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Monday, January 12, 2015

Raw Hide - Not So Raw Anymore - Couch Facelift Part 2

A few months ago, I did a blog post on a product called "Lexol." It is a leather conditioner. I posted about how my couch has faded over time due to being in the sunlight all day. Here is a link to that post.

That post was actually at the end of October. Within a month, the color was fading again and I knew before I even posted that I would need to put more coats on the couch. 

I was going to order the Lexol online so I could get a bigger bottle so I could coat the couch monthly and see if I could get it close to original but I wanted to check our local Walmart to see if they had the bigger bottles on the shelf. I couldn't find it so I went online.


I tried a few different places and when I added the shipping, they were all within about five dollars but in the end Walmart.com was the cheapest and so I purchased it there.

It took about 6 days for the product to arrive and they taped the lid shut, bagged the container and it still leaked a little in shipping but wasn't bad. 


You can see in the picture to the left and the picture and the one to the right that I did the right two cushions and they are much darker than the one on the left that I hadn't done yet. 


 They are still wet but were done about two hours previously so they had dried some and will keep a darker color than the light one from October. 

I finished up the couch and actually took a video of it talking about things I learned and some general information so that may be helpful.

In this picture, I did the two back cushions on the right and not on the left just to show how it shines it up and seals in the color. It is just like the artwork I have in the room, the suns UV rays just lighten any colors. 

I am planning on conditioning the couch every few weeks for a few months and then at least Monthly on the front side in hopes I can save the couch color and leather from cracking and fading. 

I love that I have the windows and it lets the sun inside but it does take a toll on the fabrics and colors in the front room. 

I highly recommend the "Lexol" product as twice now, it has rejuvenated the leather and color on the sofa / couch and I know it would work great on a saddle, boots, car seats, chairs, and any other leather product. Every site I looked at online had rave reviews for this product. My only caution is to wear gloves when you apply the product and don't let anyone sit on it for a few days while the conditioner soaks in as it has tannins in it and I don't think they are good for your health.   

2 comments:

  1. Does it work on colored leather? Our couch is green.

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    1. I think it would depend on if the leather is green because it is painted over or if it is dyed green. I would say just try it on an area in the back. They do have a product called Lexol Neatsfoot that is supposed to not darken the leather for blonde leather products. It states it also doesn't ruin painted or non-leather items if it gets on them and doesn't stain clothes etc. I haven't have any bleed but we stay off it for a few days after I put the conditioner on so I can't say if it would cause the dye to bleed onto clothes or anything. Sorry I don't know more. I would just try it on the back and see how it works. It is about $10 for a smaller bottle which did the entire couch that was VERY dry. Good luck.

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