rub-Resistant Protection: 1- Protector-S+ is applied by mist spray and brushing to even out appearance. 2- For routine application, a paper towel is recommended to extract soiling simultaneously.
Kit Content and Product Description:
Leather Doctor® Acidifier-2.0 (250ml)
Leather Doctor Acidifier-2.0 is a water-based pH 2.0 leather acidifier rinse formulated for controlling nubuck from excessive bleeding in conjunction with CleanUrine-1.5 urine decontamination system.
Leather Doctor® CleanUrine-1.5 (250ml)
CleanUrine-1.5 (pH 1.5) is a water-based restorative cleaner with an extra protonating or pH balancing function. The amphoteric leather protein fiber ionic positive (+ve) attraction in most cases need to be charged up to attract the other ionic negative (-ve) leather constituents more effectively like the tanning agent from denaturing or reverting to rawhide, stabilizing migrating dyestuff from bleeding, and fatliquor (fat and oil) from breaking hydrogen bonds or leaching that result in stiffness that leads to cracks. In a system to rectify leather denaturing from turning sticky or slimy Acidifier-2.0 is used as rinse. Hydrator-3.3 is used to redistribute the tanning agents back to the expose areas and Fatliquor-5.0 to supple up the leather when dry. The purpose of this low pH value of 1.5 (CleanUrine-1.5) is to revert the leather from denaturing or reverting to rawhide, however other associated diminished or leach out leather constituents need to be replenished accordingly.
Leather Doctor® CleanNubuck-3.8 (250ml) CleanNubuck-3.8 is a water-based nubuck-safe cleaner with a pH value of 3.8. It is also safe on all leathers and suede. It’s also safe on all natural and synthetic fabric lining excluding silk and rayon. It is an all-purpose nubuck-safe mild anionic universal cleaner without the potential side effects like rings and browning. It is particularly effective in emulsifying oily soils and in suspending particulates. It works by penetrating, lubricating and suspending soiling safely and effectively through gentle chemical reaction working in perfect harmony with all leather constituents that include the tanning agent, preservative, dyestuff and especially the fatliquor for a nubuck-safe cleaning experience. In a holistic cleaning system it is highly recommended to follow through with RinseNubuck-3.0 to a healthy squeak thus prevents or ceases potential remaining residue from overworking.
Leather Doctor® RinseNubuck-3.0 (250ml)
Leather Doctor® RinseNubuck-3.0 is a water-based formulation with a pH value of 3.0 and is a nubuck-safe. It is to removes suspended soiling by towel extraction while neutralizing harmful alkaline residues and charging the protein fiber ionic positive (+ve) to increase the ionic attraction between the negative leather constituent like the tanning agent, dyestuff and fatliquor for leather pH chemistry integrity.
Leather Doctor® KillUrine-2.1 (250ml)
Leather Doctor KillUrine-2.1 is formulated for Nubuck and all other leather and woolskin type. This is a pH 2.1 aqueous leather urine stain neutralizer with a strong sour odor for neutralizing the ammonia and alkaline phosphorus salt found in urine from “reverse-tanning” the nubuck leather. Sour odor will dissipate when completely dry.
Leather Doctor® Hydrator-3.3 (250ml)
Leather Doctor Hydrator-3.3 is a water-based pH 3.3 all nubuck and leather-safe hydrator. It is used both as a fatliquor preconditioner and a post cleaner as well in this holistic Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system, with build-in multi functional abilities. Surface application is primary to check for even surface tension free of blotchiness prior to fatliquor replenishing. Structural application will require saturating to an optimum level with moisture oozing out when gently pressed between thumb and fingers.
