How to Repair Small Scratches and Cracks in Leather

Leather items add a touch of beauty and durability to our lives. For example, that wonderful leather jacket, your favourite recliner, or those elegant boots. Even the best leather might get a scuff, scrape, or crack from time to time. It's normal to feel bad when you see that first mark, but don't worry. With a little time and the correct tools, you can solve a lot of small problems at home.

This tutorial will teach you all you need to know about taking care of leather on your own. We'll talk about how to figure out how bad the damage is, get the necessary tools, and use tried-and-true procedures to fix your things. You will learn how to fix both little scratches and breaks in the surface, bringing your favourite leather items back to life.

First, Look At The Damage

Before you start fixing anything, you need to know what kind of leather it is and how bad the damage is. Is it a little scratch on the surface or a bigger break that goes all the way through?

Different Kinds of Leather

• Leather with Aniline: This leather looks very natural and has only a thin layer of protection. It's soft, but it gets dirty and scratched easily. It needs a soft touch.

• Semi-aniline leather: has a mild protective coating that makes it last longer than aniline leather but yet feels supple.

• Pigmented (or Protected) Leather:  It has a polymer coating on the surface, which makes it the strongest variety. This is the most common type of leather used for furniture and car seats, and it's also the easiest to fix.

Put a single drop of water on an area that isn't very noticeable to find out what kind of leather you have. You probably have coloured leather if it beads up. It's probably aniline if it soaks in rapidly.

Scratch vs Crack

A minor scratch is a scuff on the surface that hasn't gone through the leather's top layer. The colour is often a little off, but the material below is still there. It's easy to correct these.

A crack is a break in the leather's surface that happens when it gets old and dry. Minor cracks are not very deep, but they can get worse over time if they are not fixed. 

This tutorial is mostly about little, cosmetic repairs. You may need to call in a specialist if you have deep wounds, big tears, or cracks all over.

Your DIY leather Repair Kit

It goes more smoothly and works better when you have the correct tools on hand. This list covers most typical situations for little repairs, but you won't need all of these for every repair.

Cleaner for leather:  You need a leather cleaner that is pH-balanced and made just for leather. Don't use strong cleaners around the house.

Microfiber Cloths: You will need a few clean, soft cloths to clean, apply products, and buff. The conditioner of leather is important for keeping the leather soft and avoiding fractures from forming in the future.

Leather Filler/Compound: A flexible filler is used to smooth out the surface of cracks and deeper scratches.

Leather Colorant/Dye: Used to bring back colour after a repair. A lot of businesses sell kits that match colours.

Fine-grit sandpaper (1200+ grit): Use it very gently to smooth down rough edges or infill.

Applicator Sponge or Tool: To uniformly spread colour and filler.

How to Fix Small Scratches on Leather

It's usually easy to fix light scratches on pigmented and semi-aniline leather.  The idea is to move the colour around and add moisture back to the area.

Step 1: Clean the area

The first thing you should do while fixing leather is to clean the area. During the correction, dirt and oils can get stuck, making the blemish stand out more.

• Put a little bit of leather cleaner on a clean microfiber cloth.

• Gently clean the scratched area and the area around it.  Don't scrape too hard.

• Wipe off any extra cleaning with a different, dry towel.

Let the leather dry completely in the air. Don't use a hair dryer, since heat might make the leather shrink or bend.

Step 2: Put on some leather conditioner

If the scratches are very little, a decent conditioner can be all you need. The oils in the conditioner can feed the leather fibres and help the scratch integrate back into the surface.

• Put a little bit of conditioner on a soft cloth and rub it in.

• Using a circular motion, gently work the conditioner into the scrape.

• Feather the conditioner into the area around it to make sure the finish is even.

• Let the conditioner soak in for at least 30 minutes, or for as long as the instructions say.

• To get rid of any extra product and bring back the shine, buff the area with a clean, dry cloth.

Step 3: Use Heat (With Extreme Caution)

This procedure works well for small scratches where the finish is missing. The soft heat brings the leather's natural oils and waxes to the surface.

• Turn the heat down on your hair dryer.

• Keep it a few inches away from the scrape and warm the area for a few seconds.

• As soon as you see the scrape, rub it with your fingers or a clean cloth. The heat makes the leather easier to work with.

• You can do it again if you need to, but don't let the leather become too hot.

• After the area has cooled, use a leather conditioner on it.

How to Fix Cracked Leather:

When leather dries out and loses its natural oils, it cracks. This restoration means filling in the crack and bringing back the colour. These techniques for fixing leather are only for cracks on the surface, not for harm to the structure.

Step 1: Get the surface ready by cleaning it

Like with scratches, you should start with a surface that is completely clean and dry. Do the cleaning steps that were listed in the last section. A clean base makes sure that the filler and colourant will stick well.

Step 2: Put on a leather filler

A flexible leather filler compound is made to fill in the gaps without making them stiffer or splitting again.

• Use a small spatula or applicator tool to put a thin coating of filler right into the fissures.

• Gently push the filler in so that it fills the hole entirely.

• For a smooth, even finish, use the edge of the applicator to scrape off any extra from the leather surface around it.

• Let the filler dry all the way through. Depending on the product and how deep the crack is, this can take anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. Some fillers may shrink as they dry, so you may need to apply a second thin coat.

Step 3: Make the Repair Smooth

You might need to smooth out the filler when it has completely dried.

• Get some very fine-grit sandpaper, like 1200-grit or higher.

• Sand the filled area lightly and gently so that it is completely level with the rest of the leather.

• Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe away any dust. You should be able to touch the surface and feel that it is smooth.

Step 4: Paint and seal the fix

The filler will probably be a neutral colour, so the last step is to make sure it matches your leather.

• Choose a leather dye or colourant that goes well with your item. Testing the colour on a hidden location first is a good idea.

• Use a sponge or applicator to spread a thin, even coat of the colourant over the area that was fixed.

• To make the texture look more natural, dab or blot the colour on instead of wiping it off.

• Let the initial coat dry, and then add further thin coats as needed until the colours are perfectly blended.

• After the colour has dried, use a leather sealer or finish to protect the repair and make it look like the original.

Things to Avoid When Caring for Leather Yourself

• Cleaning Using the Wrong Product:  Soaps, detergents, and all-purpose cleaners can take the natural oils out of leather, which can make it crack more.

• No conditioner:  You have to use a conditioner. It's the most critical thing you can do to keep leather in good shape and stop more damage from happening.

• Putting on too much heat:  Too much heat will ruin the leather for good, leaving it hard and brittle.

• Using the Wrong Colour: Always test your colourant on a small area that won't be seen first. If the repair doesn't match, it will stand out more than the initial crack.

• Being Impatient:  If you rush the drying times for cleaners, fillers, or dyes, the repair will be poor and not work.

Make sure your leather looks its best

Fixing little scratches and cracks is a fun do-it-yourself hobby that makes your favourite things last longer. Preventive care is the key to leather that lasts a long time. Use a decent cleaning to clean your leather things on a regular basis, and use a good conditioner every 3 to 6 months. This regimen will keep the cloth soft, flexible, and much less likely to wear out quickly.

You can confidently deal with little flaws and keep your leather looking great for years to come if you follow these instructions. Don't allow a minor scratch to ruin your favourite things. Fix them up and keep enjoying their timeless beauty.