Rejuvenate an old leather sofa, chair, love seat or ottoman with leather dye. Dye the leather the same color to achieve a rich tone or change the color completely with products made specifically for dying leather. I have found that Tandy Leather Factory carries the three products required for the leather dying process. The four products include leather bleach, deglazer, dye and spray leather sealant. The process is moderately easy to complete but time consuming.
Applying a dye that is darker than the original leather surface uses a full-strength dye color. To lighten a leather surface, leather dye solvent is added to the full-strength dye color to achieve the desired look. Follow the instructions on the leather dye solvent to achieve the desired color.
Both oil-based and water-based leather dye are available for purchase. Water-based is easier to work with due to the clean-up. Oil-based leather dye creates a richer tone to the leather surface.
Items You’ll Need:
Leather bleach, deglazer, dye and spray leather sealant
Glass measuring cup with ounce marks
Old plastic mixing container
Water
Stirring apparatus
Soft-bristled scrub brush
Lint-free cloth
Spritz bottle
Latex or rubber gloves
Wool dauber
Leather dye solvent is optional
Instructions:
Step 1 – Mix one ounce of leather bleach and two cups of cool water in a mixing container.
Step 2 – Clean the surface of the leather with the leather bleach mixture using a soft-bristled scrub brush.
Step 3 – After the leather surface is completely dry, rub your hand over the surface. Feel for areas that are waxy or oily. Wipe the areas down with leather deglazer to remove the wax or oil film. Allow the leather to dry completely and repeat the process until the entire leather surface feels clean.
Step 4 – Wet a lint-free cloth. Wring out the excess water. Wipe the leather surface with the damp lint-free cloth to moisten the entire surface. Spritz the leather surface throughout the dying process to keep the leather moist. The moist surface will absorb the dye better than a surface that is dry.
Step 5 – Put on gloves and dip the wool dauber in the leather dye. Rub the dye into the leather surface using long straight strokes. Spritz the non-dyed areas of the leather periodically to ensure they stay moist. Evaluate the dye application periodically and look for light areas. Rub more dye onto the sparse areas as needed.
Step 6 – Allow the leather surface to dry for two hours. Look at the surface for shiny areas. The shine means the leather is still wet. Allow the leather to dry another hour and recheck. Stretch the leather periodically during the drying period. Press down in the center of each area. The stretching process promotes a soft supple feel to the leather once the dyeing process is complete. Proceed with the following steps when the shine has disappeared.
Step 7 – Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for a second application of leather dye.
Step 8 – Polish the dried leather surface with a lint-free cloth. Rub the surface using a circular motion to enhance the beauty of the leather.
Step 9 – Protect the dyed leather finish with a coat of spray-on leather sealant. Allow the leather sealant to dry one hour. Repeat the process for a total of three applications of spray-on leather sealant. Allow the final coat to dry two to three hours before using the newly dyed piece of leather furniture.
Tip: Use the same process to dye leather purses, shoes and other objects made with a smooth leather surface.