The multi functional abilities include:
a) To check for surface tension for an even appearance free from blotchiness prior to fatliquor replenishing.
b) To plumps, relaxes and separates crushed, shrunk and stick together fibrils for manipulating away-unwanted creases and wrinkles.
c) To clean the leather of structural foreign contamination, the plump and limp leather is squeeze with towel laid between the leather and a smooth spatula or equivalent.
d) To rectify alkaline overexposure areas by facilitating colloidal water movement to redistribute the leather constituents from surrounding areas.
e) To activate the dormant dyestuff within the leather structure for color refreshing.
f) To facilitates colloidal water movement within the inter-fibrillary spaces for wicking foreign soiling particulates to resurface by 'reverse-transfer' with Towel-T5.
g) To stabilize, pH balance and charge the protein fiber below its iso-electric point (pI) ionic positive to hydrogen bond with the ionic negative fatliquor more effectively.
Instruction:
A- Surface Tension Inspection:
A1. Spray Hydrator-3.3 evenly and wipe with lint free towel to free of surface tension for an even appearance prior to fatliquor replenishing.
B- Stiffness, Creases and Wrinkles:
B1. Saturate the thickness of the leather to an optimum level with moistures oozing out when gently pressed between thumb and fingers.
B2. Cover up with plastic wrapping to control evaporation and let it dwell up to 72hrs for softness.
B3. Manipulate by stretching and cross flexing to relax the leather to satisfaction prior to fatliquor replenishing.
B4. With satisfaction the Fatliquor-5.0 has to be immediately replenished while the leather is perhaps at 25% Hydrator-3.3 moisture level.
C- Cleaning:
C1). A combination of cleaning while saturating the leather is done with NubuckBrush-2 and Eraseer-4 on the surface and towel extracting it. Deep cleaning beneath the surface from the leather structure for liquid stain is done with squeezing the leather with a smooth spatula with a towel in between to reduce abrasion and absorbing the foreign contamination – See F below
D- Rectify Alkaline Overexposure:
D1. Saturate the thickness of the leather to an optimum level with moistures oozing out when gently pressed between thumb and fingers.
D2. Cover up with plastic wrapping to control evaporation and let it dwell for redistributing of the leather constituents from surrounding area.
D3. Observe for appearance and test by finger for tactile squeaky feel prior to fatliquor replenishing.
E- Activating Dormant Dyestuff to Resurface:
E1. Saturate the thickness of the leather to an optimum level with moistures oozing out when gently pressed between thumb and fingers.
E2. Cover up with plastic wrapping to control evaporation and let it dwell up to 72 hours for excess dyestuff to resurface.
E3. Remove plastic cover and let it natural dry to observe color improvement prior to fatliquor replenishing.
F- Removing Penetrated Stains by Reverse-Transfer with Towel-T5:
F1. Saturate the thickness of the leather to an optimum level with moistures oozing out when gently pressed between thumb and fingers.
F2. Cover up with plastic wrapping to control evaporation and let it dwell up to 72 hours for foreign soiling particulates to resurface.
F3. Remove plastic wrapping, replace with Towel-T5 without airspace to trap stains as it dries instead of remaining on the surface. Recommend that Fatliquor-5.0 is replenished in combination at this stage especially if the leather has already show signs of cracking.
F4. Peel Towel-T5 when crispy dry and erase with Eraser-4 or Eraser-5 for suede accordingly prior to fatliquor replenishing.
Leather Doctor® Fatliquor.LS-5.5 (250ml)
Leather Doctor Fatliquor.LS-5.5 is the leather-scented version that imparts a classic leather scent to mask unpleasant odor with softness and strength. It is a pH 5.5 anionic charged emulsion fatliquor for rejuvenating nubuck and all other leather types. It relaxes coarse breaks; creases and wrinkles enhance suppleness and prevent cracking. It softens the leather with stretchability, compressibility and flexibility, while enhancing its rip tensile strength greatly. It is for replenishing the original fat and oil that diminishes thru sun bleaching, ageing, heat and alkaline overexposure or cleaning. When applied the emulsified fat and oil encased water molecule breaks free when hydrogen bond attraction takes place between the fat and oil with the protein fiber, and wicks out leaving a breathing space behind for leather transpiration to function naturally. The fat plumps the leather with fullness from easily collapsing into creases and wrinkles during stress or flex, while the oil lubricates the fibers so that they slide over one another like millions of inter-connecting hinges with smoothness. Thus helps to keep nubuck leather at its optimum physical performance and prevent premature ageing.
