How is Rub ‘n Restore® different than other vinyl and leather finishes?

Most leather and vinyl finishes available in stores are made by companies that don’t specialize in vinyl and leather restoration. Many of these coatings, often urethane or elastomeric. They look and feel plasticky. While they may initially hold up to harsh chemical cleaners, many do not age well and eventually crack, peel, or flake. Such after-market coatings are not to be confused with delaminating bonded leather. Here’s how to discern the difference.

Conversely, many companies specializing in leather restoration have complicated processes that require oil extraction, moisturizing, priming, and cross-linking. These products and processes require practice, skill, and special equipment. They are not as easy to use and therefore not accessible to the average DIYer.

Enter Rub ‘n Restore®, a pigment-rich, water-based acrylic finish. While acrylics can be less durable than urethanes, they look and feel natural and also don’t catastrophically delaminate. Rather than having to strip peeling paint, one simply touches up worn areas. This is usually just with dramatic color changes.

Our application process is pretty simple:

  1. Thoroughly clean.
  2. Test for adhesion and wear.
  3. Apply the color with a damp sponge (or spray gun if you prefer).

Click here for all our how to videos.

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2 comments

  1. Hi approx 6 months ago , I had my leather suite replumped. Whilst the professional was Doing it I mentioned a couple of the fade marks we had on it and he offered to redo the colour for us (obviously at a price). He said it would look new. It did at first for the shortest time. Every time I wiped it or where the dog led and especially behind where my husband puts hi head, the colour came off. I call him back and he redid the patches. 5 months down the line the suite looks awful it has come off in so many places. It has even peeled In a small patch behind my husband seat now. I was going to call him back but don’t seethe point. Originally the sofa was a dark sort of cherry Brown not really shiny, but he enhanced the colour and then sprayed some sort of varnish on it which made it shiny. Looked lovely at the time. I did think at the time that it was strange that he didn’t even clean it before doing it, not even where you would rest your head. Is there anything I can do to strip it back to is original state. It is a good quality suite. Thank you for reading. And sorry for long email.

    Reply
    • Funny he didn’t clean it. Color matching is usually the hard part, but sounds like it was an inferior product and inadequate prep. Fear not, if it’s not adhering to the surface, then it will be easily stripped with a solvent like alcohol or paint thinner (this may also strip some of the original finish, so be conservative). Our finish should yield a much better result. Submit photos in our evaluation if you’d like our professional assessment and tailored instructions.

      Reply

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