Pets are great - they add to your family, they don't judge you, they provide unconditional love, they scratch up your leather sofas . . . . . So, my cat Buddy, and another Cat George before him, decided that when they were young kittens, jumping on and off my leather sofa was a big time. Unfortunately they left their mark behind. Evidence below:
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Hideous, right? After a while I started not to notice, but one day I realized how awful it looked and went online and typed in "cover up cat scratches on leather furniture." Well, there was a world of options out there, but one that I had in my good old pantry was Olive Oil. Found several sites that indicated rubbing olive oil on the surface of minor scratches would do the trick. So I decided, what the heck, it's worth a try, and if it doesn't work I can wipe it off with some baguette slices and have a nice snack with my wine.
Results = FABULOUS!
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
I am THRILLED with the outcome. I used a soft cloth to rub the olive oil into the leather in circles. I think the key is really rubbing it in. I followed up with a paper towel and buffed it off a bit. I was a bit worried about oil residue on the leather, but the paper towel buffing revealed there was no oil left on surface of leather. A few weeks later it still looks awesome. There are a few deeper marks that are still somewhat visible, but it looks tons better than it did. The oil also brought back the rich tone of the leather a bit.
TAGS: scratch repair, leather furniture, cat scratch, leather sofa, leather chair, repair
whoa! that's amazing! pinning it!
ReplyDeletegail
Thanks, Gail - SAVED me a sofa!
DeleteYay. Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteKathy
I'm pinning this, too! Thanks ~ Maureen
ReplyDeleteI can't remember whose blog I got to you through, but boy am I glad I did. I am going to fix my sofas today after church. Thanks for this great tip.
ReplyDeleteLet me know how it works for you! We've had no residual oil or issues. Kept me from having to replace it for a while.
DeleteThis certainly looks better after the treatment. But hey, think about the obvious: If you had real leather shoes/boots/purse/coat, what would you have used to revitalize them? You'd have polished and/or oiled them, right? You can buy leather protectant but just oiling leather is what cowboys have been doing for generations for their saddles, boots, chaps, etc.!
ReplyDeleteNothing different about a leather sofa compared to shoes :-) Ya done good there ;-) Next time if you don't want to use the expensive EVOO, almost any light weight oil will do ;-)
Thanks for the tip Connie
DeleteThanks for this tip! I have an ottoman that has seen better days. This is so much cheaper than the leather conditioners in the store.
ReplyDeletegood luck!
DeleteI can't believe the results! I am trying this tomorrow. My cat scratches the crap out of my dining room chairs. Thanks!!! (Found you on Better After)
ReplyDeleteLet me know how it goes!
DeleteHiya hun. Just wanted to let you know that I featured this on my blog today.
ReplyDeletehttp://mammymade.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/mint-stuff-ive-seen-24.html
I would love it if you could check it out :)
- Adele @ Mammy Made
THANK YOU! Will do!
DeleteAmazing!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I swear we have the exact same couch(mine is a love seat)!!! -Including the scratches!! Gonna try this tonight!
ReplyDeletegood luck, let me know how it goes
DeleteOMGoodness, will be trying this on our cat scratches!!
ReplyDeleteIt all makes sense, but how long do you have to wait for it to be fully absorbed as to not stain your clothes when sitting on the couch??
ReplyDeleteI wiped an hour later with a clean white paper towel to visually see if there was any residual oil. Nothing. And, we use that sofa every day and have had no issues. Good luck!
DeleteI have the same situation and for the deeper scratches I first used a cotton ball with the furniture scratch cover, I used the one for dark wood and rub it into the scratched area. I let it sit for a while to soak in/dry and then come back with a clean paper towel and run it over the area to pick up any residue that was left. Works good but does need to be re-applied occasionally. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAgree, mine lasted about 6 months and I had to reapply.
DeleteI had only light scratches on my burgundy leather sofa but decided to give the EVOO technique a try. It worked beautifully! I even applied a VERY light amount all over the couch once I saw how well it worked. I applied it with a microfiber cloth and worked it in well. The couch looks like new. I had been noticing that commercially made leather wipes were drying out the leather. The oil soaked in, leaving no reside. Thanks for sharing such an effective and simple idea.
ReplyDeleteHooray, glad it worked!
DeleteI have a carmel colored leather sofa and chairs...this doesn't work as well for the lighter color...anyone have any ideas for that? I've tried leather shoe polish in a matching color and it didn't really help much either.
ReplyDeleteseems like getting the dry part underneath saturated is the key, what about mink oil (from shoe polish section) ?
DeleteGive milk a try
DeleteJust tried this after I read your post! It certainly made my leather look bright and full of life! I was first using olive oil from a little spout bottle and the oil was leaving streaks on my couch. I changed over to vegtable oil afterwards and it worked great and was a lot cheaper. Love it!
ReplyDeletegreat tip, and Veg oil is MUCH cheaper!
DeleteAwesome, we have the same issue and what an easy household solution! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try this with my leather seats in my vehicles- thanks!
ReplyDeleteLet me know how that goes, didn't even think of that!
DeleteAwesome, just did this to my couch!!! Looks sooo much better, im just wondering how my dogs are going to react to it when they wake up, im hoping they dont lick the whole thing! evoo doesnt have a really strong smell and i penned them up for a few hours to nap to let any i didnt rub in all the way or wipe off soak in. Thank you!! Now I wont want to cover my couch in blankets when ppl come over! lol
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of like a miracle. I just had to re-treat my sofa again. Looks like it lasts about 6 months. I still can't believe how well it worked!
DeleteTrish
If there are nicks or deep scratches use a crayon the color of the leather and mark on the scratch. Then use a cloth and an iron. The heat will let the crayon melt into the leather and bond. I've also used shoe polish for faded leather.
ReplyDeletehey you solved my problem i was very upset to these scratches done by my pet. It really worked. keep updating! Cleaning Jobs uk
ReplyDeleteGreat. Glad to hear it worked for you too!
Deletewow, I came across this in Pinterest, and I'm so glad!! thank you! I'm going to try it on my ottoman!
ReplyDeleteLet me know how it works!
DeleteFor very wide or deep scratches, shoe polish in the color of the leather works well. Just be sure to buff it well so your clothes don't get stained.
ReplyDeletegreat suggestion!
DeleteDoes it or will it get a rancid smell once the oil is on it for ?
ReplyDeleteHi Kym -
DeleteI've now treated my sofa twice in a year, no smell! We're in there all the time. I noticed around 6 months it needed to be re-treated. Good luck!
Trish
Awhile
ReplyDeleteWish oil could fix the claw tears in my leather couch. lol
ReplyDeleteTried this then did some research and olive oil is detrimental to leather, even fully finished leather. Leather is dried flesh and during the tanning process all fats and oils are taken out to preserve the leather and to prevent bacteria. So you can surmise that introducing olive oil to leather is de-tanning the leather and you end up with rotting flesh in the long run... Best bet is to get a leather repair kit and no - not the as seen on tv kind.
ReplyDeleteHey! Do you think this would work on boots too? Great post!
ReplyDeleteWow...thanks for the tip! I, too, have cat scratches on my leather sofa. :)
ReplyDeleteKelly
With three dogs this is a great tip to know. I will be giving it a try soon.
ReplyDeleteTraci
I did this and while it worked the day of, the next day my couch looked the same as the scratches reappeared.
ReplyDelete