Rub ‘n Restore® is a water-based paint, not a balm or dye. This makes it an excellent solution for restoring or recoloring motorcycle seats and saddlebags, and even your own leathers.
Note that many seats are made of vinyl or leather that repel water, which means changing color may pose more maintenance than simply freshening the existing color. This is further exacerbated by the friction, sweat, and body oil. A seat you straddle receives much more stress than a normal chair or couch, for example). For this reason, our finishes are not recommended for bicycle seats which receive more repetitive movement and sweat. These issues are not as much of a concern with absorbent leather seats and saddlebags.
To ensure the best result, follow the best practices for changing color:
1) Clean the material thoroughly according to its absorbency.
2) Add 1/4 volume of special Satin Sealer to the color to improve durability.
3) Consider a mottling or printing technique to create a marbled appearance and let some of the current color influence in a few places. This will minimize the need for touch-up if / as the finish gradually wears. Here’s what wear looks like.
Touch-up is easy, but if the goal is zero maintenance, changing color may not be in the cards.
You can consider heavier urethane or solvent-based coatings, but they too are paints, and when they degrade, they are considerably more difficult to strip and touch-up. See here.
Will your products cover stubborn mold stains. Also will it help to prevent future mold stains ?
Yes, our products will cover mold and mildew stains, but the fungus must first be killed so it doesn’t grow through the new finish. Fungi are great remediators of chemicals (see Paul Stamets’ experiments), so we can’t claim that our finishes will prevent new mildew from colonizing.