Rub-off is typically caused by wax, silicone, or oil-based conditioning products, which leave a residue that inhibits the color’s ability to bond. New leather and vinyl are no exception and often coated with chemicals designed to repel stains and improve “wipe-clean” performance.
Did you:
- follow the best practices for changing color?
- thoroughly clean?
- test the color’s adhesion?
If you need to re-prep the surface, work with a stronger solvent like lacquer or paint thinner. Use a toothbrush or nail brush, particularly to clean the deeper creases and recesses of the grain. Only strip the areas that are wearing poorly; recall the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Color rubbing off can also be caused by:
- areas that are saturated with body oil;
- worn or damaged areas that need repair before being recolored;
- interior padding or foam that has lost its plushness and/or lots of wrinkles and folds in the upholstery; this results in more movement and stress upon the leather or vinyl and therefore your new finish;
- pieces that receive a lot of contact with chemicals, liquids or dog claws;
- or pieces made with bonded, polyurethane, or faux leather which resist all coatings.
Touch-up is easy and par for the course with a dramatic change of color. Take care to apply thin coats and prevent the color from pooling in creases or deeper recesses of the grain.
I purchased the rust for my sofa. Followed all the instructions and the outcome was beautiful. My sofa is brand new, and I cleaned it thoroughly with the proper alcohol. I applied seven very thin coats. Came out gorgeous. I let it sit for four days before touching it. Now however when I sit on it it’s starting to rub off and show the color underneath. Your materials and video said that it was good for vinyl. I did the absorption test and it showed no problems. I have not use it very much at all and it’s already starting to fade. This was just within the last two weeks. How do I remedy this? It’s very disappointing to see the number of hours I put into this and the expense and the expectation I need to see it fade and the underlying color starting to show through. Thank you
Hi Bob, sorry to hear of the troubles. Sounds like you were changing color?
We always recommend using lacquer thinner to prep the surface. New vinyl (PVC) and leather furniture are typically coated in fluoropolymer or silicone-based repellents to boost short-term stain resistance and improve wipe-clean performance. Such chemicals will also repel our color. We recently had a customer send a sample of new vinyl that repelled our color. It required three passes with acetone to strip off the yellowish coating (which lingered on our concrete driveway through two storms).
A Cross-linker (and Satin Sealer for colors like Butterscotch) are recommended when changing color of materials that repel water. Please review the best practices here. Note that we discourage use of our product on polyurethane (PU) faux leather, because these materials tend to repel just about anything you put on them.