How to Repair a Leather Colored Couch

Clean the entire couch with a soft cloth dipped in warm water and saddle soap. This is necessary before attempting to blend in minor scratches. Leather picks up bodily oils and grime, and darkens with age; this patina must be removed before a successful color match can be made.

Remove a cushion and rub some matching leather polish cream into the exposed leather to test your color match. Repeat with the premixed color finish from a leather repair kit before starting work; some creams and finishes become lighter after drying.

Blend tiny amounts of self-shine leather dye into the cream and color finish to find a perfect match if necessary. Allow time for the cream and color finish to dry before buffing with a soft cloth.

Rub areas damaged by minor scratches lightly with a piece of 600-grade emery paper to smooth off ragged edges. Don't rub hard enough to penetrate the colored surface layer.

Apply cream polish by rubbing it briskly into the leather with a soft cloth wrapped around your forefinger. Use a circular motion and keep rubbing until a shine starts to appear. Allow 15 minutes for the polish to dry before buffing with a dry soft cloth. Two or three applications may be necessary before you're completely satisfied.

Spread a tiny amount of the flexible leather repair compound from the repair kit into deeper scratches and under loose flaps of leather. The point of a toothpick is an ideal applicator. Mix the colored compound to a perfect match with leather dye before applying, if necessary. Press protruding flaps smooth with the edge of your thumbnail held at an angle; this will squeeze out any excess from beneath the flap.

Rub the surface lightly with the alcohol pads supplied. Apply progressive coats of premixed color finish from the kit, using the sponge applicator supplied. Do not re-brush to cover streaks, and don't overwork enough to drag compound over the surface. Use the fine-mist spray supplied in the kit for the finish coat. Leave overnight to allow enough time for the compound to cure.

Finish the repair by lightly smoothing away any tiny bumps or blemishes with 600-grade emery paper, if necessary. Apply progressive coats of colored leather cream to the area until you have a glossy, perfectly matched finish.