How to Fix Scratches on My Brown Leather Sofa

Leather furniture is a favorite choice to add warmth, style and comfort to a home. This type of furniture does require regular care and minimal maintenance. The day-to-day wear and tear from cats, dogs, and kids can be rough on your leather furniture. Scratches and tears will happen. Scratches in a brown leather sofa can be very easily repaired with a little time and the right leather repair kit.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Leather repair kit
• Soft clean cloth
• Rubbing alcohol
• Scissors
• Cotton ball
• Tweezers

Remove scratches

1. Purchase a leather repair kit from a furniture store or your local hardware store. Unless you have deep scratches or gouges in your leather sofa, buy the most basic leather kit. If you have an unusual color of brown sofa and the scratches are deep in the leather, purchase the more expensive leather repair kit. Basic leather kits will come with leather glue, leather filler, scratch repair lotion, patches, leather dye and fine-grain leather sandpaper. The more expensive kits will contain additional tools and a broader selection of leather dyes.

2. Prepare the scratched area on your brown leather sofa to be repaired. You can use a leather cleaner or other product recommended by your sofa manufacturer or a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol. Test the cleaning solution or rubbing alcohol on a small unnoticeable section of your sofa. If the sofa color runs or rubs off, try another solution. If the solution is appropriate, carefully clean the area to be repaired.

3. Glue down any flaps or rough edges around the scratch. This will only need to be done if the scratch is very deep. Use the glue found in your leather repair kit. Carefully apply on the necessary areas. Push the flaps or rough edges into place with a pair of tweezers. Wait at least one hour to allow the glue to dry before continuing to repair your brown leather sofa.

4. Sand the scratched area to smooth the scratch once the glue has completely dried. The area to be sanded includes any dried on glue spots or other rough areas in the scratch.

5. Repeat the glue process until you have a smooth surface to work with. Continue to allow the glue to dry before sanding and smoothing the leather. Leather filler can also be used to fill any other holes or rough scratches. This filler can be found in some leather repair kits. After the filler has dried, similar to the glue process, lightly sand down the area until it is smooth.

6. Smooth the scratch repair lotion over the scratch with your finger. Use a clean cloth to blot any excess lotion. Allow the treated area to dry overnight.

7. Treat the repaired area with a leather protector to seal the repair. The leather cleaner can be purchased from a furniture store or hardware dealer.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your leather sofa polished and protected regularly using the manufacturer recommended leather care products. Maintaining your leather couch will make it easier to repair scratches that may occur in the future.

References

• Leather Repair Kits
• Do it Yourself Leather Solutions
• Leather Cleaning Products

Resources

• Leather Cleaner
• Frequently Asked Leather Care Questions
• Leather Scratches