Leather Approximate Quantity or Percentage of Fatliquor:
The quantities of fatliquor (fat and oil) contents retained in the leather after an universal tannery fatliquoring process may varies up to 14% depending on the leather types and it usage. This percentage drops as the fat and oil content diminishes or leaches through ageing, water, heat or chemical overexposure.
Leather rejuvenating or fatliquor replenishing is base on weight of the leather in relation to the percentage of remaining fatliquor. A simple calculation of percentage of fatliquor topping up requirement would be as follows:
If the weight of the leather in question is 100gm and fatliquor (fat and oil) content meter reading is less than 1%.
By applying 80gm of Fatliquor-5.5 to it will deliver an end result incremental of 13.3% fatliquor when dry as the 66.6% water contents evaporates.
In the leather rejuvenating Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.5 > Hydrator-3.3 system, Hydrator-3.3 plays an important role by relaxing, opening up the inter-fibrillary spaces, facilitating and redistributing colloidal water movement, protonating and doing all the pre-conditioning work prior to fatliquoring including cleaning up any excess surface remnants to have a sticky-free surface. In practice the ratio for Hydrator-3.3 is 2 to 1 of Fatliquor-5.5.
It works out to be approximately 160gm of Hydrator-3.3 plus 80gm of Fatliquor-5.5 to replenish a 100gm dry leather from less than 1% back to the original tannery up to 14% fatliquor content.
Instruction:
1 Apply Fatliquor.LS-5.5 and redistribute with brushing until saturation.
2 Repeat applications each time water contents evaporate until fully saturated.
3 Drive remaining surface remnants free of milky fat and oil until it turns clear with Hydrator-3.3.
4 Allow natural drying for extra softness.
Tips:
1 When crispy dry, prior surface contaminations/damages may darkens as soiling particulates resurface.
2 Removes soiling particulates with Eraser-4 for nubuck and all leathers.
3 Stretching the darken areas lightly will also lightens the appearance.
Leather Doctor® Protector-S+ (250ml)
Leather Doctor Protector-S+ is a non-film forming, non-stick, rub-resistant protector that enhances a natural silky-feel, with a classic leather scent for nubuck and other pure aniline and suede type. It imparts a non-stick, breathable barrier, essentially to shield the detrimental effects of sticky soiling. Its natural silky-feel protection increases the leather resistance to wet and dry rubs, thus reduce stretch, scuff and abrasion. In addition, it reduces friction squeaks that wear the finishes when leather is rubbed during movement. Instruction: 1 Identify, inspect and dry soil removal prior to application. 2 Shake well, fine mists spray on cleaned surface. 3 Groom nubuck with nubuck Brush-2 for a “finger writing effect”.
NubuckNylonBrush-2(1pc)
NubuckNylonBrush-2 is a stiff nylon detailing brush is design ergonomically to be an extension of your hand with sturdy grooved grip, designed to produce effective result easily and efficiently. It is recommended for nubuck and fine suede, for a gentle effective agitation cleaning with a fine brush soft setting to the nap. Length is 7 inches with a three-row black bristle 1½ inches cleaning head.
Towel-T5 (5 pcs)
This rag works like cloth, lint free, highly absorbent and washable. General application is for extracting suspended soiling or for spreading hydrator, fatliquor or protector. It is used for both dye and topcoat padding for smooth leathers.
FoamBrush-3 (1 pc) FoamBrush-3 is a 3" dense foam brush that resists tearing and shredding and carries more material. It has a solid wood handle that allows greater control for quality results. It is for controlling and spreading solution for a more even distribution.
Visit: www.LeatherCleaningRestorationForum.com for technical help and support.
Email: info@leatherdoctor.com for other information.